It’s week one of summer reading! This has been a jam-packed week with some really looooong days, so I will be grateful for a rest and reset this weekend and a simple story time week next week.
Not only did we kick off our summer reading program, but we are also in the midst of a director search, and staff interviews/public presentations by one of the candidates was this week. I was also asked last-minute to present to the local Kiwanis Club on summer reading as they make an annual donation. I was thrilled for the opportunity to fill them in on all we are doing, and I think they really appreciated it as well.
We also found out that we will be delayed getting into our new library branch building by almost a month, so some of our staff (including myself) are going to be in limbo in July without a building to work from as a home base. I sort of anticipated this with my July schedule, but it doesn’t make it any easier to actually do. Already, I’ve felt that I’ve spent about as much time in my car this week as I did in a building, and I’m also finding myself in that classic moving situation of needing something that you already packed or something not being in the location I need it to be.
Overall, this week has felt successful, but tiring.
A word about the story times this week: By the end of the week, I will have done each of these story times three times each, with each one looking wildly different depending on the group. Just a reminder that these are outlines and guidelines for a story time, not a set script. Reading the room and being flexible are incredibly important. =)
Also, I have shifted my age ranges for these two story times in an effort to let the babies have a more calm story time and give the more active toddlers a space to romp. We’ll see how it goes!
Book Babies (0-2) Story Time
Theme: Performing Arts (music, dance, theater – loosely interpreted for the bebbies)
Books: Jazz Baby by Lisa Wheeler, Llama Llama Hoppity-Hop by Anna Dewdney
Songs/Rhymes (lyrics provided when links not available):
What Shall We Do With a Wiggly Baby?
What shall we do with a wiggly baby (x3) … early in the morning.
Hooray and up she rises (x3) … early in the morning.
What shall we do with a grumpy baby (x3) … early in the morning.
Tickle that baby ’til she giggles (x3) … early in the morning.
What shall we do with a sleepy baby (x3) …early in the morning.
Give that baby lots of snuggles (x3) … early in the morning.
Roll Your Hands (Tune: Row Your Boat)
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.
Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be
Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.
Tap, tap, tap your feet
As softly as can be…
Shake, shake, shake yourself
As quickly as can be…
A Bouncing We Will Go
A bouncing we will go, a bouncing we will go,
Hi Ho, the derry-o, a bouncing we will go,
A rocking we will go . . .
A tickling we will go . . .
The arms go up and down . . .
The legs go back and forth . . .
Acka Backa Soda Cracker
Acka backa soda cracker (bounce side to side)
Acka backa boo!
Acka backa soda cracker,
Up goes you! (lift baby up)
Acka backa soda cracker (bounce side to side)
Acka backa boo!
Acka backa soda cracker,
I love you! (hug)
Where Is Bear? (Tune: Thumbkin) (Beary dances for this one!)
Where is bear?
Where is bear?
Here I am.
Here I am.
How are you this morning?
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep.
Go to sleep.
Songs for Parachute Play (on Spotify): Up and Down by Julie Wylie & Parachute Moves by Tessarose
Clean Up Song (for after play time)
Closing Rhyme
Tickle the clouds.
Tickle your toes.
Turn around,
And tickle your nose.
Reach down low,
And reach up high.
Storytime’s over –
Wave goodbye!
Manipulatives used: parachute
Play time: musical/gross motor play with parachute, stuffies/puppets, tunnels, scarves, egg shakers, and bubbles
Little Learners (3+) Story Time
Theme: Performing Arts (music, dance, theater)
Books: Maisy Goes to a Show by Lucy Cousins, Never Play Music Right Next to the Zoo by John Lithgow (with accompanying CD/song), Glad, Glad Bear by Kimberly Gee
Songs/Rhymes (lyrics provided when links not available):
Clap Everybody and Say Hello (ask the kids to pick actions after clap)
Roll Your Hands (Tune: Row Your Boat)
Roll, roll, roll your hands
As fast as fast can be
Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.
Clap, clap, clap your hands
As loud as loud can be
Do it now, let me see, do it now with me.
Tap, tap, tap your feet
As softly as can be…
Shake, shake, shake yourself
As quickly as can be…
Popcorn Kernels (can use parachute with bouncy balls and/or scarves)
Songs for Parachute Play (on Spotify): Up and Down by Julie Wylie & Parachute Moves by Tessarose
Manipulatives/activities used: parachute/scarves, bouncy balls
Craft/play time: musical/gross motor play with parachute, stuffies/puppets, tunnels, scarves, egg shakers, and bubbles
Summer Reading Kick-Off: “Let’s Make Bad Art!” (All Ages)
We had art stations set up around the library, some indoors and some outdoors. Tablecloths, aprons, wet wipes/paper towels, and art drying racks were provided for each station and I’ll detail what those were below. We also had a storyteller from the local storytelling center perform in the middle of the program, and a local ice cream shop handed out ice cream in the parking lot for the duration of the event.
Tiny Art Gallery
Participants make miniature art to be displayed inside a glass case for the duration of the summer. (We left this out to be a passive program all summer long.)
Materials provided: air dry clay, miniature canvasses of various sizes, pipe cleaners, fabric, ribbon, and paper scraps, glue sticks, sequins, beads, googly eyes, confetti, washi tape, glue dots, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, rulers, paint markers, regular markers, crayons
Participants crumple paper into a ball, paint it, flatten it, crumple it, and paint again until desired color combos are achieved.
Materials provided: White construction paper (cut in half), liquid watercolors, paintbrushes, cups for paint, water in cups for rinsing brushes
Participants draw a big scribble, fill in the spaces with color, then cut out the shape and mount on a background.
Materials provided: White construction paper, black construction paper, scissors, black Sharpies, crayons, glue sticks
Participants fill in embossed designs on paper towels with color to create a mandala effect.
Materials provided: Paper towels, markers
Participants use a variety of tools to splatter paint in various colors and patterns.
Materials provided: washable tempera paint, cups for paint, buckets of water for rinsing tools, construction paper in various colors, paintbrushes, pipettes/droppers, spoons, sponges, toothbrushes
Participants put blobs of color onto a canvas and squeegee it to create a blended effect.
Materials provided: white cardstock, foam board as a backing for squeegeeing, acrylic paint, squeegees, bucket of water for cleaning squeegees
We were also going to do a bubble art station, but we scrapped it due to the wind! =( I had 1-2 volunteers to run each station, which allowed me to float, answer questions, give out summer reading info, and generally direct the flow of participants. Our teen programmer also set up a station in her area where kids could add to a “stained glass” painting on the library windows. See photos below for the beautiful end result!
Instrument Petting Zoo with Local Symphony Orchestra
This program was facilitated for free by members of our local symphony orchestra. They came and played familiar songs, educated about their instruments (mostly strings), and allowed children to come up and play the instruments at the end!
Much Hamsters 
