Teen Volunteers -- Sign Ups

One of the first items of business I wanted to get organized was our teen volunteer program. There were a few major issues with the way the program was currently run and I had many staff members expressing their frustration with it. I wanted to streamline it and make it a bit easier to organize.

At my library, we do not currently do many teen programs -- in other words, planning programs/events for teens to come to. However, I am in charge of a teen volunteer program where the teens come to help me with my School-Age programs. 

My peer librarian had been allowing teens to sign up for shifts whenever they wanted and any day of the week they wanted. This caused issues if there were other staff members running the program since they never were quite sure if there would be teens helping them or working with them that day. And, if there were teens signed up, they did not always show up. 

They would also sign up for different days, leading to confusion since the teens that might show up to volunteer may have never volunteered that day before and needed more help than the staff member could supply. In other words, if you have the same teens with you at the same program they know how to help every week or what is expected of them.


Things I will be implementing:
1. I created a contract that the teens and parents have to sign stating that if they do not inform staff they will not be present, they will be removed from the volunteer program after the 3rd time. Each time it happens, they AND their parents will be given a warning until the 3rd time when they will be told they are no longer part of the program.

2. For the 'orientations', or information sessions about the teen volunteer program, I am strongly encouraging (almost requiring) parents to attend. I want parents involved in the making of the schedule so they know when their kids have signed up to be at the library.

3. Making teens choose ONE shift on ONE day of the week and remain on that day throughout an entire three-month program session. Having a reliable schedule that parents and teens can count on helps everyone. Also, staff will know exactly which teens will be there each week.

4. Putting teens on the staff schedule. Our adult volunteers are on the schedule, as are our pages and our staff...the one piece missing is the teen volunteers. If we have the same teens each week, we should be able to put their names on their shift for each week, thereby creating open communication about the teen volunteer program with the entire library staff.


So we'll see how all the changes work as they go into effect. I have three orientations over the next week, and I'm excited to be a part of all of these changes to the program. I'm still sad about leaving my position as the storytime librarian, but I feel like I have huge areas to grow in this new age-group!

Bittersweet Transition

Yesterday was officially my last day to do storytimes as the storytime librarian...at least for a couple years. In my library system, in order to provide opportunities to grow and have the ability to potentially be considered for management in the future, we rotate age groups every few years. I have been in my role for 2.5 years, so now it is time for me to work with a different age group and work with the teens and school-agers in my community.

Even though I am excited about doing something new, it was difficult to say goodbye to doing storytimes regularly. I genuinely love spending time with the little ones on a day-to-day basis. Storytime can be exhausting, especially if you do it 6+ times a week, but the kids make it worth it. I pulled some of my regulars aside so they could properly prepare their toddlers for the change. It was difficult, but I would prefer caregivers to not be surprised when they don't see Ms. Allison presenting storytime in the Spring.

That being said, even though it is incredibly sad to know I'm not going to be doing storytimes for all the little ones I've grown to know and love, I also know many of the teens and elementary-age kids. So I am excited to take on a new challenge. 

Speaking of a new challenge, each year our libraries do a Cookie House building program. Since we're in transition, I did not have a set group of teen volunteers to help. So, with over 150 people registered for our program that is tomorrow, I had to stuff a lot of the bags myself with some help from one of my Library Assistants.

Got my assembly-line going:

 Only a small glimpse of the amount of bags we put together:

Even MORE bags of treats:

Day 1 as a school-age librarian, so we'll see how it goes from here. Onward to the actual Cookie House program tomorrow, more planning for our Spring session, another huge event next week celebrating the 10th anniversary of our library, and training of the teens. 

Apples and Bananas

I have mentioned it in passing in a previous post (and will post fully about it later), but I will be transitioning into doing school-age programs full-time starting in the spring and will no longer be doing the weekly storytimes at my library. So, since this is my final hurrah for awhile, I scrapped my original theme for the last week of storytimes for a theme that I been thinking about. 

A few new books arrived at our library a month or so ago ("What's an Apple?" and "What's a Banana?" by Marilyn Singer). I was dying to use them in a storytime and do a 'Apples and Bananas' theme but since I wouldn't be doing storytime regularly for a long while, it would be forever before I could have an opportunity. Soooo, I pounced on the chance to do it as my finale!

 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Tap the Magic Tree - Christie Matheson

What's an Apple? - Marilyn Singer

What's a Banana? - Marilyn Singer

Preschool Books:

Gladys Goes Out to Lunch - Derek Anderson

What's an Apple? - Marilyn Singer

What's a Banana? - Marilyn Singer

Detective Small in the Amazing Banana Caper - Wong Herbert Yee

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Bananas Unite:

Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas, (make banana peel with arms overhead, then make peeling motion)

Peel bananas, peel, peel bananas.

Chop bananas, chop, chop bananas, (make chopping motion with hands)

Chop bananas, chop, chop bananas.

Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas, (mash hands together)

Mash bananas, mash, mash bananas.

Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas, (make motion of bringing bananas from hands to mouth)

Eat bananas, eat, eat bananas.

Gooooooo bananas!

Source: Jbrary

Apples and Bananas (Raffi Song):

I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas,

I like to eat, eat, eat, apples and bananas.

I like to ate, ate, ate, epples and benenes,

I like to ate, ate, ate, epples and benenes.

I like to eat, eat, eat, eepples and beeneenees,

I like to eat, eat, eat, eepples and beeneenees.

I like to ite, ite, ite, ipples and bininis,

I like to ite, ite, ite, ipples and bininis.

I like to ote, ote, ote, opples and bononos,

I like to ote, ote, ote, opples and bononos.

I like to ute, ute, ute, upples and bununus,

I like to ute, ute, ute, upples and bununus.

Source: Raffi

For Lyrics: Raffi via Google Play

Thanksgiving

I decided it was high-time to do a storytime about Thanksgiving! We had smaller numbers this week because of the holiday, but we got to have a lot of fun and be goofy with all our fun turkey day themed activities.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Thanks for Thanksgiving - Julie Markes

The Thankful Book - Todd Parr

Feeling Thankful - Shelley Rotner

Preschool Books:

Over the River: A Turkey's Tale - Derek Anderson

The Airport Book - Lisa Brown

Thanks for Thanksgiving - Julie Markes

The Thankful Book - Todd Parr

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Nervous Turkeys:

Five turkeys were getting quite nervous. 

Thanksgiving Day would soon be back.

So one turkey put on a duck suit,

And now he says "Gobble, Quack, Quack!"

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: ALSC Blog

Hello, Mr. Turkey (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")

Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you? (clap, clap)

Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you? (clap, clap)

With a gobble, gobble, gobble (hand under chin, wiggle fingers)

And a wobble, wobble, wobble (move body from side to side)

Hello, Mr. Turkey, how are you? (clap, clap)

Source: Laptime Songs

Home

Our theme last week, leading up to Thanksgiving this week, was Home. We talked about different animals homes and what home means to us.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats - Il Sung Na

Do Lions Live on Lily Pads? - Melanie Walsh

Preschool Books:

Room for Bear - Ciara Gavin

Welcome Home, Bear: A Book of Animal Habitats - Il Sung Na

Mama Built a Little Nest - Jennifer Ward

The Napping House - Audrey Wood

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Whose House Guessing Game

One of my library assistants made a laminated flannel. She made six different pictures of animal homes and six separate pictures of animals. 

We had a cave, a barn, the ocean, a tree, a nest, and a hive.

For animals, we had a bear, a cow, a fish, an owl, a bird, and a bee.

We played a game with the kids, asking them if a fish belonged in a tree, or a cave, and the kids had fun telling us where each animal lived.

Source: My lovely Library Assistant

Home Sweet Home Fingerplay:

A nest is a home for a robin (cup hands),

A hive is a home for a bee (put fists together),

A hole is a home for a rabbit (make circle with hands),

And a house is a home for me! (make roof with hands)

Source: Poudre River Public Library

Little Mouse Hiding Game:

Little Mouse, Little Mouse, are you behind the  red  house?

repeat with different colors

Source: Traditional

The Napping House (flannel story adapted from the book by Audrey Wood):

There is a house.

A napping house.

Where everyone is sleeping.

And in that house,

There is a bed.

A cozy bed,

In a napping house,

Where everyone is sleeping.

And in that bed,

There is a granny.

A snoring granny,

On a cozy bed,

In a napping house,

Where everyone is sleeping.

And on that granny, 

There is a child.

A dreaming child,

On a snoring granny,

On a cozy bed,

In a napping house,

Where everyone is sleeping.

And on that child,

There is a dog.

A dozing dog,

On a dreaming child,

On a snoring granny,

On a cozy bed,

In a napping house,

Where everyone is sleeping.

And on that dog,

There is a cat.

A purring cat,

On a dozing dog,

On a dreaming child,

On a snoring granny,

On a cozy bed,

In a napping house,

Where everyone is sleeping.

And on that cat,

There is a flea.

A wakeful flea,

On a purring cat,

On a dozing dog,

On a dreaming child, 

On a snoring granny,

On a cozy bed,

In a napping house,

Where everyone is sleeping.

A wakeful flea who bites the cat,

Who claws the dog,

Who thumps the child,

Who bumps the granny,

Who breaks the bed,

In the napping house,

Where no one now is sleeping.

Source: "The Napping House" by Audrey Wood

Leaves - For School-Ager's

It has been awhile, but this week I also did the School-Age program. Our topic was about leaves - the importance of leaves and why they fall every autumn. 

I have mentioned before that I trade age-groups with another librarian for a week every session so that we can cross-train for when our positions rotate. To give both librarians as many opportunities for growth as possible, we rotate every couple years and we will actually be rotating starting in December (more to come about that at a later date). 

So this was a great opportunity to work with some of the kids that I will get to work with weekly, starting in January!

1. Reading:

We read the book "The Little Yellow Leaf" by Carin Berger.

2. Discussion:

I used the book "Leaves" by Melanie Waldron from the Plant Parts Juvenile Nonfiction series to discuss why leaves are important and what they provide for us and for the plant. 

Each page had different topics related to leaves (flowering plants, seedling leaves vs. true leaves, etc.) that gave us plenty to discuss about leaves. 

3. Activity

A couple years ago, a volunteer group in our community disbanded. They wanted to use up the funds they had been donated and generously offered them to our library for our program supplies. Our manager decided, for one of the purchases, to buy several microscopes. It's the first program that I had decided to use them almost as a test to see how the kids would handle them.

I set up the microscopes and several of the sample slides, that were purchased with the microscopes, of leaves. One slide was of a pine leaf, one was of a fern spore, and the third was of a blade of blue grass. I also printed out pictures that showed enlarged images of what the kids saw under the microscope so that they could take a look after viewing it under the microscope slide.

*It was a learning curve. If I use the microscopes in the future, I would like to have the same slide for all three microscopes because the group at my program was larger than anticipated and it was hard for everyone to wait their turn.

4. Craft

Our craft was leaf etchings. My library assistant and I gathered leaves from the trees around the library. The participants got to choose several leaves and we taped them with the leaf underside taped down against the cardstock. I let the school-agers choose between crayon and color pencils, and they went to town making their own leaf etchings. 

Below are example crafts that I made before the program. Labeling the leaf parts was optional, but most of my kids were too engrossed in making additional leaf etchings to get to labeling their leaves.

Superheroes

We thought it was time to dig out all of the Superhero flannels we had used for CSRP 2015 (Every Hero Has a Story), and use them at our storytimes this week! I'm only doing one day of storytimes this week since I will be doing our school age programs. It is a little weird for me since I usually do three days (six storytimes) every week. On occasion the school-age librarian and I trade roles for a week so that we can know how to do both age groups. So, as much fun as dressing up like a superhero librarian was today, it was only for today!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Supertruck - Stephen Savage

Elecopter - Michael Slack

Preschool Books:

Mighty Truck - Chris Barton

Ten Rules of Being a Superhero - Deb Pilutti

Supertruck - Stephen Savage

Elecopter - Michael Slack

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Superheroes:

Five superheroes, ready to fly.

Here comes the villain, stop that guy!

This superhero can save the day.

Off she (he) flies, up and away!

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: Jbrary

*We did not do it as a song and fingerplay like Jbrary, but instead used it as a flannel story.

If You're a Superhero and You Know It (Tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It"):

If you're superman and you know it, fly through the sky.

If you're superman and you know it, fly through the sky.

If you're superman and you know it, and you really want to show it,

If you're superman and you know it, fly through the sky.

Repeat with:

Spiderman (Jump up high)

Catwoman (Climb a building)

Aquaman (Swim through the ocean)

Source: Sunflower Storytime

Owls

We have an abbreviated week, this week, because our Halloween storytimes wrapped over onto Monday. But, keeping with the fall-like themes, our storytimes are about Owls this week!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Owl Sees Owl - Laura Godwin

Night Owl - Toni Yuly

Preschool Books:

Little Owl's Orange Scarf - Tatyana Feeney

Good Night Owl - Greg Pizzoli

Night Owl - Toni Yuly

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Hoot Owls:

Five hoot owls, sitting in a tree.

One flew away! Now how many do you see?

1, 2, 3, 4...

Continue counting down

Source: Unknown (my flannel drawer)

Owl Hiding Game:

Owl, Owl, where do you hide?

Are you in the  red  house? Let's peek inside!

Source: My Library Assistant

Two Little Hoot Owls (Tune: "Two Little Black Birds"):

Two little hoot owls, flying in the sky.

One named Low and the other named High.

Fly away Low, fly away High,

Come back Low, come back High.

Two little hoot owls, flying in the sky.

One named Low and the other named High.

Source: Jbrary

Halloween

Last year's Halloween programs were so successful (one of my storytimes had over 200 people come to it!) that we expanded it to be a week-long event! Starting today and going until next Monday, which is actually Halloween, every storytime features Halloween books and activities. Each storytime will also end with a costume parade around the library as a finale.

Since there are a few more pieces and parts that go into hosting a huge event like this, I made very little variations from the Halloween program I did last year. One of my library assistants transferred to a different library where she is now full-time, so some of the flannels had to be remade. But, otherwise, our Halloween storytimes look the same.

The content may be the same, but the good thing about having done a huge program like this last year is that I learned from our mistakes! Since I can have large crowds on any day, let alone a special event, I finally got a microphone with a portable sound system this summer. It should make it MUCH easier if I do have a crowd that large at any of the storytimes this week. I also learned how to set-up the space so we do not have a bottle-neck like we did last year. 

I did not anticipate having crowds that large last year, so we bottle-necked wherever there were treat stations. I've spread out the treat stations and now they don't get a choice at each station. The station has one treat and every person that goes through the line gets that treat at that stop. 

Costumes and treats for the next week? Let the wild rumpus begin! 

Music

Every day we do storytime, we sing! However, I wanted a whole week dedicated to books that are also music related or are songs. Luckily I am finally recovering from a bad cold, otherwise this week would have been a bear!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep - Jane Cabrera

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - James Dean

The Itsy Bitsy Spider - Rebecca Emberley

Old MacDonald Had a Truck - Steve Goetz

Preschool Books:

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More - Karen Beaumont

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep - Jane Cabrera

Old MacDonald Had a Truck - Steve Goetz

The Bear and the Piano - David Litchfield

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

BINGO 

There was a farmer had a dog 

and Bingo was his name-O,

B-I-N-G-O, 

B-I-N-G-O, 

B-I-N-G-O,

And Bingo was his name-O.

There was a farmer had a dog

and Bingo was his name-O,

*CLAP* I-N-G-O,

*CLAP* I-N-G-O,

*CLAP* I-N-G-O,

And Bingo was his name-O.

Keep repeating each verse, each time taking the following letter out and instead clapping for that letter. By the last verse it should go like this:

There was a farmer had a dog

and Bingo was his name-O,

*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*,

*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*,

*CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP* *CLAP*,

And Bingo was his name-O.

Source: Traditional

*My fabulous Library Assistant made a new flannel for our BINGO song this session. It's double-sided and has clip art of hands clapping on the backside of each letter. That way it helps us (and our caregivers) stay on track when we're singing the song.

The Wheels on the Bus

The wheels on the bus go round and round, (roll hands)

Round and round, Round and round.

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

All through the town.

Repeat with:

The doors on the bus go open and shut (bring hands together and apart)

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish (move arms like wipers)

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep (make motion like honking horn with both hands)

The children on the bus go up and down (have kids move up and down with you)

Etc.

Source: Traditional

*The great thing about a song like "The Wheels on the Bus" is that the options for lyrics are limitless!

Two Little Blackbirds

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill,

One named Jack and the other named Jill.

Fly away Jack, Fly away Jill,

Come back Jack, Come back Jill.

Two little blackbirds sitting on a hill,

One named Jack and the other named Jill.

Source: Traditional

Celebrations

Our theme this week is Celebrations. I wanted to broaden celebrations to more than just birthdays, but also other types of celebrations like holidays and parties, to be more inclusive. In the case that birthdays are not celebrated by everyone, my early literacy tip was reminding parents that background knowledge is an important skill to have in being able to interpret what they read. If they've never experienced a birthday or a certain holiday themselves, at least they know what it means if they encounter it in the future.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Monster Party - Annie Bach

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - Jane Cabrera

Hooray for Fish! - Lucy Cousins

Preschool Books:

Mousequerade Ball: A Counting Tale - Lori Mortensen

If You Give a Pig a Party - Laura Numeroff

A Birthday for Cow! - Jan Thomas

Hooray for Hat - Brian Won

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Pat-a-Cake:

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man,

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Roll it (roll hands)

Pat it (pat knees)

And mark it with a "B" (trace the letter "B" on palm)

And put it in the oven for baby and me!

Source: Traditional

Five Cupcakes:

Down around the corner in the bakery shop,

Were five yummy cupcakes with sprinkles on top.

Along comes Ms. Kitten with a dollar to pay,

She buys a cupcake and takes it away.

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: Storytime Katie

* To do this flannel, I used five laminated cupcake flannels and had puppets come and take the cupcakes away. I alternated which puppet bought the cupcake (kitten, puppy, bee, mouse, ladybug) using the puppets that had the smallest fingers to grab onto the cupcake through the gloves best. The toddlers and preschoolers LOVED it. 

Jungle

One of my storytime regulars requested that we do the letter "J". His name begins with "J", and in the year or two that he had been coming to storytimes, he kept waiting for his letter. So I planned a Jungle theme for him and all the other regulars whose names begin with "J". 

Unfortunately, I was only able to perform two of the six storytimes I normally do, since I was sick this week. I got hit early this year with the first cold of the season. I also leaned heavily on movement songs, because I could barely talk, so the activities below are limited.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Bedtime in the Jungle - John Butler

The Wheels on the Bus - Jane Cabrera

Tiny Little Fly - Michael Rosen

Preschool Books:

Where's My Mom - Julia Donaldson

Alan's Big, Scary Teeth - Peter Jarvis

Tiny Little Fly - Michael Rosen

Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep - Barney Saltzberg

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

I Went to the Jungle One Day (Tune: "Mary Had a Little Lamb"):

I went to the jungle one day, jungle one day, jungle one day,

I went to the jungle one day and this is what I saw:  lion  

Repeat with: Elephant, Snake, Crocodile, Monkey, etc.

Source: Liberry Becca

*I just substituted "jungle" in for "zoo."

*I used puppets and, for each animal, I had the kids respond with what animal I was holding up. Then we made the animal noises that correspond with that animal.

Five Little Monkeys (puppet + flannel)

Language

I decided to do something a little outside the box for this week's theme. I wanted to focus on language and, honestly, it has been one of my favorite themes of all time. We used sign language as one of the languages, but learned other simple words in a few other languages.

The concept of languages, especially the fact that people speak different languages, may be completely over the head of most toddlers HOWEVER language is a huge part of early literacy. Since storytime is only partially for the children, and mostly for the caregivers, I wanted to encourage caregivers to feel comfortable exposing their children to different languages. 

Books:

Toddler Books:

Fiesta! - Ginger Foglesong Guy

Uno, Dos, Tres = One, Two, Three - Pat Mora

How Gator Says Good-bye! - Abigail Samoun

Preschool Books:

Oh No, Gotta Go! - Susan Middleton Elya

Ribbit! - Rodrigo Folguiera

Hands & Hearts: With 15 Words in American Sign Language - Donna Jo Napoli

Froodle - Antoinette Portis

Quackers - Liz Wong

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Come Under My Umbrella (Sign Language Song):

Come under my umbrella, umbrella, umbrella,

Come under my umbrella, it's starting to rain.

With thunder and lightning and thunder and lightning,

Come under my umbrella, it's starting to rain.

Source: Jbrary

*All of the words in BOLD are also in sign language. The kids loved this and we did it several times!

Can We Find? (Tune: "Muffin Man")

Can we find the little cat? 

The little cat? The little cat?

Can we find the little cat?

We want to say hello!

Repeat with: Dog (Hola), Mouse (Bonjour), Etc.

Source: Storytime Katie

*I borrowed a version of the song that Storytime Katie came up with, made some adjustments, and added a few different ways to say hello in other languages.

Peace Like a River:

I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river, in my heart.
I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river,
I've got peace like a river, in my heart.
Repeat with:
I've got joy like a fountain
I've got love like an ocean

Source: Jbrary

*It's a traditional, somewhat religious, folk song. I did replace "soul" with "heart", since I felt more comfortable considering the word "soul"'s potential for religious connotations. 
*The words in bold were in sign language.

Fall (Autumn)

We're getting into the seasonal game early this year. Our theme this week is about Fall.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Acorns Everywhere! - Kevin Sherry

The Busy Little Squirrel - Nancy Tafuri

Preschool Books:

The Little Yellow Leaf - Carin Berger

Fall is Not Easy - Marty Kelley

The Busy Little Squirrel - Nancy Tafuri

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

The Squirrel and the Acorns:

Down around the corner by the big oak tree, 

Sat five little acorns as tasty as can be.

Along comes Mr. Squirrel with his big bushy tail,

And he takes one acorn and runs off down the trail.

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: An LA of mine

Bowl of Apples:

Five little apples in the bowl,

One fell out and started to roll.

It bumped the table and hit my feet,

How many apples left to eat?

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: Storytime Katie

Dragons

This week our theme is dragons! And, boy, do toddlers and preschoolers love to roar like dragons!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Oh So Brave Dragon - David Kirk

Waking Dragons - Jane Yolen

Preschool Books:

There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight - Penny Parker Clostermann

Oh So Brave Dragon - David Kirk

Dragons Love Tacos - Adam Rubin

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Little Dragons:

Five little dragons with great big scales, 

One lost his balance and bumped his tail.

He cried, "Ouch!" and breathed some fire,

And then flew away, higher and higher.

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: Falling Flannel Boards

Fly, Dragon, Fly (Tune: "Skip to the Lou")

Fly, fly, dragon, fly,

Fly, fly, dragon, fly,

Fly, fly, dragon, fly,

Way up to the sky.

Hop, hop, dragon, hop,

Hop, hop, dragon, hop,

Hop, hop, dragon, hop,

Stop, dragon, stop.

Turn, turn, dragon, turn,

Turn, turn, dragon, turn,

Turn, turn, dragon, turn,

Sit, dragon, sit.

Source: Johnson County Library

When Dragons Wake Up in the Morning

When dragons wake up in the morning, they always say hello. 

When dragons wake up in the morning, they always say hello.

And what do they say? ROOOOAAAAAARRRR

And that is what they say.

Repeat several times...

Source: Jbrary

*When I used this song at my storytimes this week, I also had the kids do the sign language word for "hello" whenever we sang that part.

Trucks

Our first week back to storytimes for our Fall session was last week but it was so hectic that I haven't had time to post until now. The theme for last week was TRUCKS and, surprising no one, it was a big hit.

Books:

Toddler Books:

Red Truck - Kersten Hamilton

The Mixed-Up Truck - Stephen Savage

I Love Trucks! - Philemon Sturges

Preschool Books:

Red Truck - Kersten Hamilton

Good Night, Truck - Sally Odgers

The Mixed-Up Truck - Stephen Savage

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Machines (Tune: "Wheels on the Bus")

The backhoe on the lot goes dig, dig, dig,

Dig, dig, dig. Dig, dig, dig.

The backhoe on the lot goes dig, dig, dig,

All day long.

The big cement mixer goes round and round,

Round and round. Round and round.

The big cement mixer goes round and round,

All day long.

The dump truck takes the dirt and dumps it out,

Dumps it out. Dumps it out.

The dump truck takes the dirt and dumps it out,

All day long.

Source: My flannel drawer

*I have used this for Construction themes before and the kids love it. I just left out a few pieces that did not have anything to do with trucks.

Have You Ever Seen a Blue Truck (Tune: "Have You Ever Seen a Lassie?")

Have you ever seen a blue truck, a blue truck, a blue truck,

Have you ever seen a blue truck go bumping along?

Bumping this way and that way, and this way and that way.

Have you ever seen a blue truck go bumping along?

Repeat with different colors/activities: red truck/jumping; orange truck/rocking; etc.

Source: ME ;), but I found a similar one that used the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" at Storytime Sparks. We already had trucks for our "Duck Behind the Truck" flannel, so I just used the tune and activities with the flannels.

Duck Behind the Truck 

Little Duck, Little Duck, are you behind the red truck?

Repeat with different trucks until you find Little Duck

Source: One of my Library Assistants 

Project: ABCs

As we're taking a break for a couple weeks from presenting storytimes, I have an opportunity to work on some projects that have been on the back-burner for awhile. I have been meaning to update the letters we use at storytime for a long time. 

I created some letter puzzles last year that are similar to the ones that Storytime Katie created. However I only use the newer letters with the older groups of kids (Preschoolers), since they are puzzles.

I have also been reading several books about child development and the need for kids to associate letters as symbols. But, since my older set of letters is solely uppercase letters, we're missing half of the alphabet. So my most recent project was creating a set of ABCs that had every letter as well as its lowercase pair.

I had difficulty finding a font that had the typical letter-type for every single upper- and lowercase letters. But, in a cursory search online, there are plenty of templates to use that will work just as well. I found one at Learn Create Love that was perfect for use at our library. 

I printed them on bright-colored paper, cut them, outlined them in black, and then laminated each letter. I can't wait to use them at storytimes this fall!

Resources:

1. "Storytimes for Everyone!: Developing Young Children's Language and Literacy" by Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting and Pamela Martin-diaz

Movement

Our last week of the Summer Reading Program is about movement. We're dancing, moving, and rocking for our last week before taking a break to plan for our Fall session.

Books:

Toddler Books:

JUMP! - Scott Fischer

Wiggle Waggle - Jonathan London

Can You Make a Scary Face? - Jan Thomas

Preschool Books:

JUMP! - Scott Fischer

Wiggle Waggle - Jonathan London

Can You Make a Scary Face? - Jan Thomas

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes:

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes,

Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,

Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes.

Source: Traditional

Row, Row, Row Your Boat (Animal Version):

Row, row, row your boat,

Row it all around.

If you see a frog, make a ribbit sound.

Repeat:

Cow - Moo

Duck - Quack

Pig - Oink

etc.

Source: One Little Librarian

Recorded Song(s): 

Run Baby Run - Caspar Babypants [Toddler Storytime]

Body Rock - Greg & Steve [Preschool Storytime]

Vacation

Our theme this week was all about taking Vacations! Everyone is going to the beach, on trips, and all over the world this summer. 

Books:

Toddler Book:

To the Beach - Thomas Docherty

I Love Vacations - Anna Walker 

Penguin on Vacation - Salina Yoon

Preschool Books:

To the Beach - Thomas Docherty

This Old Van - Kim Norman

I Love Vacations - Anna Walker

Penguin on Vacation - Salina Yoon

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

The Wheels On the Bus:

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

Round and round, round and round,

The wheels on the bus go round and round,

All through the town.

Repeat with:

The doors on the bus go open and shut

The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish

The horn on the bus goes beep, beep, beep

The people on the bus go up and down

Source: Traditional

Five Little Seashells:

Five little seashells lying on the shore,

Swish went the waves and then there were four.

Four little seashells as cozy as could be,

Swish went the waves and then there were three.

Three little seashells all shiny and new,

Swish went the waves and then there were two.

Two little seashells lying in the sun,

Swish went the waves and then there was one.

One little seashell, left all alone,

I whispered, "Shhh" as I took it home!

Source: King County Library System

Airplane Hiding Game:

Little Pilot Dwayne, 

Are you behind the  red  airplane?

Source: My Library Assistant came up with the rhyme for a flannel.

Races

This week's theme is about racing. Race cars, rocket ships, traffic lights...if it's about racing, we did it!

Books:

Toddler Books:

OK GO - Carin Berger
Bicycle Race - Donald Crews

Race Car Count - Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Race Day - Gail Tuchman

Preschool Books:

Race Car Count - Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Number One Sam - Greg Pizzoli

Race Day - Gail Tuchman

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Traffic Lights:

STOP says the red light, GO says the green,

Now just WAIT says the yellow in between.

That's what they say and that's what they mean,

And we all must obey them, even the queen!

Source: Jbrary

*I do the sign for "stop", "go", "wait", "say", "mean", and "queen."

Five Fast Rockets (flannel):

One fast rocket, blasting off to space,

Here comes another, now they can race!

Count up...2, 3, 4, 5...

Five fast rockets, let the race begin!

They'll circle the moon, then home they'll zoom!

Which do you think will win?

Source: Lisa's Library Land

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom:

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we're going to the moon,

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we're going to the moon,

If you want to take a trip, climb aboard my rocketship,

Zoom, zoom, zoom, we're going to the moon.

In 5...4...3...2...1...BLAST OFF!!!

Source: Jbrary

*Always a favorite, but it works as a follow-up after the rocketship flannel.

Water

Last week I went on vacation for the holiday, so I'm posting a little late. Since everyone is going to the beach, our theme last week was water (and all things related to water: swimming, water animals, boats, etc.).

Books:

Toddler Books:

Surf's Up - Kwame Alexander

Brownie & Pearl Take a Dip - Cynthia Rylant

Preschool Books:

Surf's Up - Kwame Alexander

Captain Jack and the Pirates - Peter Bently

The Crocodile Who Didn't Like Water - Gemma Marino

Brownie & Pearl Take a Dip - Cynthia Rylant

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Did You Ever See a Fishy? (Tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?"):

Did you ever see a fishy, a fishy, a fishy,

Did you ever see a fishy, swim this way and that?

Swim this way and that way, and this way and that way,

Did you ever see a fishy swim this way and that?

Repeat with: Octopus, Shark, etc.

Source: King County Library System

Song + Flannels: "Down By the Bay" - Raffi 

Down by the bay, where the watermelons grow,

Back to my home, I dare not go,

For if I do, my mother will say, "Did you ever see a goose kissing a moose?" 

Down by the bay...

Source: Raffi (Traditional Folk Song)

Whale Behind the Pail (Flannel):

Little whale, little whale,

Are you behind the  blue  pail? 

Source: Fun With Friends at Storytime

Ninjas

I wanted to do a fun theme, that was a little different, this week. In keeping with the summer reading theme, it still had lots of movement and was tons of fun. The kids loved it!

Books:

Toddler Books:

Nighttime Ninja - Barbara DaCosta

Ninja Bunny - Jennifer Gray Olson

Preschool Books:

Nighttime Ninja - Barbara DaCosta

Ninja Bunny - Jennifer Gray Olson

Ninja Red Riding Hood - Corey Rosen Schwartz 

Ninja Baby - David Zeltser

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Five Little Ninjas:

Five little ninjas, in their dojo,

Practicing the ninja way.

'Til one little ninja gets his mojo:

"HIYAH! Read to save the day!"

Source: Literary Hoots

Ninja Banana:

I had planned on doing an activity song ("If You're a Ninja Song and You Know It", also found on Literary Hoots) but I had so much fun the other week, that I did the Banana song again...this time he was dressed as a ninja. For the Banana Song, see my Fruits and Vegetables theme from two weeks ago OR go to Jbrary where I learned it first.

Ninja Turtle Hiding Game:

Ninja Turtle, Ninja Turtle, come out to play.

What colored turtle shell are you hiding behind today?

Source: I found the inspiration for the game at Anne's Library Life but we made our own version that was similar to the Little Mouse game since it's always a hit at our library.

Dancing

In keeping with the CSLP theme, this week our theme is Dancing! We are boogie-ing with the best of them and having all the fun!

Books:

Toddler Books:
Dancing Feet - Lindsay Craig
I Got the Rhythm - Connie Schofield-Morrison

Preschool Books:
How Do You Wokka-Wokka? - Elizabeth Bluemle
Dancing Feet - Lindsay Craig 
One More Dino on the Floor - Kelly Starling Lyons
I Got the Rhythm - Connie Schofield-Morrison

Rhymes/Fingerplays/Songs:

Hokey Pokey (the simpler version):

You put your hands up, you put your hands down,

You put your hands up, and you shake them all about.

You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself around,

And that's what it's all about!

Repeat with: elbows, shoulders, knees, toes, etc.

Source: Traditional (with a little flavor added from me)

Song: Let's Dance Today - Rock 'n' Rainbow (Let's Boogie!)

Five Ballerinas:

Five little ballerinas, prancing on their toes. 

They twirl and spin and jump, then off the stage she (he) goes. 

Count down...4, 3, 2, 1

Source: Storytime Katie

Penny Pointers:

Penny pointers up and penny pointers down,

Penny pointers dancing all around the town.

They're dancing on your shoulders,

They're dancing on your head,

They're dancing on your tummies,

Now put them to bed.

Repeat with: Tommy Thumbs, Polly Pinkies, Finger Families

Source: Traditional