Baby & Me Storytime: 10/23/17-10/26/17

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on October 23, 24 & 26, 2017.

Book:
Where is Baby's Yummy Tummy? by Karen Katz

Songs:

Hello, Friends!

(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

We're glad you came today!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are. 

Here We Go Up, Up, Up!
(tune: "Here We Go Looby Loo")

Here we go up, up, up!
Here we go down, down, down!
Here we go up, up, up!
Here we go down, down, down!

Here we go side to side,
Here we go side to side!
Here we go side to side,
Here we go side to side!

Here we go 'round and 'round,
Here we go 'round and 'round!
Here we go 'round and 'round,
Here we go 'round and 'round!


Peek-a-Boo!
(tune: "Frere Jacques")

Peek-a-boo! (echo)
I see you! (echo)
I see your button nose,
I see your tiny toes,
Peek-a-boo! (echo)

Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!

Rhymes:

I Have a Little Heart      

I have a little heart
And it goes thump, thump, thump.
It keeps right on beating
When I jump, jump, jump!
I get a special feeling
When I look at you.
It makes me want to give you
A kiss or two!


It's Raining!

It's raining!  It's raining!
How the wind does blow!
Raindrops falling from the sky.
Oops!  One landed on my...nose!


Have fun with your little one by continuing this rhyme, choosing other parts of her body where a raindrop might land and unexpectedly tickling her! Raindrops might land on Baby's neck, toes, ears, back, tummy, knee, etc.

Our activity this week was Bean Bags!
Beanbags are fun for exploring colors and shapes.  They can also be used to cover areas of Baby's body, helping Baby to learn the names of body parts.  If the room is quiet enough, Baby can even hear the rather unique sound of the beans rustling around inside the bags.  Some youngsters and parents enjoy trying to balance one or more on their heads or stuffing them under their shirt or sweater!  There are so many ways to play with beanbags!

Each Baby & Me 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).

Preschool Storytime: Let's Pretend!

This Preschool Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on  October 25 & 26, 2017.

Each Preschool Storytime includes activities that support all or most 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).

Reading:

If I Were a Jungle Animal by Tom and Amanda Ellery

"Hi, Pizza Man!" by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

I Wish I Was a Rabbit
(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

I wish I was a rabbit, a rabbit, a rabbit.
I wish I was a rabbit, 'cause rabbits can hop!

They hop and hop and hop and hop!
I wish I was a rabbit 'cause rabbits can hop!

Additional verses:
I wish I was a fish... 'cause fish can swim!
...a snake...'cause snakes can slither!
...a bird...'cause birds can fly!




Clap Your Hands, 1,2,3
(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!”)

Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us today?

Talking/Playing:

Our green box was filled to the brim with some of our top-shelf puppets, the nicer ones that are kept for use during Storytimes.  Here are just a few of the puppets available to the children and adults for engaging in imaginative play:

It was fun to sit nearby and listen to the wonderful exchanges between parent and child.  I overheard conversations about what a particular animal might eat, whether or not two of the chosen animals would live in the same place (an early introduction to BIOMES!), and observations about the animals' coverings, such as feathers, skin, scales, etc.  Interactions such as these help to build a child's "database" of knowledge, paving the way for more in-depth observations as the child grows!

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Toddler Storytime: Let's Pretend!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on October 25, 2017.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all or most 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).

Reading:

Milo is Not a Dog Today by Kerstin Schoene, illustrated by Nina Gunetsreiner

Hi, Pizza Man! by Virginia Walter, illustrated by Ponder Goembel

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

I Wish I Was a Rabbit
(tune: "Did You Ever See a Lassie?")

I wish I was a rabbit, a rabbit, a rabbit.
I wish I was a rabbit, 'cause rabbits can hop!

They hop and hop and hop and hop!
I wish I was a rabbit 'cause rabbits can hop!

Additional verses:
I wish I was a fish... 'cause fish can swim!
...a snake...'cause snakes can slither!
...a bird...'cause birds can fly!


Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us to play?

Talking/Playing:

The green box this week was filled with a variety of our "nicer" Folkmanis puppets such as:
a peacock,

a turkey, 

a crocodile (or is it an alligator?), 

an octopus, 

...and many more.  Creative, imaginative play such as can be enjoyed with puppets is a great opportunity for youngsters to explore the world around them!  Children may be able to access information they have learned from a trip to the zoo, or from a book or movie...and often LOVE sharing that info with anyone who will listen!  Playing with other, less familiar, animals might help children gain new insights about the world.  Talking about the octopus having eight tentacles may lay the groundwork for a later conversation - perhaps several years down the road - during which the child might say, "Hey!  An octagon has eight sides!  Just like an octopus has eight tentacles!"

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

TWO-sday Friends Storytime: October 2017

This TWO-sday Friends Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on October 24, 2017.

Each TWO-sday Friends Storytime includes activities that support all or most 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).

Reading:

Say Zoop!  by Herve Tullet

(Nothing's quite as fun as having a friend named Oh!, a friend named Ah!, and a friend named Waahoo!)

My Friend and I by Lisa Jahn-Clough

Bird, Balloon, Bear by Il Sung Na

Singing:

The More We Get Together

The more we get together, together, together,

The more we get together, the happier we'll be!

'Cause your friends are my friends

And my friends are your friends.

The more we get together, the happier we'll be!

Playing/Talking/Writing:

Friendship Necklaces
Tonight's attendees had the chance to make a pair of necklaces or bracelets: one for themselves and one for a friend!  Here are a few photos from the activity:

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.

Baby & Me Storytime: 10/16/17-10/19/17

This Baby & Me Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on October 16, 17, & 19, 2017.

Book:
I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak, illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

Songs:

Hello, Friends!

(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

Hello friends.

We're glad you came today!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.

Ten Little Tootsie Toes
(tune: "One Little, Two Little...")

One little, two little, three little tootsies, 
Four little, five little,  six little tootsies,
Seven little, eight little, nine little tootsies,
Ten little tootsie toes!

You can shake things up a little bit by changing the word "toes" to "fingers"!
You might also try singing:
"...three little kisses (or tickles, bounces or hugs) ...ten kisses for my baby!"


We Wave Our Scarves Together
(tune: "The Bear Went Over the Mountain")

We wave our scarves together,
we wave our scarves together,
we wave our scarves to-ge--ther...
Because it's fun to do!

(chant)
We wave them up high!
We wave them down low!
We wave them in the middle...
(sing)
Because it's fun to do!

Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!

Rhymes:

As I Went Walking to Town One Day

(Underlined words and syllables represent the 
stressed beats in this rhyme.)

As I went walking to town one day,

Oh, it was a sunshiny day!

As I went walking to town one day,

I met a cow along the way!

And what do you think that cow did say?

Mooooo!

What other animals could you meet along the way? 

What sounds do they make?

Cuckoo Clock

Tick, tock, tick, tock,

I'm a li...ttle cu-ckoo clock.

Tick, tock, tick, tock,

Now I'm stri-king one o-clock.

Cu-ckoo!

Our activity this week was hand puppets!

Each Baby & Me 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).

Toddler Storytime: My Nose!

This Toddler Storytime was presented at Bellevue Public Library on October 18, 2017.

Each Toddler Storytime includes activities that support all or most 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).

Reading:

A Nose Like a Hose by Jenny Samuels

Whose Nose and Toes? by John Butler

Singing:

Hello, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Hello friends.
Hello friends.
Hello friends.
We're glad you came today!


Everybody Say Hello!
(tune: "London Bridge")

Everybody say hello, say hello, say hello,
Everybody say hello, hello Wesley!

(Wesley is my turtle puppet who pops out of my apron pocket whenever we sing this song.  Then he sits quietly on his rock and listens to the stories and sings along with us.  At the end of storytime he says goodbye to the children, gives them high fives, eats pretend food from their hands, blows kisses, and plays hide and seek!)

Goodbye, Friends!
(tune: "Goodnight Ladies")

Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
Goodbye friends.
We're glad you came today!

Put Your Finger On
(Here is a cute video of a little boy doing the actions to this song!  It may also help if you are not familiar with this song by Parachute Express.)

Put your finger on, put your finger on,
Put your finger on your...nose.
Put your finger on, put your finger on,
Put your finger on your...nose.

Turn around and clap, clap.
Turn around and clap, clap.
Turn around and clap, clap.
Turn around and clap, clap.


Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.
Eyes and ears and mouth and nose,
Head, shoulders, knees and toes,
knees and toes.

What's in the Green Box?
(tune: "Sally Wore a Red Dress")

What's in the green box,
The green box, the green box?
What's in the green box 
For us to play?

Talking/Playing:
I asked the Toddlers to use their NOSES instead of their eyes to discover what was in the green box this week!  Inside was cinnamon-spiced playdough, along with a variety of objects that could be used to make impressions, shape the dough, and even scrape it off the table.

Writing:
The green box also contained  a "Use Your Nose" activity sheet which encouraged toddlers and their adults to draw a line from the nose in the center of the page to any pictures that showed something that has a scent and can be smelled with our nose.

Every Child Ready to Read^® @ your library^®, PLA and ALSC logos are registered trademarks of the American Library Association and are used with permission.