We invite you to bring your pre-school aged children to the Lee County Library for story time on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. or Thursdays at 11 a.m. Programs usually last 30 to 45 minutes and include books (of course!), movement, rhyme, songs, and a flannelboard story or activity. We usually conclude with a short movie.
Parents, please note that there will be NO public story time on Wednesday, April 9, as we will be hosting a veritable hoarde of 3rd graders all morning. Also note that there will be a special story time on Friday, April 18 at 11 a.m. in honor of "The Week of the Child."
April 2 & 3: Hooray for Spring!
April 10: "Be Kind to Spiders" week
April 16 & 17: National Library Week--Discover the World @ Your Library
April 23& 24: Earth Day Celebration: Clean It Up!
April 30 & May 1: The Zoo
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
It's not easy being green
Top o' the mornin' to ya on this St. Patrick's Day! I'm having a major holiday anxiety attack with two holidays falling within the same week.
Since green is the color of the day, let's talk about a terrific book that will entertain young and old alike. "Little Pea" is the tale of a young legume who must suffer through at least five bites of candy before he can scarf down his favorite dessert: spinach. Even the toddlers were chuckling as little pea forced down his daily dose of candy (yuch, blech, pleh) in order to be rewarded with his leafy green dessert.
Try playing a guessing game about green foods before you read "Green Foods" by Patty Whitehouse (nonfiction, Heinemann Library). What are some big green foods? How about some small green foods? Crunchy green foods? Soft green foods? Green drinks? This would make a good flannel board activity, too.
This week in story time, it's bunnies galore. Cowboy Bunnies. . .Little Bunny Foo-Foo. . .Is it just me or do there seem to be an inordinate number of bunny books?
Happy Easter!
Since green is the color of the day, let's talk about a terrific book that will entertain young and old alike. "Little Pea" is the tale of a young legume who must suffer through at least five bites of candy before he can scarf down his favorite dessert: spinach. Even the toddlers were chuckling as little pea forced down his daily dose of candy (yuch, blech, pleh) in order to be rewarded with his leafy green dessert.
Try playing a guessing game about green foods before you read "Green Foods" by Patty Whitehouse (nonfiction, Heinemann Library). What are some big green foods? How about some small green foods? Crunchy green foods? Soft green foods? Green drinks? This would make a good flannel board activity, too.
This week in story time, it's bunnies galore. Cowboy Bunnies. . .Little Bunny Foo-Foo. . .Is it just me or do there seem to be an inordinate number of bunny books?
Happy Easter!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
We all lived in a yellow submarine
Well, it's finally happened in my lifetime. The Beatles have apparently slipped from their niche as a cultural marker. First, competitors in a teen academic bowl could not supply the first names of the fab four. And just last Wednesday someone referred to what was obviously a copy of the yellow submarine as a "choo choo train." It's a serious blow, let me tell you.
The aforementioned yellow submarine (created by the lovely and talented Allison Briggs) was a major feature of story time this week. I'm still trying to figure out how to create a link to the photos we took of children "on board" the banana-colored bateau. Meanwhile, I'm posting a couple extra-cute ones here for you to enjoy.
Here are some activities for an "Under the Sea" theme.
Make Jellyfish
1) Use small white paper plates.
2) Cut tentacles from various colors of crepe paper. I made ours from lavender, turquoise, light blue, and blue-green strips that were about 12 inches long.
3) Place the plate right side up. Overlap the tops of the crepe paper strips and secure to the plate with two or three staples. When you turn the plate upside down, the strips should dangle beneath the plate like tentacles.
4) This is optional, but we stuck puffy foam fish on some of the tentacles, as if the jellyfish had caught them.
Let the children move their jellyfish up and down as if bobbing in the ocean while you sing this song (to the tune of "Allouette")
I'm a jellyfish drifting in the ocean
I'm a jellyfish drifting in the sea.
Wiggle, wiggle, splash, splash, splash
Wiggle, wiggle, splash, splash, splash
Dive right in (Dive right in)
Repeat using the names of other fish: angel fish, tuna, swordfish, shark, etc.
Books
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Shark in the Park by (oops!! memory lapse!! will add later)
Swimmy, by Leo Lionni
The night before, place some Swedish fish (gummy fish) in a heat-proof, clear bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve a package of blue jello according to the package directions, then pour it into the bowl containing the gummy fish. They will "float" up as you pour in the jello. Chill, then dive right in! (Dive right in!)
The aforementioned yellow submarine (created by the lovely and talented Allison Briggs) was a major feature of story time this week. I'm still trying to figure out how to create a link to the photos we took of children "on board" the banana-colored bateau. Meanwhile, I'm posting a couple extra-cute ones here for you to enjoy.
Here are some activities for an "Under the Sea" theme.
Make Jellyfish
1) Use small white paper plates.
2) Cut tentacles from various colors of crepe paper. I made ours from lavender, turquoise, light blue, and blue-green strips that were about 12 inches long.
3) Place the plate right side up. Overlap the tops of the crepe paper strips and secure to the plate with two or three staples. When you turn the plate upside down, the strips should dangle beneath the plate like tentacles.
4) This is optional, but we stuck puffy foam fish on some of the tentacles, as if the jellyfish had caught them.
Let the children move their jellyfish up and down as if bobbing in the ocean while you sing this song (to the tune of "Allouette")
I'm a jellyfish drifting in the ocean
I'm a jellyfish drifting in the sea.
Wiggle, wiggle, splash, splash, splash
Wiggle, wiggle, splash, splash, splash
Dive right in (Dive right in)
Repeat using the names of other fish: angel fish, tuna, swordfish, shark, etc.
Books
Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins
Shark in the Park by (oops!! memory lapse!! will add later)
Swimmy, by Leo Lionni
The night before, place some Swedish fish (gummy fish) in a heat-proof, clear bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve a package of blue jello according to the package directions, then pour it into the bowl containing the gummy fish. They will "float" up as you pour in the jello. Chill, then dive right in! (Dive right in!)
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Spring Brings Fresh Breezes to Story Time
Aaaaahhhhhh. . .the reading bug is a happy bug today. February is almost over, and March will be blowin' in next week. Keep your eyes on the "sky" of the children's room because our spring decor is on the way.
Woof, woof. . .what makes that sound? A DOG, right? This week we're talking about dogs in story time. Bring your favorite stuffed pooch on Wednesday or Thursday this week when we'll read stories, sing songs, and watch a movie about dogs.
Meanwhile, here are some great books to read while you're waiting for story time to roll around.
Any Clifford book
Any Spot book
Good Boy, Fergus by David Shannon
Chewie Louie, by Howie Schneider
McDuff and the Baby, by Rosemary Wells
Our New Puppy, by Isabelle Harper & Barry Moser
Here's a crafty idea for a rainy day: Dog Headband
Cut a long strip of brown or black construction paper. Bend it into a circle, fit to child's (or your) head, remove and staple. Cut off any excess paper.
Using brown construction paper, make two dog ears. They can be upright and triangular, or long and droopy. . .be creative.
Decorate your dog ears with cotton balls and/or magic markers. Mark the places you want them to go on your headband, then staple in place. Voila--your doggy headgear!
For extra fun, you can ask for a little makeup on the end of your nose. Bow-wow-WOW!
Send me your picture!
Look below for the March story time schedule. Please note that as of March 1, story times at the Broadway branch have been discontinued.
March 5 & 6: Under the Sea
March 12 & 13: Frogs (and other green things)
March 19 & 20: Bunnies [Bring a basket]
March 26 & 27: Oooooh. . .that's naughty!
Woof, woof. . .what makes that sound? A DOG, right? This week we're talking about dogs in story time. Bring your favorite stuffed pooch on Wednesday or Thursday this week when we'll read stories, sing songs, and watch a movie about dogs.
Meanwhile, here are some great books to read while you're waiting for story time to roll around.
Any Clifford book
Any Spot book
Good Boy, Fergus by David Shannon
Chewie Louie, by Howie Schneider
McDuff and the Baby, by Rosemary Wells
Our New Puppy, by Isabelle Harper & Barry Moser
Here's a crafty idea for a rainy day: Dog Headband
Cut a long strip of brown or black construction paper. Bend it into a circle, fit to child's (or your) head, remove and staple. Cut off any excess paper.
Using brown construction paper, make two dog ears. They can be upright and triangular, or long and droopy. . .be creative.
Decorate your dog ears with cotton balls and/or magic markers. Mark the places you want them to go on your headband, then staple in place. Voila--your doggy headgear!
For extra fun, you can ask for a little makeup on the end of your nose. Bow-wow-WOW!
Send me your picture!
Look below for the March story time schedule. Please note that as of March 1, story times at the Broadway branch have been discontinued.
March 5 & 6: Under the Sea
March 12 & 13: Frogs (and other green things)
March 19 & 20: Bunnies [Bring a basket]
March 26 & 27: Oooooh. . .that's naughty!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Valentine's Day
What will you be doing for valentine's day?
We'll be reading books, decorating cookies, and watching a movie at the Lee County Library. Story time is for children ages 3 to 5 and takes place every Wednesday at 10 and every Thursday at 11. Come "check us out". . .
Meanwhile, it's raining in Sanford so you may need a cheap, easy, and fun-to-do pre-Valentine's Day craft. Make a bag to put your valentines in.
1. Glue a heart-shaped paper doily to an ordinary brown paper lunch-size bag. (Glue modestly--it goes right through the holes in the doily.)You could also cut a heart shape from construction paper or any other colorful paper you like.
2. Whip out the glitter glue--follow the outlines around the heart or put dots all around it. Set it aside to dry while you read one of these wonderful valentine's stories.
Froggy's First Kiss, by Jonathan London. (Froggy falls head over heels for Frogilina, the pretty new girl in his class. Did Froggy eat caterpillars for breakfast, or is it LOVE??)
I Need a Valentine, by Harriet Ziefert. (Margery wants a valentine. Lift the flaps and see if she gets one.)
Little Bill: Happy Valentine's Day, by Robert Scull. (Little Bill has lots of love to share on this special day.)
How Do I Love You?, by Leslie Kimmelman. (Little Alligator's mom loves him every day, even when his feet are muddy.)
There are lots of other great Valentine's Day books at the Lee County Library. Come in and check them out.
Has the glue dried on your valentine bag yet? Good! Now decorate it with heart stickers and you're ready to collect your cards. A great movie to watch is
"Franklin's Valentines."
Now is the time for me to go, so I'll see you in the next story time!
We'll be reading books, decorating cookies, and watching a movie at the Lee County Library. Story time is for children ages 3 to 5 and takes place every Wednesday at 10 and every Thursday at 11. Come "check us out". . .
Meanwhile, it's raining in Sanford so you may need a cheap, easy, and fun-to-do pre-Valentine's Day craft. Make a bag to put your valentines in.
1. Glue a heart-shaped paper doily to an ordinary brown paper lunch-size bag. (Glue modestly--it goes right through the holes in the doily.)You could also cut a heart shape from construction paper or any other colorful paper you like.
2. Whip out the glitter glue--follow the outlines around the heart or put dots all around it. Set it aside to dry while you read one of these wonderful valentine's stories.
Froggy's First Kiss, by Jonathan London. (Froggy falls head over heels for Frogilina, the pretty new girl in his class. Did Froggy eat caterpillars for breakfast, or is it LOVE??)
I Need a Valentine, by Harriet Ziefert. (Margery wants a valentine. Lift the flaps and see if she gets one.)
Little Bill: Happy Valentine's Day, by Robert Scull. (Little Bill has lots of love to share on this special day.)
How Do I Love You?, by Leslie Kimmelman. (Little Alligator's mom loves him every day, even when his feet are muddy.)
There are lots of other great Valentine's Day books at the Lee County Library. Come in and check them out.
Has the glue dried on your valentine bag yet? Good! Now decorate it with heart stickers and you're ready to collect your cards. A great movie to watch is
"Franklin's Valentines."
Now is the time for me to go, so I'll see you in the next story time!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Reading Bug Checks In
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. . .70 degrees-ish, but clouding up. We did Dinosaurs in story time today.
Made dino hats. Could be dino necklaces, depending on the size of the head involved.
1) Cut the center out of a paper plate.
2) Stick foam dinosaur stickers around the edges; leave spaces in between.
3) Squirt many colors of glitter glue in the empty spaces. You can write your name
if you want to.
We sang a dinosaur rock song. Remember "Big Brother and the Holding Company"? It was Janis Joplin's band. Here's verse 1 of an oldie but goodie. I'm not making this up. It's on Janis's first album, the one with the cover by R. Crumb. Check it out. Kids will love it.
I'm a Pterodactyl
I'm a Pterodactyl
Flyin' for your love,
Flyin' for your love,
Flyin' for your love, for your love.
Read two dinosaur books:
Dinosaur, Dinosaur by Byron Barton
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen
Showed a good dinosaur movie:
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, based on the book by Jane Yolen
Scholastic/Weston Woods
Stay tuned for Valentine's Day!
Made dino hats. Could be dino necklaces, depending on the size of the head involved.
1) Cut the center out of a paper plate.
2) Stick foam dinosaur stickers around the edges; leave spaces in between.
3) Squirt many colors of glitter glue in the empty spaces. You can write your name
if you want to.
We sang a dinosaur rock song. Remember "Big Brother and the Holding Company"? It was Janis Joplin's band. Here's verse 1 of an oldie but goodie. I'm not making this up. It's on Janis's first album, the one with the cover by R. Crumb. Check it out. Kids will love it.
I'm a Pterodactyl
I'm a Pterodactyl
Flyin' for your love,
Flyin' for your love,
Flyin' for your love, for your love.
Read two dinosaur books:
Dinosaur, Dinosaur by Byron Barton
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen
Showed a good dinosaur movie:
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight, based on the book by Jane Yolen
Scholastic/Weston Woods
Stay tuned for Valentine's Day!
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