JST4U--Kitchen Chemistry

This afternoon was Bellevue Public Library's special event just for kids entering 5th-8th grades--JST4U (Just   For You).  This summer the YA librarian and I were totally out of our minds and had "Kitchen Chemistry"...in our large meeting room that has no kitchen.  It was a sticky, gooey, chaotic and extremely fun MESS!!!  We planned on about 25 kids coming...we had over 50!!

I'll admit some of the activities didn't go over quite as I planned, but Gordon reminds me that the kids had a blast so that's what really matters!

Here is what we did:

• Homemade Root Beer

We got the root beer extract from Hy-vee and the dry ice from Arctic Glacier

• Homemade Puffy Paint  (but I think this one sounds easier...should have searched longer before deciding on the first recipe!)

•  Jell-o Worms

• Edible Slime (that no one really ate...but they could have eaten!)  We used sugar water (1 part sugar to 2 parts water) and also a teaspoon of flavoring extracts

• Elephant Toothpaste (sorry no pictures of that)
• We also watched episodes of "Dexter's Lab" and ate cookies and popcorn

Click on the links above for the recipes we used!  A huge thank you to all our tween and families who came and to our friends who helped us set up and clean up!!

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!!