SURVEY

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Earth Day Storytime

Why do libraries love Earth Day?  Maybe its because we see libraries as the perfect way to Be Green.  We even have our own 3Rs- Read! Renew! Return!

Opening Song: The More We Get Together
*We sign and clap to our opening song.  All Stillwater Public Library storytimes start with this song and the children learn that song means storytime is starting.

Book: Ten Things I Can Do to Help My World by Melanie Walsh (E 640)

Song: Pick up the Earth (to the tune of "If you are happy and you know")

If you see a piece of litter, pick it up!
If you see a piece of litter, pick it up!
It's an easy thing to do,
Take a second, maybe two.
If you see a piece of litter, pick it up!

Book: The EARTH Book by Todd Parr (E 333.72)  

Rhyme: Two Little Blackbirds
*Or pick your favorite color of bird

Book: Nibbles: A Green Tale by Charlotte Middleton


Song: Gardening (to the tune of "I'm a little teapot")

I plant a little seed in the cold, cold ground.
Out comes the yellow sun, big and round.
Down come the raindrops soft and slow,
Up comes the flower grow, grow, grow!


Craft: I spy recycled binoculars
Supplies: Two toilet paper rolls, yarn, rubber band, choice of coloring or decorating supplies such as colorful paper from the paper recycle bin.
How to: Decorate the toilet paper rolls.  Have an adult use sissors or a hole punch to cut a hole in each roll.  Thread the yarn through the cut holes and tie tight to make the binocular strap.  Use the rubber band to hold the toilet paper rolls together side by side. Start exploring your world!

Beyond Storytime: http://3boysandadog.com/deals/2013/earth-day-activities-for-kids/

Other books to check out:
Nature's Patchwork Quilt: Understanding Habitats by Mary Miche (E 577)
Our House is Round: A kid's book about why protecting our earth matters by Yolanda Kondonassis (E 363.72)
We are Extremely Very Good Recyclers by Lauren Child
Stop by the help desk for assistance on finding even more resources about your favorite environmental topic or ways Go Green everyday.

Babytime- Peekaboo!

Opening Song: The More We Get Together
*We sign and clap to our opening song.  All Stillwater Public Library storytimes start with this song and the children learn that song means storytime is starting.

Rhyme: Clap Your Hands
* Follow the actions of the song

Clap your hands, clap your hands,
Clap them just like me
Touch your shoulders, touch your shoulders,
Touch them just like me
Tap your knees, tap your knees,
Tap them just like me
Nod your head, nod your head,
Nod it just like me
Clap your hands, clap your hands,
Then let them quiet be

Book: Peekaboo Morning by Rachel Isadora
*This book is fun in storytime because everyone gets to participate and play peekaboo while read. If this becomes a favorite at home you may expanded upon the game and play peekaboo with other people and objects that are familiar to your child.

Song: If you are happy and you know it
* If you are happy and you know it is a wonderful song to start practicing gross motor skills.  Some of the ways we show we are happy in baby time are clapping hands, stomping feet, and waving hands. 

Song: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Hold hands up high & rotate wrist in time to music)
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high, (Make diamond shape with thumbs & index fingers)
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (Hold hands up high & rotate wrist again)
How I wonder what you are.

 Book: Peekaboo! by Matthew Price
* This is popup book that is our special storytime collection and unavailable for checkout.  Although popup books are generally not available from the public library they are very exciting for storytime! If you have older children at home you may consider making your own pop up book. Simple instructions found here: http://www.greatschools.org/students/activities/641-make-a-pop-up-book.gs

Rhyme: Tickle You Here

Hug you here, hug you there,
hug you, hug you everywhere.

Tickle you here, tickle you there,
tickle you, tickle you everywhere.

Bounce you here, bounce you there,
bounce you, bounce you everywhere.


Rhyme: Giddyap, Giddyap

 Giddyap, giddyap, ride to town,
(bounce baby on knees, facing forward)

Giddyap, giddyap, up and down

Giddyap fast,  (bounce quickly)
Giddyap slow,  (bounce slowly)

Giddyap, giddyap, giddyap, WHOA!
(dip baby backwards gently)

Closing song: The More We Get Together
* We end on the same song we started with and then the children and parents are invited to stay and play in the storytime room.  We have a bin filled with books, puzzles, and stuffed animals.


Other books to check out:
Clifford's Peekaboo by Norman Bridwell (look for it in the board book bins)
Peekaboo Baby by Margret Miller 

Early Literacy Tip:
Make funny faces.  This helps children learn to read facial expressions. Place baby on your lap in front of a mirror and make silly faces. If you have a child-safe mirror, place it on the floor and allow mobile babies to crawl across it. Learning to distinguish differences is a literacy activity! Plus you can do funny faces while playing peekaboo.

Books/ Libraries Storytime

 

National Library Week is April 14- April 20 and we are celebrating in storytime with books and songs about reading and visiting the library!  We are also asking the children to color an "I Love My Library" paper shirt to hang on our clothesline in the Children's Department. Stop by the Help Desk to pick up a coloring sheet.

Opening Song: The More We Get Together
*We sign and clap to our opening song.  All Stillwater Public Library storytimes start with this song and the children learn that song means storytime is starting.

Song: The Doors of the Library (to the tune of "The wheels on the bus")

The library doors go open shut, open shut, open shut
The library doors go open shut, all through the day

The children in the library sit and read, sit and read, sit and read
The children in the library sit and read all through the day

The computer users go tap, tap, tap: tap, tap, tap: tap, tap, tap
The computer users go tap, tap, tap, all through the day

The doves in the library sing and sing, sing and sing, sing and sing
The doves in the library sing and sing, all through the day

Book: Lola at the Library by Anna McQuinn

Rhyme: I Wiggle

I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my fingers,
I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my toes,
I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my shoulders,
I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my nose,
Now no more wiggles are left in me
So I will be as still as I can be.

Book: Check It Out! Reading, Finding, Helping by Patricia Hubbell

Song: READ (to the tune of "Row, row, row your boat")

Read, read, read a book
Travel anywhere,
Worldwide, you decide,
A book will take you there.

Read, read, read a book
Beginning to the end,
What a way to spend the day,
A book is a special friend.

Book: The Best Place to Read by Debbie Bertram & Susan Bloom

Craft:
Bookmarks & I love my library paper T-shirts

Print and color at home using these links:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/printable_bookmarks.htm
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/free_printable_bookmarks.htm

Other books to check out:
Inside the Books: Readers and Libraries Around the World by Toni Buzzeo
There's a Dragon in the Library by Dianne De las Casas
Wild about Books by Judy Sierra


Beyond storytime: 
http://mamascouts.blogspot.com/2012/12/25-mini-adventures-in-library.html

http://mail.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/atyourlibrary/connectwithyourkids/game/fun-games-your-library

Toddler Time- Colors

Colors are all around us and they are especially popular in children's books.  By pointing out colors in your surroundings and in pictures help children gain color recognition.

Opening Song: The More We Get Together
*We sign and clap to our opening song.  All Stillwater Public Library storytimes start with this song and the children learn that song means storytime is starting.

Song: Clap Your Hands
*Action rhyme to warm everyone up

Book: Red, Green, Blue by Alison Jay
*On a gray and rainy day, a boy discovers a rainbow of colors in the magical world of nursery rhymes. Come along as he delights in blue with Little Boy Blue, orange in Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard, and purple with poor Humpty Dumpty.

Song: Baa Baa Black Sheep
* I especially like my version that has a second verse of white sheep with wool for a little girl.

Song: Wheels on the Bus
*Always a group favorite.

Book: Lot's of dots by Craig Frazier
* What I like about this book is the simple way it presents various concepts such as color, shapes, and opposites. Plus the pictures are bright and fun.

Song: Green says Go!
*Time to get the shakers out! We practice shaking on green, shaking slow on yellow, and stopping on red.

Song: Shake My Sillies Out
* Free shaking and dancing time

Closing song: The More We Get Together
* We end on the same song we started with and then the children and parents are invited to stay and play in the storytime room.  We have a bin filled with books, puzzles, and stuffed animals.


Other books to check out:

Cleo's color book by Stella Blackstone
* Red, orange, yellow...discover the colors with help from Cleo! This poetic rhyming journey will teach youngsters how to recognize and create colors on their own!

Deep Blue Sea by Audrey Wood 
* Readers will love learning their colors with this brightly illustrated, cumulative picture book.

Early Literacy Tip:
Talk to your baby and toddler often, using complete sentences.  Describe their environment such as situations, people, and places.  Don't worry about how much you think they understand as they are absorbing everything from your words to your tone to your facial expressions.