Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, September 24 and Thursday, September 26, 2013.

Puppet Greeter: Hugger Bear

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

Songs:

Let's Shout Hooray!
(tune: "Old MacDonald")

At Storytime we have (child's name) today.
We're so glad, let's shout hooray!


These Little Fingers
(tune:"The Wheels on the Bus")

These little fingers go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
These little fingers go wiggle, wiggle, wiggle,
And now they're on my...head!

There are endless possibilities when singing this song with your wee one!  For example:

Your fingers can go pat, tickle, rub, clap, wave, tap...
on your baby's feet, back, head, tummy, knees, cheeks...



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!



You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine,
My only sunshine.
You make me happy
When skies are gray.
You'll never know, Dear,
How much I love you.
Please don't take
My sunshine away!




Activities:

Good Morning, Toes!

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

This is a great wake-up song to enjoy with your baby as they are first getting diapered and changed in the morning!  Your baby will love the rhyming words and the wonderful beat of this chant.
Enjoy introducing your young one to different body parts, such as knees, hips, ribs, shoulders, chin, etc.



POPCORN!

Pop! Pop! Pop!
Pour the corn into the pot!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Take and shake it 'till it's hot!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Lift the lid, what have you got?
Pop! Pop! Popcorn!


Our activity this week was Bean Bags!
We enjoyed holding them, stacking them up and knocking them down, putting them on our head, our tummies and our legs, we listened for the sound they make, and we were told about their colors and shapes!
 
Every Child Ready to Read® recommends this type of play with your child!  Even though your young one is too little to toss bean bags onto a target or send it sailing across the room, the sensory experience of holds and squeezing the bean bags, listening to the shaking sound they make, and hearing a loved one talk about each bean bag's color and shape are all wonderful ways to interact with your child!


On Thursday we welcomed our new friend, Grayce!  We hope you and Mommy had a fun time and will join us again soon!

Our next Baby and Me Storytime will be on October 1st and 3rd!

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).

Friends!

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Wednesday, September 18, 2013.

Books:
My Friend and I by Lisa Jahn-Clough

A Friend Like You by Tanja Askani

(For this book I used story walking instead of reading the entire book.  Story walking is ideal when your child is too wiggly to sit through an entire book, or the text is just too long for them.  Story walking allows you to go through the book at a pace that you and your young one like, skipping some pictures or text, pausing to enjoy an eye-catching illustration, talking about what you think might be happening, or what might happen next.  This book has many photos of real-life "friendships" between unusual pairings of animals.)


Songs:

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!)


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.


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!


Playtime Activities:

Puppets:

Puppet play encourages children to make up stories about the various animals, talk about what each animal eats, where they live, what sounds they make, etc. It also helps sparks their imagination. 

Today the children also had the choice to play with my mouse puppet, inspired by the book Lunch by Denise Fleming.  This is a fun way to engage your child in exploring colors, as well as talking about their food preferences and where each food is grown (a tree, a bush, above the ground, below the ground, etc. )





Flannel Stories:

"Community Helpers"

Playing with flannels such as these can encourage children to use and develop their narrative skills.  Invite your child to talk to you about the various people and occupations.  Does she know someone who is a mechanic or a chef?  What kinds of things do they do in their work?  Why do some people wear special clothes?  Holding conversations with your child is a valuable experience that encourages them to use their imagination and their story-telling skills.

"Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed"  This favorite of many children exposes them to some of the individual sounds that make up words.  As we chant, we hear, "Five li-ttle mon-keys..."  This is also a fun counting game!



Here are photos from today's storytime:

Next week's theme: The Zoo!
Click here to learn more about this theme which will weave its way in and out of Toddler Storytime over the next 7 months!



We had a huge turnout today (49!) for our first Toddler Storytime of the school year.  I hope everyone was able to see and hear and that their children were engaged and entertained.  If these attendance numbers hold steady over the next few weeks I may look into offering a second Toddler Storytime each week.  If you think you might prefer another day/time, with a smaller class size, please feel free to leave me a message below or email me at alice.boeckman@bellevue.net.  I welcome your thoughts and input!  Please be as detailed as possible in letting me know what days/times also work for you!

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.



Baby & Me Storytime

Presented at Bellevue Public Library on Tuesday, September 17 and Thursday, September 19, 2013.

Puppet Greeter:

 
Book:
Wild Animals by DK Publishing

Songs:

Let's Shout Hooray!
(tune: "Old MacDonald")
(Underlines indicate the stressed beats of the song)

At Storytime we have (child's name) today.
We're so glad let's shout Hooray!

This is a fun song for getting to know our Storytime friends!  Each parents or caregiver introduces him/herself and their little one(s), then we sing this song, inserting the name of the child.



Where Is Baby?
(tune: "Frere Jacques")

Where is Baby?  Where is Baby?
(cover child's face with a blanket or scarf)

There you are!  There you are!
(pull cover away)

I'm so glad to see you!  I'm so glad to see you!
(lots of smiles!)

Peek-a-boo!  Peek-a-boo!
(cover and uncover child's face again!)

You can also substitute your child's name for the word "Baby".



Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
(tune: unknown)

Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Clap your hands together.

Ideas for additional verses:
Pat your knees...
Wave hello...
Rub your tummy...
Peek-a-boo... (Peek, peek, peek-a-boo! Peek-a-boo together...")
Tap your feet...


You Are My Sunshine

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away!


Activities:


I Have a Little Heart

I have a little heart and it goes thump, thump, thump.
(put hands over chest and make "beating" motion)

It keep right on beating when I jump, jump, jump!
(raise child into the air on each "jump")

I get a special feeling when I look at you!
(point to eyes)

It makes me want to give you a kiss or two!
(give child a kiss or blow a kiss)


Dance Your Fingers Up

Dance your fingers up,
Dance your fingers down.
Dance your fingers to the side,
Dance them all around.

Dance them on your shoulders,
Dance them on your head.
Dance them on your tummy,
Now let's put them all to bed.


Today's play activity was puppets!
Every Child Ready to Read® recommends including an abundance of play in your child's day!  Puppets are just one of many ways to play with your little one.  Babies also respond to playing peek-a-boo, holding toys and rattles, listening to Mommy and Daddy make silly voices while holding a favorite stuffed animal, saying silly rhymes, tickling, etc.  You can make your own inexpensive puppets at home!  Here is a post on how to make your own puppets!

Here are some photos from Tuesday's session:

Library News:

On Tuesday we welcomed back "old" friends Brilyn (and big brother Jayen), Grace, Leah, Samantha (and big brother Jacob), and Hannah
and welcomed new friends Aly and Clara!
We also sang to Samantha who celebrated her birthday recently!

On Thursday we welcomed back Carolyn, Sadie and Braden.  We also got to meet new friends Ellis, Aiden and Asher!

Our next Baby and Me Storytime will be on September 24 & 26!

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).

Welcome Back to Toddler Storytime!

Monday, September 16, 2013.

After a nice hiatus in which Tammy and I were able to relax, regroup, and reorganize, it is now time to resume weekly storytimes at the library!
I know Tammy has some wonderful, and NEW, things in store for the Preschoolers, while I will be shaking things up a bit with the Toddlers, who will meet on Wednesdays at 9:15 AM.  I am hoping the switch from Tuesday to Wednesday morning will mean more toddlers and their parents/caregivers can join us for Storytime!

So...what's new?!

Well, for starters, our storytime routine will change slightly.  Along with sharing books, songs, puppets, rhymes, and act-outs, I will be incorporating a short time for creative play toward the end of each session.  These play times will further encourage and reinforce the 5 essential elements of the Every Child Ready to Read Program, (which means lots of talking, singing, reading, writing and playing!)

Also, along with seasonal themes such as Thanksgiving, Spring, Valentine's Day, etc., I will be setting aside the first storytime of each month for sharing new books that have recently been added to the library's collection.  I look forward to showcasing some great new books - especially those that may not fit nicely into a theme.

Finally, throughout the school year I will be including quite a few storytimes whose theme has to do with the zoo.  This came about after I made a trip to the Henry Doorly Zoo with our library mascot, Buzz!  Here is a photo I took of Buzz as we arrived at the Zoo:

He was sooo excited to be at the Zoo!  We took lots of pictures as we walked around the zoo (and sometimes we rode in a golf cart with our zoo worker friend, Andrea!)

So, be watching for more pictures of Buzz in coming weeks, as I highlight storytime themes such as "Bears", "Zoo Workers", "Sea Creatures", "Butterflies" and more!


I hope to see you soon at the library!
                                   ~Mrs. B. and ...

                                                                               Wesley the Turtle

And the winners are...

Congratulations to Lisa Dame and Amy Marsh Cunningham, who will each receive 2 tickets to Knuffle Bunny, currently playing at The Rose Theater!

Please call me this morning (402-293-3158) or email me (alice.boeckman@bellevue.net) so that we can get the tickets to you!

Enjoy the show!!
  ~Mrs. B.

Tree Planting at Haworth Park

Those of us who love to read books - especially the paper kind - are very thankful for the trees that provide the paper.  Trees also give us shade, a place to climb and play, and protection and homes for animals and birds.  All this in addition to purifying the air and adding beauty to our lives!

 

The children's department supports the efforts of Green Bellevue, and is pleased to be involved in a special event scheduled for later this month.

Members of Green Bellevue and staff from the Nebraska Forest Service will be planting 250 new trees in Haworth Park on September 25th and 26th.  The event will begin both days with a 12:30PM presentation on how to plant trees.

Family Activities:  
Anyone who would like to help plant a tree or two is asked to bring a shovel, dirt rake, and work gloves.  There is also an opportunity for a family to adopt a tree!  Please respond to this post, or email me (alice.boeckman@bellevue.net) if you are interested in these events or have questions.

 

I will be at the park both days to hand out freebies and

other prizes to children who attend!

 

 

Book Display:
At the library you will find a special display of children's books about trees!  I hope you will stop by and check out a few for your family to enjoy!

Our book display features a few pictures of Haworth Park taken before 2011, during and following the flood of 2011, and at its reopening earlier this summer.

 

 

I hope to see you at Haworth Park on either September 25th or 26th at 12:30 PM!

   ~ Mrs. B.



Ticket Blitz!

Here is your chance to win 2 tickets to The Rose Theater's current production of Knufflebunny!

This play is an adaptation of the popular book by Mo Willems.  The tickets are valid for one of the following shows:

Friday, September 13^th at 7pm

Saturday, September 14^th at 2pm and 5pm

Friday, September 20^th at 7pm

Saturday, September 21^st at 2pm and 5pm
Sunday, September 22^nd at 2pm.

 

Two winners of 2 tickets will be drawn this Thursday, Sept. 12.  Winners will be announced on Facebook and on my blog at 9:00AM on Thurs.

 

To be entered in the drawing:

Find the post on my blog in which I mention this guy by name:
                                                                         

Leave a comment at the end of that post, including your first and last name, and you will be entered!

You can also get a second chance at the drawing by visiting the library's Facebook page and leaving a comment under the picture of Knufflebunny! 

Please: 1 entry/site/household.

Good luck!!

  ~ Mrs. B.