It's a Party! Virtual Storytime

Alphabet Welcome

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs, and puppet too

Storytime is a place for you!

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me.

Now I've sung my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me?

What did Henrietta Bring?

1.  You often seem them at parties

2.  They come in lots of different colors

3.  They start out flat

4.  Then you blow air into them...

A Balloon!

Let's Pretend!

1.  Fingerplay

Mix the batter

Stir the batter

Pour some flour in

Mix the batter

Stir the batter

Pour it in a tin

Sprinkle some sugar on top

And pop it in to bake

Open up the oven

And out comes a cake!

Now we'll let it cool...

Time to frost and decorate!

2.  Movement

Walking, walking

Walking, walking

Hop, hop, hop

Hop, hop, hop

Running, running, running

Running, running, running

Now we stop

Now we stop!

We made it to our friends' house for the party!  Give them the cake you baked!

Parent Tip

There are many benefits to imaginative play that helps to boost early learning!  Creative, open-ended play is how children learn to socially bond, respect others, communicate, and balance personal emotions with the emotions of others.  These skills are valuable when learning in school.

Book

Bunny Party

by Rosemary Wells

Read with permission from the publisher, Viking, and imprint of Penguin Random House

Song

The Itsy Bitsy Spider and  A Big Hairy Spider (like the one Max wanted to bring to the party!)

Goodbye Train

The Letter P--Virtual Storytime

Alphabet Welcome

Puppy Puppet

My puppy is looking all around

My puppy can spin around and around

My puppy is sleeping in his bed

My puppy is sitting on my head!

My puppy is looking at my toes

My puppy can kiss me on my nose

My puppy is whispering in my ear

What's he saying? Can you hear?

My puppy can hide behind me

But wherever I go, my puppy will find me!

Flannel

Five Little Pigs

5 little pigs rolled in the mud

Oh my goodness! They need a scrub!

The farmer took on piggie out

"Oink, oink, oink! that pig did shout.

~after all the pigs are clean~

The farmer turned his back...and then...

5 little pigs rolled in the mud again!

Parent Tip

Thinking of words that begin with the same letter sound helps children learn to distinguish sounds that will help them as they learn to read.

We've named two animals that start with the letter p--puppy and pig.  What other animals can you think of that start with the letter p?  [pony, penguin, panda, parrot]  Now can you think of some food you eat that start with the letter p?  Maybe you thought of pineapple, peaches, or pie!  Or maybe you thought about pizza!  What do you like to put on your pizza?

Book

Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party

by Kimberly and James Dean

Read with permission from the publishers, Harper

Your hand has three parts that start with the letter p--palm, pointer, pinky

Song

Where is Thumbkin?

(thumb, pointer, pinky)

The Goodbye Train

Trains--Virtual Storytime

Alphabet Welcome

The Hello Train

Oh, the hello train is coming just for you

Toot! Toot!

The hello train is coming just for you

Toot! Toot!

The hello train is coming

The hello train in coming

The hello train is coming just for you

Toot! Toot!

Book

Two Little Trains

by Margaret Wise Brown; illustrated by Greg Pizzoli

Read with permission from the publisher, Harper

Parent Tip

Spatial reasoning connects math to the physical world.  Your child is beginning to build spatial relationship vocabulary with words like: through, over, below, around.  Use a toy train or car or even a block to act out the trains in the book as they go through the tunnel, over the river, and around a mountain.  Physically moving an object helps children comprehend these spatial relationships.

Song

The Wheels on the Train

The wheels on the train go clickety-clack

Clickety-clack

Clickety-clack

The wheels on the train go clickety-clack

All down the track!

The whistle on the train goes "toot, toot, toot!"

The engine on the train goes "chug, chug, chug"

The Goodbye Train

Oh, the goodbye train is leaving, see you soon

The goodbye train is leaving, see you soon

The goodbye train is leaving

The goodbye train is leaving

The goodbye train is leaving, see you soon!

Donuts--Virtual Storytime

Alphabet Welcome

What did Henrietta Bring?

1.  This is something you can eat

2.  It's shaped like a circle

3.  It is very sweet

4.  It has a hole in the middle!

A donut!

Song

Draw a Circle

Draw a circle round and round

Round and round

Round and round

Draw a circle round and round

Draw a circle!

Up up high, way down low

Fast , fast, fast

Slow, slow, slow

Magnet Board Story

Share the Donuts!

Bear just finished cooking a dozen—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12--delicious donuts!  Then he heard a knock at the door.  His friend Penguin came to visit.  Bear divide the donuts in half—6 for him and 6 for Penguin.  

Just then another knock.  Hello, Pig!  With three of them Bear divide the donuts into thirds—everyone getting 4 each!  Bear was just about to take a bite when knock, knock! Knock, knock! The Raccoon twins arrived.  Now there are 6 of them!  So they each get 1, 2 donuts a piece!

Knock, knock, knock!!  What’s this?! The team of six just won their game!  Let’s celebrate!  Now there are 12 of us!  One donut each!  And that’s just right!

Parent Tip

Children need to know more than just how to count.  Understanding what number words represent—the “how many”—is an important step in developing number sense and other math skills.  Take time to explore how you can rearrange objects into different groups, but always keep the same number, such as 12 donuts or with five toys or blocks make a group of 1 and 4 or 2 and 3.  There’s always five blocks, just rearranged differently.  Playing with numbers now will help your child build a foundation for math learning in the future.

Book

Dozens of Doughnuts

written by Carrie Finison; illustrated by Brianne Farley

Read with permission from the publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House

Animal Goodbyes

**I got flustered during storytime--the song was supposed to go between the magnet story and the book.  Oh, well!

Pirates--Virtual Storytime

Alphabet Welcome

What did Henrietta Bring?

1.  This thing is a rectangle

2.  It has a lid that it cured on the top

3.  Inside there are gold coins and jewels

4.  I use a map to find where it it buried--X marks the spot!

A pirate treasure chest!

Movement 

The Busy Pirates

(Start verse from a crouching position)

The pirates stand up

The pirates sit down

The pirates are running

All over the town!

But where is their Captain?

Look carefully

He's under the tree

Fast asleep!

Book

Twenty-Six Pirates: An Alphabet Book  

Written and illustrated by Dave Horwitz.  

Read with permission from the publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Group

Parent Tip

Reading alphabet books with your child introduces letters and their sounds.  Alphabet books that tell a simple story can be more engaging to preschool children.  You can make up a rhyme using your child’s name, such as Pirate Tammy.  White and clammy.  Or Pirate Tammy. Sailed to Miami.  If you child’s name is difficult to rhyme try something like this:  Henrietta Pirate.  Nice and quiet.  Or Henrietta Pirate. Starts a riot!

Song 

Across the Deep Blue Sea

When I was one I sucked my thumb
The day I went to sea
I jumped aboard a pirate ship
And the captain said to me:
 
We go this way (lean to left)
And that way (lean to right)
And forwards (step forwards)
And backwards (step backwards)
Across the deep blue sea! (spin in a circle)
 
When I was 2 I tied my shoe
When I was 3 I scraped my knee
When I was 4 I shut the door
When I was 5 I felt alive
 
Animal Goodbyes

Winter--Virtual Storytime

Welcome Alphabet Song

What did Henrietta Bring?

 

1.  It's something I wear

2.  I wear it when it's cold outside

3.  It keeps my ears warm

4.  I put it on my head!

A Hat!

Book

Froggy Gets Dressed

by Jonathan London; illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz

Read with permission from the publisher Viking, and imprint of Penguin Random House

Parent Tip

Encourage your child repeat the action words and do a simple action as Froggy gets dressed in the book.  When you read about that article of clothing pause to let your child say the silly word and do the action.  This helps to build working memory which is an important skill when learning to read.

Flannel

One Little Penguin

One little penguin in the snow

Waddles fast and waddles slow

Flaps his wings and calls, "Come on!"

"Join me for some winter fun!"

Continue adding one penguin at a time until you have 5 penguins!

Animal Goodbyes

Picture Books to Help Grieving Children

 Here is a link to blogpost I wrote for my library district about Childhood Grief Awareness Month.  It's more than just a list of books to read to children who have lost someone, but categorized different death/grief picture books and when to read each kind.

Friendship--Virtual Storytime

Welcome ABCs

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs, and puppets too

Storytime is a place for you

Do you know your ABC?

Come along and sing with me!

Now I know my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me

Demonstration

Friend in sign language

Song (with sign language)

Hello, friends

Hello, friends

Hello, friends

It's time to say "Hello!"

Book

Little Quack's New Friend

by Lauren Thompson; illustrated by Derek Anderson

Read with permission from the publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Parent Tip

After reading a book aloud to your child look through the book again together and have your child retell the story by looking at the pictures.  This helps your child develop narrative skills--being able to tell a story and to understand that a story has sequence.  They don't need to remember all the details, but books with a series of actions, such as Little Quack's New Friend, is a great story to retell.

Song

Two Little Friends

Two little friends went out to play

On a bright and sunny day

They jumped, they ran, they had such fun

So they called another little friend to come, 

"Come and play!"

Continue adding one friend until you get to five friends, then end with:

Five little friends went out to play

On a bright and sunny day

They jumped, they ran, they had such fun

They played and played till the day was done!

Fingerplay

Where is Thumbkin?

Thumbkin, Pointer, and Pinky only

Book

Can Cat and Bird Be Friends?

by Coll Muir

Read with permission from the publisher: Harper--an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Goodbye Song (with sign langauge)

Goodbye friends

Goodbye friends

Goodbye friends

It's time to say, "Goodbye".

Cats and Kittens--Virtual Storytime

Welcome Song

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs, and puppets too

Storytime is a place for you

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me.

Now I know my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me.

Guess What I Brought

1.  This is an animal

2.  It can live in many different places: outside, on a farm, or even in the house

3.  It has soft fur

4.  It likes to purr and says, "Meow"

It's a CAT!

Book

Where to Sleep

by Kandy Radzinski

Read with permission from the publisher: Sleeping Bear Press

Movement

I'm a little kitty cat, soft and sweet

Here are my whiskers, here are my feet

When I go out hunting, mice beware!

Or you might just get a ... SCARE!!

Flannel

Rainbow Kittens

Six little kittens found a box of paint.

They jumped right in...their mother will faint!

The 1st little kitten came out all red

"I'll be orange," the 2nd kitten said.

The 3rd little kitten turned bright yellow

"I'll be green," said the 4th little fellow. 

The 5th kitten said, "My favorite is blue"

"Purple for me," said the 6th with a mew

Dancing home the kittens go

To show their mother a KITTEN RAINBOW!

Parent Tip

An ordinal number is a number that tells the position of something in a list, such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd.  Using ordinal numbers with your child is an easy way to add math into your daily life to help your child be ready for kindergarten.  By simple talking about consistent, sequential daily activities, you are teaching ordinal numbers.  First, we will go to the library.  Second, we will stop at the grocery store.  Third, we will come home and eat lunch.

Book

Everybody Says Meow

by Constance Lombardo

Read with permission from the publisher: Harper--an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Flannel

K-I-T-T-Y

(tune: Bingo)

I know a cat with perky ears and Kitty is her name-o

K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y

She makes a sound and it's "meow", and Kitty is her name-o.

K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y

Her teeth and claws are very sharp, and Kitty is her name-o.

K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y

She loves to sleep and then to stretch, and Kitty is her name-o.

K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y, K-I-T-T-Y

Animal Goodbyes

See you later, Alligator

Blow a kiss, Goldfish

Give a hug, Ladybug

Toodaloo, Kangaroo

Bye-bye, Butterly

Take care, Polar Bear!

Update

Received an author call out after this storytime was posted!

Dragons--Virtual Storytime

 Welcome Song

Storytime ABC's

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs and puppets too

Storytime is the pace for you!

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me!

Now I've sung my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me?

Guess What I Brought

This is an animal.

This animal can fly.

The animal can also breath fire!

This animal is not real; it is make believe

A Dragon!!

Book

Little Wing Learns to Fly

by Calista Brill ; illustrated by Jennifer A. Bell

Read with permission from the publisher: Harper--an imprint of Harpercollins Publishers

Movement Song

I Am Flying

(tune:  Are You Sleeping?)

I am flying, I am flying

Up so high, up so high,

I can tilt this way

I can tilt that way

In the sky, in the sky.

I am flying, I am flying

Round and round, round and round

See the tiny houses

See the tiny people

On the ground, on the ground.

Book

I Will Not Eat You

by Adam Lehrhaupt; illustrated by Scott Magoon

Read with permission from the publisher:  Paula Wiseman Books--an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Magnet Board

Five Little Dragons

One little dragon with scales of blue;

Ran to meet the green one,

Then there were two.

Two little dragons sitting under a tree;

The orange dragon joined them,

Then there were three.

Three little dragons, wishing there were more;

Along came a purple dragon,

Then there were four.

Four little dragons, happy to be alive;

Found a yellow dragon,

Then there were five.

Five little dragons, all out to play;

"Watch out! They breathe fire!" is all I can say!

Parent Tip

Did you know that a child’s math knowledge at the start of kindergarten predicts later academic achievement?  Help your child make the connection between number words and what that number word means.  Place items one at a time and begin counting as you place items, just as we did in this rhyme.  It will take time for children to be able to recognize that a set of objects contains a certain number of items.  

Animal Goodbyes

(with stick puppets)

See ya later, Alligator!

Blow a kiss, Goldfish!

Give a hug, Ladybug!

Toodaloo, Kangaroo!

Bye-bye, Butterfly!

Take care, Polar Bear!

A Virtual Picnic Storytime

A short, 15 minute storytime without books to post online

Welcome Song

Storytime ABC's

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs and puppets too

Storytime is the pace for you!

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me!

Now I've sung my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me?

Guess What I Brought

This is something you can eat

It is usually a square, but you can cut it into triangles

You can put different things in it

My favorite is peanut butter and jelly

It's a sandwich!

(Giant sandwich from Melissa and Doug)

Letter Song

P-I-C-N-I-C

P-I-C-N-I-C

Picnic, picnic

P-I-C-N-I-C

Picnic's what that spells

Eat your food in the sun!

Picnics are such fun!

P-I-C-N-I-C

Picnic's what that spells.

Flannel

Five Hungry Ants

Five hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine

One marched into the salad,

Then he marched into the cake,

He marched into the pepper...but that was a mistake!

Aaachoo!!!!

Four hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine

One marched into the salad,

Then he marched into the cake,

He marched into the pepper...but that was a mistake!

Aaachoo!!!!

Three hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine

One marched into the salad,

Then he marched into the cake,

He marched into the pepper...but that was a mistake!

Aaachoo!!!!

Two hungry ants marching in a line

They came upon a picnic where they could dine

One marched into the salad,

Then he marched into the cake,

He marched into the pepper...but that was a mistake!

Aaachoo!!!!

One hungry ants marching in a line

He came upon a picnic where he could dine

He marched into the salad,

Then he marched into the cake,

He marched into the pepper...but that was a mistake!

Aaachoo!!!!

Movement Song

The Ants Go Marching

Chant and Props

We're going on a picnic.  We're going to pack a lunch

What will we take to munch, munch, munch?

I'll have play food to pull out of a bag and add it to our picnic basket (starting with the giant sandwich and ending with watermelon)

For each item we'll chant:

We'll bring some __________, ______________, ________________

We'll bring some ___________ to munch, munch, munch

Parent Tip

Encouraging children to name objects helps children to develop their language skills, including vocabulary, articulation, and comprehension.  These skills are valuable when children begin reading.

Flannel

Sharing Watermelon
by Kathryn Roach

I have a big red watermelon
A juicy summer treat.
I want to share it with my friends
They'd like a slice to eat!

I'll share one,...
Now another,...
One more slice makes three.
Here's one more for my friend,
And that leaves one for me!

Animal Goodbyes 

(w/ stick puppets)

See ya later, Alligator!

Blow a kiss, Goldfish!

Give a hug, Ladybug!

Toodaloo, Kangaroo!

Bye-bye, Butterfly!

Take care, Polar Bear!

Picnic--Virtual Storytime

Since (most) publishers are ending their permission to read their books online, we are developing stoyrtimes to do online that do not include books.  They are a little tricker to do.  We are still hoping publishers will extend their permissions.

Welcome Song

Storytime ABC's

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs and puppets too

Storytime is the pace for you!

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me!

Now I've sung my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me?

Guess What I Brought

This is an animal.

It lives on a farm.

They can be black, white, spotted, or even pink!

It says "oink!"

A pig!

Song

Old MacDonald had a Farm

Flannel Board

Five Little Pigs

Five little pigs rolled in the mud

Oh, my goodness! They need a scrub!

The farmer took one piggy out

"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

(move one dirty pig from mud puddle, turn piece over so pig is clean)

Count 1 clean pig--how many are dirty?  4 

Four little pigs rolled in the mud

Oh, my goodness! They need a scrub!

The farmer took one piggy out

"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

Count clean and dirty pigs after each verse

Three little pigs rolled in the mud

Oh, my goodness! They need a scrub!

The farmer took one piggy out

"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

Two little pigs rolled in the mud

Oh, my goodness! They need a scrub!

The farmer took one piggy out

"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

One little pig rolled in the mud

Oh, my goodness! It need a scrub!

The farmer took that piggy out

"Oink, oink, oink!" that pig did shout.

The farmer turned his back and then...

Five little pigs rolled in the mud again!

Parent Tip

This flannel helps your child gain an understanding of FIVE.  There are always five pigs on the board, but the number of clean/dirty pigs changes which helps children understand the parts of five.  Understanding what five means will help your child be successful in school.

Movement Song

Roll Your Hands

(tune: Row, row, row your boat)

Roll, roll, roll your hands

As slow as slow can be

Roll, roll, roll your hands

Do it now with me!

Roll, roll, roll your hands

As fast as fast can be

Roll, roll, roll your hands

Do it now with me!

Repeat slow and fast with these actions:

Clap your hands

Stomp your feet

Fingerplay

Two mother pigs lived in a pen

Each had four babies and that made ten.

These four babies were black and white

These four babies were black as night

All eight babies loved to play

They rolled and rolled in the mud all day.

At night with their mother, the curled in a heap

And squealed and squealed til they went to sleep.

Letter Song

P-I-G-G-Y

(tune: Bingo)

There was a hungry little hog

And Piggy was her name-o

P-I-G-G-Y

P-I-G-G-Y

P-I-G-G-Y

And Piggy was her name-o!

Animal Goodbyes

(w/ stick puppets)

See ya later, Alligator!

Blow a kiss, Goldfish!

Give a hug, Ladybug!

Toodaloo, Kangaroo!

Bye-bye, Butterfly!

Gotta get busy, Little Piggies!

Wild Thing--Virtual Storytime

Welcome Song

Storytime ABC's

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs and puppets too

Storytime is the pace for you!

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me!

Now I've sung my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me?

Guess What I Brought

This is an animal.

It is green.

It lives in shallow water or a swamp.

It has sharp teeth and sharp claws.

Alligator!

Book

Who Has This Tail?

Written by Laura Hulbert & illustrated by Erik Brooks

Published by Henry Holt and Company, read with permission

Parent Tip

Books that allow your child to draw on their background knowledge and use critical thinking skills helps them build connections in their brains which help with learning

Movement Song

Are You Sleeping?

(with animals from the book)

Are you sleeping? 

Are you sleeping?

Little horse, 

Little horse?

{pause}

Wake up little horse!

Wake up little horse!

Gallop, gallop, gallop!

Gallop, gallop, gallop!

Monkey--"ohh, ohh!"

Snake--slither

Alligator--chomp!

Book

Snip, Snap! What's That?

Written by Mara Bergman; illustrations by Nick Maland

Published by Greenwillow Books, read with permission

Animal Goodbyes 

(w/ stick puppets)

See ya later, Alligator!

Blow a kiss, Goldfish!

Give a hug, Ladybug!

Toodaloo, Kangaroo!

Bye-bye, Butterfly!

Take care, Polar Bear!

Bears--Virtual Storytime

I finally get to do storytime again--kind of.  The Early Learning Librarians get to be filmed and our shortened (~15 minute) storytime will be put our our library's Facebook page and storyitmes without books will additionally be put on our YouTube channel.

Welcome Song

Storytime ABC's

Welcome, welcome everyone

We're together let's have some fun

Stories, songs and puppets too

Storytime is the pace for you!

Do you know your ABCs?

Come along and sing with me!

Now I've sung my ABCs

Next time won't you sing with me?

Guess What I Brought

This is an animal.

It is a wild animal--you couldn't have one for a pet

This animal catches fish to eat with their strong jaws and claws.

This animal lives where there is a lot of snow and ice.

POLAR BEAR!

Book

If You Were a Panda Bear

by Wendell and Florence Minor

Published by Katherine Tegen Books; read with permission

Parent Tip

Sharing informational books with your child helps children to understand that books can help us learn about new things.

Fingerplay

Two Little Black Bears

Two little black bears sitting on a hill

One named Jack and the other named Jill

Run away Jack! Run away Jill!

Come back Jack! Come back Jill!

Two little black bears digging in the snow

One named Fast and the other named Slow

Run away Fast! Run away Slow!

Come back Fast! Come back Slow!

Two little black bears looking at a cloud

One named Quiet and the other named Loud

Run away Quiet! Run away Loud!

Come back Quiet! Come back Loud!

Movement

Panda bear, panda bear turn around

Panda bear, panda bear touch the ground

Panda bear, panda bear danced on your toes

Panda bear, panda bear touch your nose

Panda bear, panda bear reach up high

Panda bear, panda bear touch the sky

Panda bear, panda bear bend down low

Panda bear, panda bear touch your toe

Panda bear, panda bear jump up now

Panda bear, panda bear take a bow

Panda bear, panda bear stomp your feet

Panda bear, panda bear take a seat

Book

Big Bear, Small Mouse

by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

Published by Margaret McElderry Books; read with permission

Animal Goodbyes 

(w/ stick puppets)

See ya later, Alligator!

Blow a kiss, Goldfish!

Give a hug, Ladybug!

Toodaloo, Kangaroo!

Bye-bye, Butterfly!

Take care, Polar Bear!

Sensory Play: Messy Learning and Fun

A colleague and I created a STARS class (for child care providers and parents) all about Sensory/Messy Learning.  It was A LOT of work, but so, so much fun!!  We mostly focused on touch, sight and smell but also addressed taste and sound. 

Books Display about the five senses and messy play

including:  Edward Gets Messy; The Power of Play; Loose Parts

We had a nice turn out for our program.  We had an hour long powerpoint presentation about the WHY and the HOW of messy play; then participates got to experience stations with messy play!

Shaving Cream!

Dough

Ratio: 6 Baking Soda to 1 hair conditioner 

Clean Mud

TP, shredded Ivory bar soap, and warm water

(ratios: 1 to 1 to 1)

Goop

Ratio 1 Cornstarch to 1/2 water

Water Beads

Beans

Packing Peanuts

Shredded Paper

Fun/Random items on Contact Paper

Also:

Cloud Dough (Ratio: 1 baby oil to 8 flour)

Another fun silky smoothly dough (Ratio: 1 Palmolive or Dawn Dish Soap to 2 Cornstarch) 

Sand

We did run into a few problems was concerns with state regulations in regards to using "food items" as "play items"--beans, rice, flour; and soap that can go rancid.  From our own research we didn't find anything that strict--just not things like painting with pudding, playing with cooked spaghetti (ready to eat items).  So we encouraged them to talk to their coaches about specifics.

We will probably be doing this class again in 2019.

Screen Time

Did you know that in October the American Academy of Pediatrics announced newrecommendations for children’s media use?  For young children the recommendations have not changed significant:

• For children younger than 18 months, avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. Parents of children 18 to 24 months of age who want to introduce digital media should choose high-quality programming, and watch it with their children to help them understand what they're seeing.
• For children ages 2 to 5 years, limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programs. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.

Recently I attended a half-day workshop taught by Stacey B. Landberg about screen time and children.  One of my “take aways” was to meet parents where they are.  Instead of emphasizing the AAP’s recommendations of little to no screen time, try instead to focus on encouraging parents to increase other activities and offering other “nudges” that increase interaction between parent/caregiver and child. 

Some examples:

• Low Tech (or No Tech) Tuesday
• Media Free Meal/Screen-free snacks
• Digital Free Dinners
• Screen-Free Sundays
• Media Free Morning
• No screen after 7pm
• Tech-free home zones
• Outside play twice a day
• Book sharing before bed
• TV-free kids’ rooms
• Interacting with our voices and eyes
• Putting an end to background TV
• Pretend play twice a day
• Daily Development Activities (e.g. Vroom)
• Replacing sedentary screen time with physical screen time (yoga videos, Go Noodle)

Kindergarten Kickoff

The district hosted Kindergarten Kickoff events at all of our libraries!  This was to encourage early registration, share kindergarten prep with parents, and to give the children who will be entering kindergarten some hands-on activities to do that help foster skills children need to be successful.

Our kickoffs were built around the book, The Kissing Hand (by Audrey Penn) and focused on the six early learning domains:  Language, Social-Emotional, Literacy, Physical, Math, and Cognitive, plus Science.  Most of the activities involved several of the domains.

Raccoon Puppet

Raccoon Dot-to-Dot

Nocturnal Animal Sort

Shape Raccoon

Heart Relay
(using a spoon pick up a heart, carry it to the bucket on the other side of room while walking along a masking tape line)

Information we had available for parents and families

Our partners at Accelerate Success offered these five keys for parents to help get their child ready for Kindergarten.  Health (immunizations, dental), Play, Learn, Talk, and Register.