Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Winter Happenings

School's out... for winter! The library has a ton of FREE activities planned all across the system. Check out the brochure by clicking on the cover to see what will be happening at your library. There's gift making, movies, crafts and SANTA!

http://jaxpubliclibrary.org/schoolbreakresources/

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Sensory Storytime- Snow

Sensory storytime is for children with Sensory Integration Issues, Autism Spectrum Disorders or other developmental delays, their friends and families.
 
The program includes fine/gross motor activities, songs, fingerplays and stories.
A predictable, visual schedule guides our sessions.  

 
The program is open to all ages, but is geared towards a preschool interest level. 
 
This week our theme was Snow. 
 
 
Carpet squares are already in a circle and children are welcomed into the room and invited to sit on one of the squares, with their parents close to them.
I introduce myself and go over storytime rules. They are simple! 
1. Participate
2. If anyone gets too rowdy, they are welcome to go to the calming corner (where there is a calming caddy; a small caddy filled with fidgets, stress balls and other manipulatives) and come back to the circle once they are settled.
3. A little movement around the room is ok, but if the child gets too close to any materials that are being used, please bring them back to their square.
 
The visual schedule is already on a flannelboard. I go over the activities we are going to do today, pointing at each card as I talk.There is a lot of repetition between programs.
 
This week's theme is snow and as there is very little snow in Florida, when introducing the theme, I ask if anyone has ever been in the snow. We talk about what it looks like, what it feels like and that we will use our imagination to pretend it is snowing.
 
 
 
Time to sing! We go around the room and welcome everyone by singing to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell:
___________ is here today,
 ___________ is here today,
Everybody wave hello
'Cause __________ is here today.
 
Then we sing "Open, Shut Them"  Click on the link to see how to do it at home.
Open, shut them
Open shut them,
Open shut them,
Give a little clap clap clap!
Open shut them,
Open shut them,
Put them in your lap, lap, lap!
Creep them, crawl them,
Creep them, crawl them,
Right up to your chin, chin, chin!
Open wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in!  
 
Falling, falling, falling, falling
Almost to the ground, ground, ground
Slowly pick them up again
and turn them ‘round and ‘round, ‘round, ‘round
Faster, faster, faster, faster,
faster, fasterClap, clap, clap
Slower, slower, slower, slower
Put them in your lap, lap, lap
 
 
 

 
We read:

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

We read this book twice. The first time, children were just to listen.
The second time, we did all of Peter's actions.
I coached children as necessary to make the appropriate movements.
 
  
I gave each child 2 pieces of paper and talked about how it doesn't really snow in Florida so we have to use our imaginations and pretend.
As we sang the song, we crumpled our paper and made snow.
Make a Snowball
(tune: Frere Jacques)
Make a snowball, make a snowball,
Throw it now, throw it now,
Make yourself a snowball,
make yourself a snowball,
Throw it now, throw it now. 



This is actually a Flannelboard song.
5 Little Snowmen
5 little snowmen riding on a sled,
1 fell off and bumped his head.
Mamma called Frosty and Frosty said,
"No more snowmen riding on a sled!"
...4, 3, 2, 1....
(found at: http://lisaslibraryland.blogspot.com/2013/01/flannel-friday-five-little-polar-bears.html)





We read: 
 
Snow by Uri Shulevitz
Before I read this book, I gave each child a bag filled with packing peanuts and Christmas scatter. We explored what it looked like when we shook it and talked about what snow actually feels and looks like.
 
Children were instructed to shake their bags and make it "snow" when the boy in the book says "Its snowing!"
 

Once the story is over, have children put their bags away to take home after storytime. 
 


I give a scarf to each child and they make a "bird" with the scarf and we sing: 
There's a bird in the air
(tune: There's a spider on the floor)
There's a bird in the air, in the air
There's a bird in the air, in the air
There's a bird in the air, now he's flying in my hair!
There's a bird in the air, in the air.

There's a bird on my leg, on my leg.
There's a bird on my leg, on my leg.
There's a bird on my leg and he's getting pretty big,
There's a bird on my leg, on my leg.

There's a bird on my hand, on my hand.
There's a bird on my hand, on my hand.
There's a bird on my hand, but look, he's my friend!
There's a bird on my hand, on my hand.

We then use our scarves to do:
Peek-a-boo, I see you- I see you in the morning
Peek-a-boo, I see you- I see you in the afternoon
Peek-a-boo, I see you- I see you in the evening.



Our opening and closing songs, our scarf song and this rhyme/ fingerplay are the same across all storytimes.

Two Little Blackbirds
Two little blackbirds, sitting on a hill,
One named Jack, and one named Jill.
Fly away Jack, fly away Jill.
Come back Jack, and come back Jill.

 
Tickle the Clouds
Tickle the clouds, 
Tickle your toes
Turn around and tickle your nose
Reach down low
And reach up high
Storytime's over- wave good-bye!
 


As a parting activity, I hand out bubbles and play a song and allow children to blow bubbles around the room.
 
It is important to give children an opportunity to play and parents an opportunity to socialize, so I open our play room; you could bring out toys.
 
I remind parents and children about the items I have given them and instructions on how to continue the activities at home.
 
My final words are to remind parents and children about our next storytime.

Winter animals storytime


Today's storytime is all about animals in winter; animals that like the cold weather and animals that sleep all winter.


Open Shut Them
Open shut them, Open shut them,
Give a little clap clap clap!
Open shut them, Open shut them,
Put them in your lap, lap, lap!
Creep them, crawl them,
Creep them, crawl them,
Right up to your chin, chin, chin!
Open wide your little mouth,
But do not let them in!

Falling, falling, falling, falling
Almost to the ground, ground, ground
Slowly pick them up again and turn them round and round, round, round.
Faster, faster, faster, faster,
Faster, faster, clap, clap, clap
Slower, slower, slower, slower,
Put them in your lap, lap, lap

Ten on the sled by Kim Norman
This is a really great book for this theme. It is to the "tune" of Ten on the Bed and has all kinds of winter animals throughout with the Caribou "singing" the chorus.

Something in the snow
There’s something in the snow,
 now what can it be?
There’s something in the snow
that I can’t really see.
Hear its funny sound…Ah-ooooo!
A wolf is what I found! Ah-ooooooo!
...Grrr, Grrr, Grr/ polar bear
...Arrrf, Arrrf, Arrrf/ seal
Whoo, Whoo, Whoo/ snowy owl
…waddle, waddle/ penguin








For this activity, I used made the sounds of the animals and then showed the children pictures of the animals and we made the sound again, all together.



Bear Snores on by Karma Wilson
I am a big fan of Karma Wilson, and especially her Bear books. For this one, I used puppets and retold a story, very loosely based on the book. 

Where is Bear?
(echo song to tune of: Where Is Thumbkin)
Where is bear?
Where is bear?
Here I am.
Here I am.
How are you this winter?
How are you this winter?
Very tired, thank you.
Very tired, thank you.
Go to sleep.
Go to sleep.
…box turtle
…hedgehog

Egg Shaker Song- If you’re happy and you know it
If you’re happy and you know it, give a shake
If you’re happy and you know it, give a shake.
If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.
If you’re happy and you know it, give a shake.
tap your knees
…touch your toes
…beep your nose
… do all four


Hibernation Station by Michelle Meadows


Hibernation Song
(Tune: Wheels on the Bus)
The bears in the cave sleep all the time, sleep all the time,
Sleep all the time.
The bears in the cave sleep all the time, winter’s coming soon!
…squirrels in the trees get lots of nuts
…frogs and toads go deep in mud
…ducks and the geese go flying south
…people in the town wear hats and gloves

Two little penguins

Two little penguins sitting on the ice (hold up two fingers)
One bows once, the other bows twice (made index fingers bow)
Waddle little penguins. Waddle away. (put fingers behind back)
Come back penguins. Time to play! (bring fingers to the front)



Polar bear
Polar bear, polar bear, turn around
Polar bear, polar bear, touch the ground
Polar bear, polar bear, reach up high
Polar bear, polar bear, touch the sky
Polar bear, polar bear, bend down low
Polar bear, polar bear, touch your toes
Polar bear, polar bear, slap your knees
Polar bear, polar bear, sit down please

Goodbye Song
(tune: She’ll be coming around the mountain)
Now it's time to say goodbye to all our friends, "Goodbye!"
Now it's time to say goodbye to all our friends, "Goodbye!"
Now it's time to say goodbye,
Wave your hands,
Wink your eye,
Now it's time to say goodbye to all our friends, "Goodbye!"


More winter animal books to use/ check out:
 Baker, K. No two alike
Berkes, M. Over in the arctic
Denslow, S. In the snow
Dodd, E. I am small
Gershator, P. When it starts to snow
Judge, L. Red Sled
Messner, K. Over and under the snow
Na, Il. Snow rabbit, spring rabbit
Wolff, A. Baby Bear counts one
Yolen, J. Sleep, black bear, sleep

Monday, December 2, 2013

Traveling Tales


Have you heard about Traveling Tales?
They are:

A unique collection of thematic storytime programs. Each Traveling Tales kit contains a children’s program you check out and take home.

Traveling Tales kits encourage reading readiness and language skills for children ages two through five.

We’ve made it easy for you by collecting books, puppets, songs, craft ideas, snack recipes, a music CD, a DVD, and a flannel board story all related to a theme.

You can borrow up to three kits for three weeks and return them to any Jacksonville library. Kits can be renewed one time.

Traveling Tales can be placed on hold via the library catalog or by contacting the Main Library Children’s Department to request a theme. Click here to place a hold on an available kit.



It is a storytime you can take home!

There are currently 76 themes to choose from: 


Sunday, December 1, 2013

December Calendar


So much is happening at your library this month! Hope to see you soon.