STEAM Themed Thursday

We started a new weekly afterschool program.  The three youth librarians take turns planning and running the program each week.  Because of special programs and schedules I finally got to do my first event on Oct 17.

Ramps and Rollercoasters

We had a nice turn out and the kids (an any adults with them) had a great time!

Fall and Pumpkins Storytime

Books

Mystery Vine

by Cathryn Farwell

In the Middle of Fall

by Kevin Henkes

Pumpkin Trouble

by Jan Thomas

Flannel/Magnet Board

Fall Riddles

Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

Songs/Fingerplays

Hello, Hello

Pumpkins on the Ground

Scarecrow, Scarecrow

I've Changed My Mind

Jim Gill

My Hands Say Goodbye

Open Ended Art

Small sticks, leaves, pinecones, craft sticks, yarn

Paper, glue, scissors

Open Ended Science

Magnifying Glasses

Leaves, sticks, rocks, pine cones, berries

Nature Storytime: Spiders

Hello, Hello

Basic Facts about Spiders

Spiders 

by Gail Gibbons 

(pages 5-7, 30-31)

Book

Aaaarrgghh! Spider! 

by Lydia Monks

There's a Spider on the Floor

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor

Who could ask for any more than a spider on the floor

There's a spider on the floor, on the floor,

Additional verses:

How could it be so? There's a spider on my toe!

Oh, how could it be? There's a spider on my knee!

Oh it really isn't funny! There's a spider on my tummy!

Oh, it doesn't mean any harm, this spider on my arm!

Oh, what a big disgrace! There's a spider on my face!

Oh, I wish I was in bed! There's a spider on my head!

Who could ask for any more, than a spider on the floor!

Parent Tip

Rhyming words in the song

Facts about Webs

Gibbon's book Spiders, pages 16-21

Book

Walter's Wonderful Web

by Tim Hopgood

Fingerplay: The Spider Spins a Web  

Tune: The Farmer in the Dell 

 

The spider spins a web. The spider spins a web. 

(make a spider w/ your hand & wiggle fingers like spider legs) 
Round, round, up and down, the spider spins a web. 

(roll hands around each other then put hands up and down) 

 

Additional Verses: 

She spins it back and forth… (move hands from side to side) 

She spins it good and strong… (show off arm muscles) 

Facts about Spider Body Parts

Gibbon's book Spiders, pages 10-11

Book

Frank the Seven Legged Spider

by Michaele Razi

Action Song

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

Plus additional verses:

         Big fat hairy spider

         Quick speedy spider

         Really slow spider

Nature Storytime: Tracks

Hello, Hello

Introduction

Nature Detectives--even if we can't see the animal we can determine it was there by other ways such as tracks, scat, fur and feathers, claw marks, nest or burrows.  We can also listen for animal sounds.

Listen to the sounds from a few local animals (app)

Book

Raven, Rabbit, Deer

by Sue Farrell Holler; illustrated by Jennifer Faria

Movement

Move Like an Animal

Birdie's Playhouse

Book

Looking for a Moose

by Phyllis Root; illustrated by Randy Cecil

Flannel

A Hunting We Will Go

Book

Step by Step

by Loreen Leedy

My Hands Say Goodbye

Play and Learn

Animal Footprints in Snow

The animal figurines my coworker found have distinct and accurate footprints--white playdough for the snow

Chalk Stencils of life-size tracks

Measuring

With non-standard measurements (turkey track, fox track, and own foot)

Rubbings of tracks

Tracks Coloring Booklet