Burnham Bunch: Valentine's Day

Hearts a Plenty

Read: Big Hugs, Little Hugs by Felicia Bond and Guess Who? By Lola Schaefer

Flannel Board: Little Red Valentine! Inspired by Storytime ABC's

Craft: "I think you are tweet" ... a  birdy Valentine

• Need: Craft paper in various Valentiney colors: purple, pink and red. Glue sticks. And a white paper for the base. Sticker eye and heart stickers (optional).
• Prior to storytime, cut out seven different size hearts: 1 large - body, 2 medium - wing and tail-feather, 1 smaller - head-feather, 2 smallest - beak and feet (we used a heart sticker for the beak). Using Microsoft Word, I made a text-box saying "I Think You Are Tweet."
• I also drew two legs onto a piece of white construction paper. This will be the foundation to "build" their bird.

My birdy's legs

• I told the kiddos that their are a lot of steps, so they have to use their "listening" ears!
• As the kiddos constructed their bird, I asked them to find the largest heart ... it is __________ (the color) this is the body,  next find the __________(color) heart, this will make our wing .... etc. You get the picture.
• After they completed the bird, they glued their Valentine saying onto their card and then signed their name.
• And this is our finished product.

Burnham Bunch: Groundhog's Day

More winter?????

So, it is already Groundhog Day and we have had snow maybe three times!! I am not sure if I wish our dear friend Punxsutawney Phil to see his shadow or not? Every year I try to incorporate Groundhog Day into our storytime. It is often difficult, because there aren't any books geared toward the preschool crowd. I usually make it a winter/spring/sun type of theme and it usually works out. This year I found a flannel board story on Pinterest from Miss Sarah at her storytime blog Read It Again! She, too, has noticed the scarcity of appropriate books .... so she made up her own story. Thanks for the inspiration Miss Sarah. I shall be "borrowing" your great idea!

Flannel Board: Groundhog's Shadow: Inspired by Miss Sarah at Read It Again!

Craft: Pop-up Groundhog

• Need: Paper plate, glue sticks, brown and green crayons, popsicle stick and cut out one of each: groundhog, sun and cloud. And cut a hole in the middle of the plate for the Popsicle stick to be inserted.
• Have child colorthe groundhog brown.
• Then have them glue groundhog to Popsicle stick, then the sun and cloud to the back of the plate (I put to X marks where they should be glued)
• Then color the plate green or brown -- many chose both colors.
• Have the children fold the plate at the line (also marked this with ---- lines).
• Carefully insert groundhog's stick into pre-cut hole.
• Have parent staple closed. And..... that is about it!

January Drop-in Storytime

Beat the Winter Blahs is a Bust!

Well, January Drop-in storytime was a bust! I only had two children for one of the sessions. So, I have learned my lesson. Next year I will take off from storytime. I haven't been lounging around! I have been super busy planning our programming for a new annual statewide event: Take Your Child to the Library Day.

Graphic designed by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

What is Take Your Child To the Library Day? Well, Nadine Lipman, a children's librarian in Waterford, Connecticut, came up with the idea for Take Your Child to the Library Day and selected the first Saturday in February as the annual day of celebration. The idea gained popularity immediately, and librarians started planning special events, programs, and displays. With the support of The Connecticut Library Association and The Connecticut Library Consortium, Take Your Child To the Library Day will celebrate libraries, books, reading and families. There are currently 120 libraries in 12 states and 1 Canadian province …. and the list keeps growing. The Burnham Library will be celebrating by hosting a Family Fun Day! A day for families to join together and enjoy all that the library has to offer. Have fun!

We have decided to go low-key and low-cost. We really just wanted to promote all the library has to offer. We'll have some "fun stations" set up with board games and puzzles, coloring books, bookmark craft ... and of course our Thomas the Train table. The Friends of the Burnham Library will be providing refreshments: hot coffee and muffins for the parents, donut holes and apple juice for the kiddos. There will also be a Family Scavenger Hunt and a bunch of raffle prizes. Should be a blast ... hope it is a success!

Merry Christmas

Burnham Bunch will resume in February! For the month of January we will be hosting a Winter Blahs at Burnham drop-in storytime. I am not expecting many attendees? But, I may post a picture or two along the way. Until then wishing you a .....

and a Happy New Year!

Burnham Bunch: Santa and his Reindeer

Reindeer

Read: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Lucille Colandro and Christmas Eve Good Night by Doug Cushman

  

Flannel board: Using There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell! hand-out story pieces and have kiddos put on our Old Lady during prompts.

Craft: Reindeer Food

• Need: Oats, gold glitter, and different color sprinkles, clear bags, labels, and stapler.
• Using the Avery postcard template, I designed and printed a bag topper.
• I set up different stations:Station #1 = Oats, Station #2 = Gold Glitter, Station #3 Red Glitter, Station #3 Bag Stapling Station.
• At each station, the children will measure the right amount into their bags and move on to the next. 
• When then have completed all their stations, they returned to their seat and applied a few stickers.
• And that is about it!

Merry Christmas to all! And to the reindeer, good flight!

Burnham Bunch: Let it snow?

Let it snow?

Now that it is time that we would expect some snow, we haven't had a flake! (well we had a "dusting" but that doesn't count!) It is SUPER cold so we are going to go ahead and make some snowmen!!

Read: Snow Happy! by Patricia Hubbell and The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming

Flannel Board: Using The First Day of Winter as the book progresses children will place items during prompts.

Craft: Snowmen inspired by Evenings & Weekends

• Need: Cotton rounds (cosmetic wipes), glue, bits and bops to decorate the snowman, and craft paper.
• I am not even going to give directions, because a picture says a thousand words:

Love the jaunty belt and hat!

Burnham Bunch: Christmas

Christmas Star

Read: Suzy Goose and the Christmas Star by Petr Horacek and 10 Trim-the-Tree'ers by Janet Schulman.

Feltboard: Using 10 Trim-the-tree'ers.

Craft: Winter Snowflake/Christmas Star Ornament

• Need: Popsicle sticks, glitter, white glue and jewels.
• Prior to storytime, hot glue 3 popsicle sticks into a snowflake/star shape.
• Hoping to keep this project relatively neat. I set up glitter stations: 1 red, green, gold. At each station, I placed a tray with a piece of copy paper and a cup of glitter. 
• At each child's craft seat, I set a plate with one of the ornaments. I asked each child to "paint" their ornament with white glue.
• After that step was completed, the kiddos proceeded to the glitter station of their choice.
• With the help of their parent/care-giver, they sprinkled the glitter onto their ornament.
• Then carefully place the ornament back onto the plate to dry.
• When completely dry, I will hot-glue a sting/yarn to the back as a hanger.

I had to include this. Seriously! How precious is this? *sigh*