Summer Bunch: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!

I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!

Read: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont and Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Craft: Watercolor painting

I traced the little tot's face from I Aint Gonna Paint No More! and copied onto copy paper. One copy per little artist. Their concentration could be felt in the room!! Ha! They were so cute....

Summer Bunch: Safari

Going on a Safari!

Read: Way Far Away on a Wild Safari by Jan Peck

Activity: Animal Safari Scavenger Hunt.

I was inspired to try this idea by a blog I found via Pinterest. (If you do not know about Pinterest, beware! It is awesome and it will take over your life!!) Anyway, this blogger is a party planner and her ideas are so cool. She actually inspired us to be super-creative for our Multi-Cultural Food Fest that we had last week (check out our pics here). Check her out at apartystyle.com.

Anywho, she used blow-up animals. Due to budgetary constraints, I had to go low-rent. I had some photos a patron had given us and cut and labeled each photo. I posted the pictures around the Children's Library (and maybe one or two outside if the weather is nice). As a team, parent and child(ren) was given a check-list (see pictures). After they completed their task, each child was given baggie of animal cracker cookies!!!

That is it... One more week of Summer Bunch!! Now I am off to Maine with my bestie for the weekend! Woot Hoot!

Summer Bunch: Ocean

Oceans and Beach

Read: The Beach Ball by David Steinberg and Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae

Craft: Jellyfish inspired by scrapbooksetc.com

Jellyfish by scrapbooketc.com

• Need: Paper bowls, eyeball stickers, various colored ribbons tied in a "pony-tail" (I used gift-wrap curly ribbon), various colors tissue paper, white glue and sponge brushes.
• Prior to storytime, have your wonderful summer assistant tie strips of curly ribbon into "pony-tails." One ribbon-tail per child.
• Layout bowl, sponge brush, largish pieces of tissue paper and sticker eyes at each craft seat.
• Have kiddos "paint" the bowl with white glue. Then they can place the tissue paper on top of the glue and smooth down. Then stick on the eyes.
• When children have completed the tasks, securely tape the ribbon-tails to the inside of the bowl.
• Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Summer Bunch: Llama, Llama

Llama, Llama

 

Read: Llama, Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney and Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino.

 

Craft: L is for Llama from Ms. Hegna's Story Room

• My fabulous summer assistant copied and cut-out the llama pieces provided by Ms. Hegna's Story Room.
• Prior to storytime, we set out one piece of construction paper and a set of llama pieces at each craft seat. (oh, and one sticker eyeball) We also set a pile of tan yarn in the middle of each craft table. I also wrote L is for Llama on each of the pieces of construction paper.
• We instructed the children to glue the various pieces together in order to create a llama.
• Then they glued bits of yarn to the llama.
• That is about it! Thanks to Ms. Hegna's Story Room for the great idea!

 

Llama

 

 

I loved how most of the children thought the Llama's ear was his neck! Hehe

 

Summer Bunch: Boats, Ahoy!

Boats, Ahoy!

Read: Busy Boats by Tony Mitton and Ant Parker and Tugga-Tugga Tugboat by Kevin Lewis

Craft: Cruise Ship
Busy Boats discusses all types of boats -- Ships, row boats, sail boats, tug boats and etc. After we finished both books, we discussed the different types of boats, particularly cruise ships. We discussed some of the items you would find on a cruise ship: pool, food, life vest, anchor, and the Captain.

• I enlarged and copied a cruise ship picture found in the One World, Many Stories programming guide.
• Using Google images, I searched and printed clip art of a pool, food, life vest, anchor and Captain. And had my wonderful summer volunteer cut them out.
• After our discussion, I asked the children to color their ships and then glue on their clip art.
• And that is it! Really easy, but when you have a "big" crowd -- I was anticipating 13 children, but only 9 showed -- the easy crafts usually become as complicated as the more intricate/messy ones!

Summer Bunch: Go, Baby! Go!

Go, Baby! Go!

Read: The Bridge is Up! by Babs Bell and Red Truck by Kersten Hamilton

Storyboard: Blue Car, Blue Car, What Do You See?
I created flannel board figures using a pattern that I copied out of our summer manual One World, Many Stories. I had a volunteer color enough cars, trucks, boats, planes and etc, for our group. At storytime, I handed each child two of the vehicles and as we chanted ... continuing with verses for red boat, brown train, pink bike and etc ... each child was able to add their vehicle to the board.

Craft: Map Painting

• Need: Map, paint, various Match Box type cars or trucks (monster trucks work best), paper plates
• Prior to storytime, color-print a US map on copy paper. One map per child. Place various cars on a plate in the center of each craft table. Also, set a plate for paint at each craft seat.
• Tell the children that today, rather than using a paintbrush to paint, they are going to use their cars.
• Show them how the car "drives" through the paint "puddle." Now the car is ready to travel across country!
• Place one color at a time on the plate. You only need about a quarter-size dollop.
• Tell the children that when they are finished. The cars are going to go through the car wash and get all sparkling clean. (Car-washing done by my fabulous summer volunteer Kathleen!!)

Summer Reading 2011

One World, Many Stories

Our Summer Reading Program is in full swing here at the library. Our Kick-off was a success!! Lots of children, parents, songs, laughter and cake (of course). We offer fun activities, SPECIAL Family programs and the popular Summer Reading Club.

The Summer Reading Club is designed for children age two through entering Grade 8. When a child joins The Summer Reading Club, they receive a reading-log Passport. Children then read to earn raffle tickets for a chance to win a variety of raffle prizes from our Duty Free Prize Bazaar! We have some great prizes this year!!

We also have some great programs going on! We are super-excited to have received a summer grant from The Connecticut Community Foundation. This grant has enabled us to host a few Family friendly programs: The Garden of Beats, Riverside Reptiles, Multi-Cultural Food Fest and Burnham's Amazing Race, as well as a henna program for Grades 5-8 and Morning Music Party for the preschool-set.

So, we are going to super-busy! But we LOVE it!