Giving Thanks

This storytime was presented at Welcome School on Friday, November 22, 2013.


Books:

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette

 

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman

 

Song:

I Am Thankful
(Tune: "London bridge")

For my friends and family,
Family, family.
For my friends and family,
I am thankful!

For our teachers here at school,
Here at school, here at school.
For our teachers here at school,
I am thankful!

I encouraged the children and teachers to use this simple tune to create their own thanksgiving songs.  The possibilities are endless!

How about:
For the pets we love so much...
For my grandpas and grandmas...
For our house that's nice and warm...
For my friends who like to play...


Before I returned to the Bellevue Public Library, the children taught me a wonderful song about being thankful!  It goes like this:

Thank you for the world so sweet.
Thank you for the food we eat.
Thank you for the birds that sing.
Thank you God for everything!


I would like to add my thanks for everyone who makes Welcome School such an outstanding school.  I certainly look forward to my monthly visits and I always leave there feeling more energized, loved, and affirmed than when I walked in. 

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  ~ Mrs. B.

“There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all.”

- Jacqueline Kennedy

                     

Each Outreach 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).

Baby & Me Storytime

These Baby & Me Storytimes were presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, November 19 and Thursday, November 21, 2013.

Book:
My Turn to Learn: Numbers by Natalie Marshall

I love this new series of board books!  The format, size, and layout are great for little hands.  They also seem to be quite sturdy!  Others in this "My Turn to Learn" series are "Colors", "Opposites" and "Shapes".

Songs:

My Little Baby Is
(tune: "Someone's in the Kitchen With Dinah")

My little baby is ____________ (child's name)
Cutest little baby I know-o-o-o.
My little baby is _____________ (child's name)
And I love him/her so!


Clap Your Hands
(tune: "This Old Man")

Clap your hands,
One, two, three!
Play a clapping game with me!
Now your hands have gone away.
Bring them back so we can play!
(last time: “We’ll play this game another day!”)


Activities:

Everybody Knows I Love My Toes
(by Barbara Allyn, copyright SOCAN) 

Everybody knows I love my toes.
Everybody knows I love my toes.
I love my noggin', my knees,
my neck and my nose,
And everybody knows I love my toes!

Everybody knows I love my eyes.
Everybody knows I love my eyes.
I love my legs, my lips,
my neck and my nose,
And everybody knows I love my toes!

Everybody knows I love my feet.
Everybody knows I love my feet.
I love my skin, my chin,
my neck and my nose,
And everybody knows I love my toes!




Good Morning, Friends!

Good morning, friends!
Good morning, friends!
And how are you today?
I trust you had a good night's sleep,
And now you're ready to play!

We used this chant for our introductions this week.  After chanting, "Good morning, friends", we went around the circle, repeating the chant for each child, inserting their name in place of the word "friends".

Popcorn!

Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Pour the corn into the pot.
(rub palms of hands together briskly)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Take and shake it 'til it's hot.
(rub palms of hands together)
Pop! Pop! Pop!
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
Lift the lid. What have you got?
(rub palms of hands together)
Pop... pop... pop...
(clap in rhythm each time you say "pop")
POPCORN!(raise arms or lift baby gently into the air!)

Our playtime activity this week was Bean Bags!  These are such versatile toys!  The ones we use come in a variety of shapes and colors, with a different upper and lower case letter printed on each one.  They are fun to hold, light weight, easy to throw, and - unless you are raising the next Nolan Ryan - a thrown bean bag will not cause injury!  Some of our Thursday children enjoyed putting bean bags on my feet, then standing back as I kicked it into the air!  Others liked stacking the bean bags and others were content to toss them around or play with the empty bean bag box!

Here are some photos from Tuesday:


(Coming soon!)







And here are some pictures and a video from Thursday's group:

Library News:
A reminder that we will NOT have any morning Storytimes next week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.  The only remaining events for November are Legos on Saturday, November 23 from 1-2 PM and Papa Bear & Me Storytime on Tuesday, November 26 at 7 PM.

I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  ~ Mrs. B.

Thank You!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, November 20, 2013


Books:

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes, illustrated by Doris Barrette

Lunch by Denise Fleming

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.



Activities:

Turkey puppet:

Turkey Flannelboard:

Lunch Puppet and Props:

Thanksgiving Placemats:
(Those who wanted to could have their placemat laminated after Storytime.)

 
I think the children and adults had fun playing with our various activities today.  The projects gave parents lots of opportunities to converse with their child.  I heard multiple conversations between children and adults about turkeys, food, and what things they are thankful for.

I wish all our library patrons (and especially our Storytime families) a wonderful Thanksgiving!

  ~ Mrs. B.

Turkeys!

These outreach storytimes were presented at Golden Hills Head Start classes on Monday, November 18 and Wednesday, November 20, 2013.

Books:
Turkeys by Hollie Endres

Albuquerque Turkey adapted by B.G. Ford, illustrated by Lucinda McQueen

Song:

Everybody Say Hello
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello,
Say hello, say hello.
Everybody say hello,
Hello Wesley!

This is the song I always sing to let my puppet friend, Wesley, know that it's time for Storytime!  The children seem pick up the tune and the words very quickly!  Here is a recent photo of Wesley, for those of you who have not yet met him:

Silly Dance Contest
written by Jim Gill

Dance any way you want to,
Dance any way you please.
Dance any way you want to,
But stop when I say, "Freeze!"

(The possibilities for additional verses are endless!)
Jump as high as you want to...
Dance as silly as you want to...
Spin as fast as you want to...
Dance as slowly as you want to...
Dance as fast as you want to...

Click here to see a video of Jim Gill performing this song with his audience!


I enjoyed seeing all the bright, smiling faces at Miss Jenny's and Miss Amy's classrooms this week!  They are great listeners, great singers and terrific dancers!
I look forward to visiting their classroom again next month!
  ~ Mrs. B.

Each Outreach 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).

Pajama Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, November 12, 2013.

Books:

Bedtime in the Jungle by John Butler

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd (David Milgrim)

I'm Not Sleepy by Jane Chapman

Each Pajama 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).

Our next Pajama Storytime will be on Tuesday, Dec. 10th at 7 PM!