Alphabet Train- Week #2

Spring Story Time (Week #2)
Weekly Theme: The Letter B

Books: Big Smelly Bear by Britta Teckentrup, Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson, Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Activity: balloon volleyball

Craft: watercolor bubble paintings

Pictures of the second week of story time are up in the next post, so... 

Keep reading!

Shaen

Alphabet Train- Week #1 Photos

Several of our book choices: A Sick Day for Amos McGee, All You Need for a Snowman, and But I Am An Alligator.  Cover images from Goodreads.

Michelle Swane (aka "Miss Michelle"), our newest addition to the Youth Department staff, reading to the kids at Recklein Memorial Library at Cuba.

Keep reading!

Shaen

Thursday Story Time Cancellation

Please pass the word along to your friends... story time tomorrow (Thursday the 21st) will be cancelled for the Ste. Genevieve and Fredericktown Public Libraries due to inclement weather. We'll be back on the road next week- see you then!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Alphabet Train- Week #1

Spring Story Time (Week #1)
Weekly Theme: The Letter A

Books: The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall, But I Am an Alligator by Lauren Child, A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Charles Philip C. and Erin Stead, All You Need for a Snowman by Alice Schertle

Activity: stuffed animal toss

Craft: picnicking ants collage

Pictures of the first week of story time are up in the next post, so... 

Keep reading!

Shaen

Spring Story Time 2013: The Alphabet Train (Letters A-J)

Want to read about bubble gum?  Play a game of hula hoop crocodiles?  Go ice fishing?  Paint... with jam?  Well, get ready, because Spring Story Time for Toddlers and Preschoolers starts Tuesday, February 19 (due to the Presidents' Day holiday, no story time session will be held on Monday the 18th at our Ironton Headquarters)!

Our theme this spring is The Alphabet Train, and each week, Michelle (see our welcome post for Michelle here) and I will be visiting Ozark Regional's eight library branches with a box full of supplies- hello to ten weeks of stories, music, games, activity tables, and craft projects.  Some things to look forward to: making watercolor bubble paintings in week two, reading about dancing hippos in week four, and searching for shipwrecked jewels in week ten!

You can find a complete story time schedule in the left-hand column of this blog or at the library's website under the "Programs and Events" tab.  If you're more of a paper person, you can also stop by your local library in person to pick up a colorful, printed calendar of events.

Stay tuned for info and pictures from our first week of spring story time; we hope to see you there!

Keep reading!

Shaen

An Exciting Announcement!

I have an exciting announcement to share with all of our blog readers!  Beginning this month, you will have not one- but TWO!- staff members in the Youth Department!  In order to have more time at home with my new little boy, I'm going to be going part-time at the library and participating in a job share arrangement with another one of our employees.  You might recognize Michelle Swane's cheerful face if you've visited the front desk at our Ironton library before...

Meet Michelle!

and now, she's going to be working in the Youth Department with me, providing all sorts of fun programs for kids from birth through age eighteen.  And two librarians in the Department means more great stuff for our patrons- more outreach story times, more frequent programs for grade-schoolers, and more opportunities to host library tours (not to mention more fun, glitter, and glue!).

So, how does a job share work?  Well, basically, Michelle will be working the first half of the week (those of you who regularly attend story time on Mondays and Tuesdays will see her!), while I'll be working the last half (Thursdays and Fridays).  We'll both alternate Wednesday shifts.  And in the summer, you'll get to see both of us, since summer programming is such a mixed bag of times and locations.

I hope you'll all help me welcome Michelle to the Youth Department- I can't wait for you to meet her and for her to meet all of the wonderful families and kids I've felt privileged to see every week! :)

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Russia!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Russia!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Russia Story Time

Books: 

Peter and the Wolf

by Sergei Prokofiev

and Chris Raschka

Cover image from Goodreads.

Rechenka's Eggs

by Patricia Polacco

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: A traditional Russian folk dance is called the pereplyas.  Look up a few videos of this dance online, and then pull on a pair of fuzzy snow boots, and practice the new steps you've learned!

Snack: Satisfy your sweet tooth today, and bake some yummy Russian tea cakes (you might also have heard these treats called Mexican wedding cakes or snowballs).

Craft: Likely due to the harsh, cold winters Russia is accustomed to, Grandfather Frost is a popular fairy tale character.  Using a piece of black or dark blue construction paper for your background, use chalk to draw a picture of what you think Grandfather Frost must look like.

This is our last story time at home post for the season; I hope you've enjoyed trying out some new ideas!  And check your calendars... Spring Story Time is right around the corner!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit The Netherlands!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is The Netherlands!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit The Netherlands Story Time

Books: 

The First Tulips in Holland

by Phyllis Krasilovsky and 

Steven D. Schindler

Cover image from Goodreads.

The Boy Who Held Back 

the Sea 

by Lenny Hort, Thomas Locker

and Mary Maples Dodge

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Study the movement of windmills in an online video (try typing "windmills" into YouTube for some choices).  Then, placing your arms out at your sides, pretend to be a windmill.  If it's not too cold out, bundle up, and try this activity outside where you can feel the real wind blowing.

Snack: Enjoy a snack that reminds you of Holland!  Try a Dutch cheese, like Gouda, on crackers, or buy some cute windmill cookies.

Craft: The Netherlands is internationally known for its beautiful flowers, particularly its tulips.  Here's how to make some tulips that won't wilt!

• Gather an unused egg carton, scissors, sturdy tape, and several pipecleaners.
• Cut the egg carton cups apart, so they resemble tulip blossoms.
• Poke a pipecleaner through the bottom of each cup to represent the flower’s stem.
• Tape the pipecleaner in place with sturdy tape.  

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen

Flashback (Story Time at Home: Let's Visit Mexico!)

Today’s Story Time at Home theme is Mexico!  If you would like to share a picture of your story-time-at-home experience (i.e. You might send a picture of a finished craft project), just shoot us an email at ozarkregionallibraryyouth@gmail.com, and it might get included on our blog!  No names will be included with submissions for privacy reasons.

Let's Visit Mexico Story Time

Books: 

M is for Mexico by

Flor de María Cordero

Cover image from Goodreads.

What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

by Carmen Tafolla

Cover image from Goodreads.

Game/Activity: Fill plastic Easter eggs (or discarded toilet paper tubes with beads or pebbles, and seal tightly.  Put on some fast-paced music, and shake your hand-made maracas to the beat.

Snack: Cook an easy cheese quesadilla.  Sprinkle shredded cheese on one half of a flour tortilla.  Then fold the tortilla closed, and microwave for 45 seconds.

Craft: Make a piñata out of a balloon, newspaper strips, and flour paste.  Family Fun has a great tutorial!

I hope you enjoyed this idea for how you can recreate story time at home!  Check back in a few days for more fun, travel-themed ideas focusing on a new area of the world!

Keep reading!

Shaen