Today begins our first of many (virtual) trips to the zoo! Our library mascot, Buzz, and I went to the Henry Doorly Zoo recently and had a great time visiting the various animals and taking pictures! I will be sharing Buzz's photos throughout the school year as we focus on different animals and attractions at the Zoo!
Here are the photos I shared from Buzz's photo album:
This is Andrea, a zoo employee, who walked along with us at the zoo. She also drove us around in a golf cart! Whew! Those hills are hard to climb!
Books:
Bouncing Time by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
~ Do you sometimes have trouble getting your child to "sit still for stories"? Well, then this book is just for you! You and your child can BOUNCE! during this story, as the title suggests, but there are also many animals you can imitate throughout the book! Can you stretch your neck like a giraffe? Slither like a snake? This is definitely NOT a book for couch potatoes!
Zoo Borns!: Zoo Babies From Around the World by Andrew Bleiman and Chris Eastland
Children's nonfiction books are usually overlooked when planning storytimes. Often the text is too wordy and the concepts are too complex for children this age. And sometimes the photos are just too small to be enjoyed in a group setting. I will be including more nonfiction this year whenever I find a book that I feel will enhance the storytime experience. Zoo Borns is a great book to use with Story Walking! The photos are large and clear, just right for Storytime. I like to show the children the photos - sometimes not even all the photos - and hold a conversation with them about what they are seeing. Children love chiming in with their own story of seeing a tiger at the zoo...with very LARGE teeth, or watching the penguins dip and dive through the water. These are great opportunities to enhance your child's vocabulary by following up on their comments.
For example:
(child): "I saw penguins in the water."
(adult) "You saw penguins in the water? What do you think the water felt like? Was it warm like your bath?"
(child) "No, there was lots of snow around them, so I think it is cold."
(adult): "You are right! The water is icy cool. Brrrr!"
Songs:
Good Morning!
(tune: "Frere Jacques")
Good morning! (echo)
How are you? (echo)
I'm so glad to see you! (echo)
Wesley is too! (echo)
If You're Ready For a Story
(tune: "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
Clap your hands and stomp your feet,
Make your hands all nice and neat.
If you're ready for a story, take a seat.
Let's All Go to the Zoo Tomorrow
(words adapted slightly from "Mommy's Taking Us to the Zoo Tomorrow" by Raffi)
Let's all go to the zoo tomorrow,
Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow.
Let's all go to the zoo tomorrow,
And we can stay all day!
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
How about you, you, you?
You can come too, too, too!
We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo!
Playtime Activities:
Puppets:
Since we had so much fun playing with them last week, I thought I'd bring them out again...and they go great with our Zoo theme!
Books about zoos and zoo animals:
Animal Go Fish:
Animal Concentration:
Turn over two cards at a time to see if they match. If they do, you get another turn! If not, you turn them back over and let your partner have a try!
Zoo Flannel Story:
It's great, creative fun to use flannel pieces to tell your own story about a trip to the zoo!
Here are some photos from today's event!:
Next week's Toddler Storytime theme: New Books!
I plan to devote the first Toddler Storytime of each month to sharing some of my favorite new books that have recently been added to the library's collection.
Library News: We have a very busy October planned. I hope one or more of the events will be of interest to you and your family!
October 1st is Runza's Great Books for Great Kids Day! Fifteen percent of the revenue from the Galvin Road location will be given to the library to purchase children's books! We are so thankful to be a beneficiary of this annual fundraiser!
Our October Momaha Storytime will be held on Thursday, October 3 at 7 PM. The theme will be apples! For those who can stay, we will be making applesauce at the conclusion of storytime! Yum!!!
Pajama Storytime will be held on Tuesday, October 8 at 7 PM in the Children's area.
Our next "Zoo"-themed storytime will be on Wednesday, October 16. I showed the children and adults a few photos so that they could guess what our next zoo theme will be. Can you guess too??:
Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support one or more of the five early literacy practices identified as essential in helping your child develop the skills they need before they can learn to read. The five practices – singing, talking, reading, playing and writing –were developed for Every Child Ready to Read®, an initiative of the Association for Library Services for Children (ALSC) and the Public Library Association (PLA).
Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.
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