Welcome to Bubble Mania!

Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Gina from WI shared this idea.

This is a new event at the library for preschoolers and their parents.  This is a fun yet still educational program that is guaranteed to provide lots of smiles and giggles.

The children will learn what bubbles are made from, they will make their own bubble solution and by doing this they will be using tools such as measuring cups. We will also talk about what happens if there is too much water or not enough water in the solution. They will have a chance to make their own bubble wands out of different items to see what works and what doesn’t. We will talk about sizes, how small of a bubble can they make, how big a bubble can the make and even see if they can make a square bubble?

This will allow the kids to get messy, have fun and still learn at the same time right here at the library.

Everything will be provided by the library including snacks so bring your little one down to the Boscobel Public Library where fun and learning go together.

Join us on July 19^th at 2 p.m. for a bubbly good time.

Age Group: Preschoolers (0-5)

Program Type: Active (one time event)

Length: 60 minutes

Staff time/Preparation: 60 minutes using 2 staff members

Budget: $9 for the purchase of soap. Snacks provided by a library board member. We will be borrowing swimming pools, tubs and measuring cups from volunteers.

Collection: Will have on display books on water activities including math and science concepts, summer activity and other craft books. Will also have on hand activities sheets to take home on how to make bubbles at home along with other water activities including some finger plays and songs.

Directions:

1.       Gather in the kids room at the library and welcome kids and their families to this new event.

2.       Read a simple book non-fiction or fiction on bubbles

3.       Talk about how bubbles are made. Can ask the kids how they think bubbles are made. Talk about how you could make different sized bubbles.

4.       Go downstairs to the clubroom and make wands and their own bubble solution.

5.       Head outside with their wands to play area and have fun with BUBBLES!

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

YOU Are the Illustrator!

Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Lori from IN shared this idea.

Type:              Active

Location:        In-house or on-site (for this assignment, it is on-site at an elementary school)

Audience:       4-5th grade (possibly 3rd grade.  I’ve used this book with high schoolers)

Length:           Approximately 45 minutes per session/number of sessions depends on book length (for this assignment, I am using “The Velveteen Rabbit,” so it will take three total sessions)

Scheduling  Strategy:         After school to partner with the local Safe Harbor after school program

Staff Time:     Dependent on book length – read prior to program

Budget:           Supplies on-hand – crayons, paper, glue, discarded magazines, scissors

Collection Connection:   Books from the collection

Estimated Prep time:      See “Staff Time,” plus amount of time to collect supplies and learn information about the author and/or illustrator

NOTE:           Use the William Nicholson illustrated book (original illustrations), not a different edition of the book.

Program description and plan:

Begin by talking about favorite toys, such as stuffed animals or dolls.  These can be toys the children have now, or had in the past.  Discuss what they mean to the children.  Do they talk to them?  Act like they are real?  Have feelings?  Make clothes for them?  Special bedding?  Take them places?  Sleep with them?  You can even tie this in with the “Toy Story” movies.  Let the children freely discuss their “friends.”  Ask them to bring their favorite toy with them next week.

Now, bring out the book, with the cover hidden.  Explain a bit about the author (Margery Winifred Williams [1881 – 1944] born in London, moved to the United States in 1890), and when the book was originally written (1922).  I have more information to share with the children, but I’ll omit it here.

Now the fun begins!  Begin by having the children imagine what the Velveteen Rabbit looks like.  Do not show them the cover of the book. Once you are reading aloud the story to the children, do not show any of the illustrations.  There will be time for that at the end of the book and activity.  Read up to page 16.

Now it is the next week, so begin with the children sharing their favorite toys with the rest of the group.  Have them share a story or two about their friend.  Now, discuss the book so far, sort of refresh their memories.  Continue reading the book, beginning where you left off, at page 17.  There should be time to finish the entire book.

Once the book is completed, discuss the childrens’ feelings and reactions to the story.  Ask them questions such as, “What would you do…” in various situations in the book.  Discuss what they think the toys in the book look like and discuss each toy.  For the next week, ask each child to think of their favorite toy(s) from the book (any toy is fine, it doesn’t have to be the rabbit).  And, again, imagine what the toy(s) looks like.

The third week now begins.  Take the supplies with you and each child can make a picture, or collage, of  their favorite toy(s) from the book.  Now, show them the book’s illustrations.

I have stretched this over three sessions, however, depending on the time you have with your group, this can be done over two sessions.  Plus, it depends on the book.  Additionally, any craft you can come up with to go along with the book would work well.  For example, years ago I had a “gifted” group of students (8th grade) at a local parochial school. We read “The Hobbit” over several weeks. The library supplied paperback copies of the book (over the $10.00 limit for this assignment).  The students designed a variety of crafts, games, dioramas, etc.  They used their own supplies.  I displayed the finished products at the library.

Graphic courtesy of Pixabay

Misty is Having a Baby!

Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Renee from KY shared this idea.

Active Pre-School Program

Location: Library Community Room

Targeting Pre-Schoolers

Length: 40 minutes

One-Time Event

Scheduling Strategy:  Misty, our pre-school presenter, is having a baby in June.  She will therefore be gone for some time, and our little ones will miss her!  I want to explain it to them, and reassure them that Misty is coming back.  I want them to understand that she will be absent for a very important reason!

Program Description and Plan:

Environment:  The room will be set up as usual, with children and parents seated on floor, and chairs behind the floor semicircle for caregivers who prefer to sit “up.”  The rocker from our department will be in the Community Room, with balloons tied to it, to indicate the special seat for Misty.  Also, I have asked our co-workers throughout the library to bring in one baby photo of themselves, and these will be displayed on a poster, where our young patrons can see them.  This will include Misty, Maggie, and myself (which comprises our department), as well as two dozen others!

Rationale:  I have chosen easy fingerplays, on a handout, (see attached) with motions included.  Each one relates to family, and baby, in some way.  Since at this age, most of our patrons are able to copy simple hand motions, I expect the fingerplays to help them assimilate the idea that Misty is adding to her family in an important way. 

Also, the poster with baby photos of library employees will interest them, (even if briefly!) and demonstrate that babies are important; they grow up to be people who help us do important things, like read, and find books at the library, and teach, etc.!  At this age, they should be able to connect the photos with the idea I am putting forth.

Since they can pretty much understand the concepts of “now,” “soon,” and “later,” I hope to help them to see that we wait for the baby very eagerly, and after a while, Misty will bring the baby home to her family from the hospital!  After a little while longer, Misty will bring the baby to the library for us to see him!

Since at this age they begin to understand cause-and-effect relationships, I hope to help them see that Misty will be absent from them for a while because of this important event, but that it is a good thing, and that Misty will return.

Because they are beginning to understand the moods of others, I hope to help them “catch” our excitement about Misty’s new baby!

Collection Connection: I read The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby, because this book demonstrates preparation and excitement over the arrival of the new baby.  These young patrons do understand cause and effect, so I want them to connect the ideas that new babies require preparation, and that new babies are exciting.

I also read New Baby Train, which is more of a fun, imaginary way to handle the topic.  These patrons enjoy a rollicking reading style, and this book provides that, as well as pictures with which they will be familiar and which they will understand: babies needing bottles, naps, diapers, etc.  They will also see new babies being warmly welcomed by their parents.

My personal favorite, and it seemed to be the kids’ too, was Ma!  There’s Nothing To Do In Here!  It is hilarious and not TOO much info!

Also, the room was ringed with a display of new baby books.

Marketing Strategy:  We maintain a list of our regular attendees’ emails.  Each of them will be apprised of this very special Story Time by email, and we are asking each parent to have the child bring a picture, made by him/her, of the subject of his/her choice, “signed” by him/her, as a gift for Misty.

Staff Time/Budget: We did buy extra balloons, blew them up ourselves, and opened the closet, at the end, to let them all fall out, and allowed the children time to play in them!  They cost $4.89.  It took three of us about an hour to blow them all up.

Estimated Program Preparation Time was about three to four hours; this is including finding the books, the balloon time prep, etc., making the staff baby poster.

Snap, Crackle, Pop Art!

Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Erin from MI shared this idea. 

For children 2-4 years old with a caregiver

Join us for an exploration of art with inspiration from picture books.

Dress for a mess! Meet in the Children’s Activity Room

October Wednesdays (10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, and 10/29) at 11am

Based on a recent survey of our very popular toddler storytime, we  decided to offer a trial art program for this age group. We chose Wednesdays at 11am (after our baby storytime) as this was an extremely popular choice among those polled. It’s also a time when there are no other programs offered. One staff member will be responsible for set up and executing the program. We’ve opted to not include registration despite a potentially large crowd and will chose projects that are more easily executed with large groups. As this is a trial program, we will only offer it for the month of October. Depending upon response, we will consider offering this program in rotation with our preschool dance parties once a month.

The budget requested is $50 or $10/week. We anticipate approximately 25-30 toddlers participating each week plus caregivers. Most materials we have on hand, but we will need to purchase a few items that will be able to be used in other programs (contact paper, aluminum foil, sandpaper, playdough making supplies, bubble wrap, balloons, new paint, thicker paper).

Resources for ideas:

First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos by MaryAnn Kohl  and Young at Art by Susan Striker

As children enter the room, they will be instructed to write their names on our Wall of Names (used in Toddler storytime currently to encourage writing. It will be a familiar task and helpful in determining a count of those participating). We’ll then gather together and the staff member will talk about what materials we’ll be working with today. Staff will read a story that will act as inspiration and give general guidance to kids and caregivers on suggested ways to interact with the materials presented. Staff will introduce an “adult challenge of the week” encouraging caregivers to focus on the process of the art with their child not the product (see: librarymakers blog). The remainder of the time will be for children to explore various materials. Similar books (either in style or content) will be provided for those children who finish quickly and would like to read a story with their caregiver. These books will also be available for checkout.

Weekly project ideas:

• Contact paper collages
• Foil sculptures
• “painting” with sandpaper and string
• Playdough monsters
• Bubblewrap/balloon painting (the one potentially messy project)

While there is some prep and clean-up for this program, we do not anticipate more than 30 minutes of additional staff time per session.

We do not currently offer crafts in toddler storytime opting for play time at the end instead which is an extremely valuable component of our storytimes: allowing children to learn to play together, having interaction with our storytime presenters and it’s valuable time for caregivers to visit with one another . I believe a toddler art class is entirely appropriate for our organization. It will help develop fine and gross motor skills, narrative skills, and vocabulary. It will also be a valuable experience for caregivers to focus on process instead of product. Given the low cost per child ratio and minimal staff time, I believe our community will find value in this program. 

Star Wars Party

Since "May the Fourth Be With You" is right around the corner, a Star Wars -themed program seems like a great share today! Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Tara from WI shared this idea.

I will be holding a Star Wars Reads Day event the first Saturday in October from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. This time of day seems to be the best time to offer the event as it will give families time to get up and going on a Saturday. And of course I want to end it by noon so families can be off to get their lunch. We have a large portion of our collection devoted to Star Wars materials and we have a lot of young patrons who like to read Star Wars whether it be series in our younger books and school age or graphic novels and of course we offer the Origami Yoda series I will use as the books in the displays.   I will decorate the library windows with large double sided posters that give detailed information on the ships and droids from the original movies to go along with the book displays - all of these posters were donated to us.

The event itself will consist of a scavenger hunt, Star Wars trivia, craft activities, a game, photo options, Star Wars snacks, and Star Wars Reads Day giveaways. The Star Wars Reads Day website and newsletter allow participating organizations to get links to supporting companies to sign up for items to giveaway such as bookmarks, buttons, posters, and origami sheets for free, I will use these items as prizes for the event. I will cut sheets of paper and copies of simple and intermediate origami patterns for kids to try from one of our Star Wars origami design books. The Star Wars Reads Day site also offers an activity guide that includes coloring sheets, activity sheets, Star Wars trivia games, as well as recipes to try. I will pick a few of these items out and make copies to make available for kids to do at the library or take home with them.

For the scavenger hunt, "I Spy with My Jedi Eye", I will copy pictures of Star Wars characters and place a letter by each one and hide them around the library. As the children find the characters they will write down the letter next to the corresponding character to reveal a secret message from Yoda- “Read You Should”.

As part of the crafts children will be able to make Admiral Sackbar puppet from a paper sack and construction paper. Children will be able to "destroy the Death Star" by playing a bean bag toss game made from a large cardboard box. I will paint the box up to look like the trench run on the Death Star from the original movie with a hole in the box to represent the "weak spot" of the Death Star. I will make small bean bags from scraps of felt and leftover bean bag fill we have in our basement, these bean bags will represent the ships. A station will be set up for kids to create their own snack ship. Graham crackers, mini marshmallows and frosting will be used to create the tie fighter ships.

We have a six foot Darth Vader and a three foot Yoda that children will be able to have their picture take with and children will be encouraged to come dressed up if they would like. Children will also be able to bring in  their favorite Star Wars item if they would like to share.

The cost of materials will be very small for the program since we have all the materials that I would need already available. We typically get between twenty and thirty children for a program at our library so I will need to pick up a couple of boxes of graham crackers, a couple bags of marshmallows, and a tub of frosting, all of these I will be able to purchase at our local Dollar Tree store. It will take about three and a half hours to make copies of materials, signs, and instruction sheets, scavenger hunt sheets, and make the Death Star bean bag toss game. The setup for the program beforehand will take about another hour since I have to rearrange some furniture in our children's section of the library  for the day.

Children will be able to acquaint themselves with the different parts of the children’s section during the scavenger hunt since each character is placed near a different section such as new books, graphic novels, series picture books, etc. Children can take turns playing a game. They will be able to use engineering and building skills constructing a simple ship with their snack food. Children will be able to be artistic and construct paper crafts and a puppet that they can take home with them to extend their fun. There will be other activity sheets and coloring sheets available for them to take home or work on in the library as well. Children will be able to test their knowledge of Star Wars and encourage them to read more Star Wars books to find the answers if they don't know them. And of course children will have the opportunity to choose books from the Star Wars materials available to read and check out.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay

Library Treasure Hunt: Scat and Tracks

Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Suzanne from WI shared this idea.

This program is an active program designed to help new library users become familiar with the library, as well as learn how much fun the library can be!  The program will be a one time program held on site, for children grades kindergarten through third grade.  The actual program will last approximately 1 hour and will be held after school during the timeframe that the after school program is held.  This is from 4-5:30.  The program will be held in cooperation with the school staff running the after school program.  Holding it during the after school program guarantees an audience as well as built in helpers.  Program preparation time should be around 2-3 hours for set up, craft preparation, instructions for the groups to follow and finding books in the collection to use in our library treasure hunt and shopping for snacks. 

Program Detail: 

The kids will be divided up into 5 groups, each with a student or adult leader.  There are typically around 25 kids in this age group, so the groups will be ideally about 5 kids.  We are affiliated with a historical Museum, and they have a wildlife case with around 40 animals and birds in.  The program will start in the museum with a focus on the wildlife case.  Each group will be told to pick an animal from the case that they are familiar with or are interested in.   After they have their animal picked out, they will be told to find both a fiction and nonfiction book with this animal in.  The leaders of the groups will be familiar with how and where to find these materials.  The groups will be shown the online card catalog for assistance in finding their books.  After the groups have all found their books, they will be asked to “present” their books to the other groups, giving a bit of detail about what the book is about and why they chose the ones they did.  The group as a whole will pick which ones they would like to have read aloud.  This can be done by me or one of the group leaders.  How many books will be read will depend on the length of the books that they choose. 

Snack: 

A snack will be served of nuts, fruits, seeds and juice while talking about how and what animals in the woods eat. 

Craft Project:

Materials:  10 foot piece off of a roll of paper, markers, crayons, ink pads and animal foot stamps.  A nearby Natural History Museum has animal foot stamps that they loan out for projects.  The stamps are of a bear, beaver, rabbit, squirrel and raccoon.  These stamps are awesome and very realistic.  (kind of creepy in that they almost look and feel like a real animal foot!)  We have used them before and the kids love them! 

Prior to the program animal habitat and animals will be drawn on the 10 foot piece of paper to match the animals that we have tracks for.  During the craft project the kids will match the appropriate track up with the animals on the paper, which will be laid out on the floor for them to work on.  They will use the stamps to show their travels in the “woods” of the scene leading up to the animals in their habitat.  They will also draw food and additional habitat that they learned about in the books we read.  The finished mural will be hung on the wall at the library.  The kids will be given a copy of the wildlife identifier that is in the museum to assist in identifying the animals in the case, and those that don’t already have library cards will be sent home with a form to fill out to get one. 

Graphic courtesy of Pixabay

Project in a Box: Blackout Poetry

Librarian-students all had a chance to create/report out a program they developed as a final project. Each considered the goals of the program, format (active, passive), how much time/money it might take and described how it was or would be done. Kelly from WI shared this idea.

In the Children’s Area, I have puzzles, crafts, blocks, and AWE computers for children to play with any time they visit the library but there is nothing equivalent in the teen area.  We have created a comfortable space for them.

I got the idea of a “program in a box” from ALA's Programming Librarian.  Teens check out a box with a crafty project  to make in the library. My take on the idea is having a “Project in a Box” that contains instructions and supplies in the teen area. Each month I change out the project.  This makes a simple, passive DIY solution to lack of programming for tweens and teens. The actual target age range is 11-16.

April is National Poetry Month. Teens are drawn to the poetry. Novels-in-verse, like Crank by Ellen Hopkins, are popular. Blackout poetry was a suggested as simple and inexpensive program that I learned about at a workshop and was mentioned on Programming Librarian blog. This would be the first project for “Project in a Box”. A display of poetry books and novels-in-verse along with a book list will also be set up in the teen area. If teens want, they can give their finished project to staff and we would display it in the teen area.

The cost and staffing is minimal. I am using pages from discarded library books and rejects from the Friends book sale. Pens, pencils, and markers are the only other supply needed which the Library has plenty. Prep time would be an hour. During quiet times, Library Assistants can tear apart the books. I would rather have loose pages in the project box than books the kids would have to tear apart themselves. This would cut down on mess and any confusion on which books can be used for blackout poetry.  I would also add an hour of staff time for creating a display and a book list of poetry books.

The Blackout poetry program is not completely passive. I am planning it as an activity for my Teen Advisory Board and as part of an outreach visit to the Youth Center. This would add 1.5 more hours of staff time but those hours were already in my schedule. A couple of months ago I started a Teen Advisory Board. They loved the idea of blackout poetry. For our April meeting, they will be creating their own blackout poetry that I will use as examples for the project box.

Since blackout poetry is very portable, I am also planning it as part of a 45 minute outreach visit to the Youth Center to promote National Poetry Month and the new monthly “Project in a Box” program. At the visit, I would book talk poetry books and novels-in-verse. I would get the teens started on doing blackout poetry. As I’ve done in the past, I would leave supplies at the Center. Then the teens can hang out and do the project at a leisurely pace. Teens that want their work displayed at Library could bring them to us or I could pick them up.

Blackout poetry is the kickoff of my “Project in a Box” passive DIY program. Future projects would be similar. Simple and inexpensive but lots of room for creativity. Ideas for future projects include origami, duct tape wallets, friendship bracelets, and popsicle stick bookmarks.

Image from South Kingstown Public Library, Rhode Island