Mud and Bubbles

Over the summer Mrs. B and I do storytime together...so I will not be posting full storytimes because I did not plan them.  But you can see what we did at Mrs. B's blog.

However, here are two things I wanted to share about this week's storytime about getting dirty!!

Before I read my book I had to tell a little (TRUE) story about mud...and me.
When I was 3 or 4 years old I lived out on 3 acres.  My sister and I loved to play outside and mud was one of our favorites!  One day I went to play in the mud.  I discovered that when I put my feet in the mud I'd make the coolest sound when I pulled them up..."shooloop!"  Then I got the brilliant idea that if I left my feet in longer it would make a louder sound!  Well, needless to say I was stuck!  I thought I would never get out!  It wasn't long (at least that what my mother says) before my mom came to my rescue.  She lifted me up out of the mud, but my little red boots were still stuck!  So I know all about being "Stuck in the Mud"!!

After we got all dirty we needed to clean up...with this song about bubbles!

1 little, 2 little, 3 little bubbles

4 little, 5, little, 6 little bubbles

7 little, 8 little, 9 little bubbles

10 little bubbles go pop, pop, pop!

Pop, pop, pop those bubbles

Pop, pop, pop those bubbles

Pop, pop, pop those bubbles

10 little bubbles go pop, pop, pop!

We gave each parent/caregiver a mini-bottle of bubbles to blow while we sang this song.  We learned from our first day to save this activity to the end!!

Park and Read--Golden Hills

This is Bellevue Public Library's 2nd year getting out to the community by visiting local parks and doing a "brown bag" storytime--families bring a picnic blanket and a meal and we read stories and give out prizes!  Our first one this summer was held at Golden Hills Park.  We had a good turn out on this cool summer day.

Mrs. B reading aloud

Books we read...

Next Park and Read will be Wednesday, 

June 12 at Two Springs Park from 6-7 PM

I Dig Getting Dirty!

Stop by the DIY table behind the Children's computers this week for these activities to explore "getting dirty"!

• Start with a Seed Art

• "Dirt" Play dough

• Unscramble the words to find the "ingredients" of soil
• Mole Maze

Make your own dirt play dough by following this recipe from Heidi's Recipes.  It is super soft!!

Dirt Play Dough Recipe

2 1/2 cups flour (plus more for kneading)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups salt

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

3 cups water

3 tablespoons oil

1. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and cream of tartar in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan.
2. Add water and oil.
3. Stir constantly over medium heat.  The mixture will be soupy for several minutes and then suddenly it will stick together and can be stirred into a ball.
4. When mixture thickens and forms a rough ball, remove from the heat and continue stirring.
5. Turn the hot ball of dough onto a floured surface, and begin kneading as it cools.  Add extra flour if mixture is too sticky.  Continue kneading until flour is incorporated and dough is no longer sticky.
6. Enjoy dirt dough with plastic flowers, flower pots, small construction vehicles, plastic farm animals, rollers, cutters, and other tools.
7. Store at room temperature in a large zip-lock bag or other air tight container.

Kickoff Event!

Wildlife Encounters!

Tonight we had an awesome turn out for our Summer Reading Program Kickoff Event!  Kip from Wildlife Encounters brought 7 animals that love to dig...which fits perfectly with our theme this year "Dig Into Reading".

First up a red tegu...

Next we saw a hedgehog!

Next up was the fennec fox from Africa...

Two volunteers were needed for the next creature...a tarantula!!

The next volunteer  Kip needed had a much easier, and less terrifying job, feeding  the 3rd largest rodent in the world, a Patagonian Cavy.

Next up...it's NOT a snake, but a legless lizard!

And last, but not least...a red kangaroo!

A very special "Thank You" to Kip and Wildlife Encounters for an awesome program!!

Do-It-Yourself Table

This summer we will have different activities every week at the Do-It-Yourself table!!  Activities will connect with our "theme" for the week.  (New activities begin each Monday throughout the summer reading program!)

This week:  Dig Into Reading!

• Underground Times Newspaper
• I Dig... poster

• Giant Mr. Potato Head

Be sure to stop by each week for new activities!

June 2-9  I Dig Getting Dirty!

June 10-18  I Dig Gardening!

June 19-23  I Dig Hidden Treasures!

June 24-30  I Dig Big Machines!

July 1-7  I Dig Underground Animals!

July 8-14  I Dig Dinosaurs!

July 15-21 I Dig the Earth!

Summer Reading Starts Today!

Bellevue Public Library's Summer Reading Program begins today!!  Children birth-Pre-K can sign up for our Early Literacy Program.

Students entering Kindergarten through 6th grade can sign up for our reading program.

Students entering 7th - 12th grades can register for our Young Adult Reading program.

Stop by the library to register to read and earn prizes!!

Dig Into Reading

Summer Reading Program at the 

Bellevue Public Library

May 28 - July 19

Join us as we unearth great books and activities throughout the summer for children birth through entering 6th grade!!

• Reading Club--Earn prizes for every FIVE days you read 20 minutes or more
• Wildlife Encounters Kickoff!
• Family Storytimes
• Legos every Tuesday from 10-11 (Each time you attend you name is put in for a drawing for Lego Books!)
• Baby & Me Storytimes (for babies birth - 24 months and their parent/cargiver)
• Reading Rocks Storytimes (for children ages 2-5 with their parent/caregiver)
• Crafts
• Stuffed Animal Sleepover
• Lego Extravaganza
• Park and Read (meet us at local parks for storytimes!)
• Pirate Party
• Fontenelle Forest Presentation
• Touch-a-Truck

Stop the library or visit our website for all the details!!