Science Saturday: Candy Science

About every other month, I’ve been doing “Science Saturday,” a program for school-age kids. Each time we do a different theme–the first one was Spooky Science, as we did it in October. We did experiments like blowing up a white balloon with a ghost face using a solution of baking soda and vinegar, making magnetic slime, and a lava lamp. The most recent one I did was shortly after Valentine’s Day, so we did Candy Science using discounted Valentine’s Day candy. Here’s what we did!

Experiment 1: Skittles Rainbow

In this experiment, we explored density using Skittles. We dissolved a different number of each color Skittle into separate jars in the same amount of water, then determined which was the densest (the one with the most Skittles) and which was the least dense (least Skittles). We then used a syringe to carefully pour the liquid from densest to least dense into a new jar, creating layers resulting in a Skittles Rainbow.

What went well: This experiment was nice because it gave each of the kids a chance to help out with at least one aspect. I chose volunteers to help me count the Skittles into each jar, to put the jars in order of least dense to densest, and to squirt each color layer into the jar.

What I’d do different next time: There were a few kids on the younger end (around 7 years old?) who had a tricky time carefully transferring the liquid using a syringe, so our “rainbow” became somewhat murky. When I made the sample one earlier in the week, it turned out pretty cool, with distinct colors. I should have provided a sample so they could see the final result even if there’s didn’t turn out so great.

Experiment 2: Floating M’s

Did you know if you dissolve an M&M in water, the M will eventually float to the top? That’s because it’s made out of edible paper which is more buoyant than the water. Cool, huh?

What went well: Each person got to do their own personal experiment for this one, and since the candy took different amounts of time to dissolve, we could move on to the next experiment while keeping our eye on our M&Ms. When someone’s M floated to the top, we all gathered around to see. It also provided a good opportunity for a little math, as I asked the kids to keep track of how long it took their M to float to the top. In general, it took anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes.

What I’d do different next time: A few kids had less-than-successful results, due to choosing an M&M that didn’t have a full M on it. Next time, I would let the kids put more than one M&M in their cup so they had more chances of a successful experiment.

Experiment #3: Rock Candy

Using a base of sugar rolled onto sticks, we grew rock candy in a supersaturated sugar water solution colored with food coloring and flavored with different extracts for good measure. The crystals making up rock candy take several days to form, so I had the kids label their sticks and left the candy on a tray in my office to grow. After about a week, I called everyone to pick up their finished candy.

What went well: Ahead of time, I had made enough rock candy for every kid to have one while they worked. Seeing an example of the final product added to their excitement and enthusiasm.

What I’d do different next time: Not the end of the world, but next time I think I’d send them each home with their own jar to grow the rock candy at home. For one thing, it would be cool for them to be able to observe the subtle changes each day. And as I figured might happen, a few of the kids never came back to pick theirs up and it resulted in a bit of sticky clean-up for me.

Experiment #4: Dancing Hearts

For this experiment, we dropped Alka Seltzer tablets into water filled with conversation hearts, then watched as the hearts bobbed up and down as the gas bubbles pulled them to the surface and burst. It was pretty basic, but the kids marveled over the colored foam the hearts made and enjoyed adding more tablets to keep the reaction going.

Experiment #5: Lifesaver Lights

This experiment is super easy–all you need is some Wintergreen Lifesavers, a mirror, and a dark room! If you chew up the Lifesavers with your mouth open, you can observe little “sparks” of green light as electrons are ripped from the sugar molecules. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a very dark room and I didn’t think it would be appropriate to relocate to the restroom or a dark closet (ha!), but I sent the kids home with a handful of Lifesavers each and told them to try it on their own. A few kids came back after the fact and told me they had done it at home. They got a big kick out of it!

Last minute, I took the opportunity to make a mini book display, with science experiment books and extra instruction sheets for kids to take home. I was pleased that many people checked out books, which isn’t always the case. I put the rest of the instruction sheets out in the children’s area for anyone who wasn’t able to come but wanted to have some sciencey fun at home. Almost all the sheets were gone within the week!

I don’t consider myself to be a very big science person, so for awhile I was pretty hesitant to lead a program with the word “Science” in the title. But after attending a few STEM-themed presentations at library conferences and talking to some librarian friends, I gained the confidence to give it a try. One sentiment that stuck with me is that science is all about asking questions, and since kids are always asking questions they are natural scientists!

Another thing that I like to remind myself of is that putting on a science program doesn’t mean you have to be the expert. Prepare a few facts ahead of time–write yourself a script if you have to (I did!)–and let the kids deduce the rest. BONUS: If there is a question you don’t know the answer to… Boom! You’ve just found yourself in the perfect situation to demonstrate the use of library resources to figure it out. But in my experience, it’s hard to get a word in edgewise, as the kids are too busy being blown away by the awesome experiments and discoveries they are making.

These are a few of my favorite things…

I think I am on the naughty list this year, because I have been a very bad blogger… I guess I took a break after Summer Reading and just kind of never started back up again. I’m not going to make any grand statement by promising that I’ll post more regularly in the New Year, but I’m hoping to do a better job of working it into my 2016 routine. That being said, I’d like to round out the year 2015 by celebrating a few of my favorite (library and non-library) things.

For the record, I totally jacked this idea from the amazing Miss Meg, who posted about her Top 10 faves earlier this week. It struck me as a great way to reflect back on the year and I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I thought I’d make my own. Thanks for the inspiration, Meg!

So without further ado, here are my favorite things of the year.

10 Favorite Library Things

10. Finding my own rhythm

2015 was my first full year as a full-time Youth Services Librarian. I can’t quite put it into adequate words, but I feel like I’m finally starting to “come into my own” as a librarian. Now that I’m settled in, I feel empowered to assess the things I’ve been doing and make changes as needed. And *knock on wood,* but I feel like I’m finally starting to overcome the “imposter syndrome” that so many new (and seasoned) professionals experience. You know, that pesky bugger that whispers in your ear, “They can’t possibly be entrusting this whole department to YOU, can they? Soon enough they’re going to figure out you are not qualified…” Yeah, I think I’m doing a better job of squashing that little guy now.

9. Books!

Too hard to just pick one. Of the books I read this year, my faves were…

Picture books: The Book with No Pictures by B.J. Novak (surprise, surprise), Raindrops Roll by April Pulley Sayre, Sebastian and the Balloon by Philip C. Stead, and Toys Meet Snow by Emily Jenkins and Paul O. Zelinsky

Middle grade: Space Case by Stuart Gibbs, Roller Girl
by Victoria Jamieson, and Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

YA: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, Nimona by Noelle Stevenson, and Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

8. ALA-Midwinter Conference in Chicago

I love conferences. Not only did I get lots of new ideas and the chance to surround myself with like-minded people in the library profession, but I got to see Jason Segel and Levar Burton! WHAT?!

7. Science Saturday: Spooky Science

I started a new semi-regular program called Science Saturday (shout out to my super awesome library buddy, Alexandra Collins for this idea!). The first one was in October, so of course the theme was Spooky Science. I’m not a huge science geek, so I was a little intimidated to start this up, but with a little research and a lot of preparation it went off without a hitch! It was a blast and the kids were geeking out and exclaiming all sorts of excited things that made my heart swell. I wish I could share the pictures of their awed expressions, but these pics will have to do.

6. I found my Tween/Teen writing nerds!

Since meeting a couple of young aspiring writers at my very first Tween Book Club meeting last year, I have wanted to offer a writing workshop of some sort. I knew there would be at least two kids interested, but wasn’t really sure how to identify more. This fall, I brought in a local author to teach a three-part writing workshop for 5th-12th graders. It was a huge success! Take-away: the key is local celebs. 😉 After seeing how well that went over, I decided to take the plunge and start offering a monthly Tween/Teen writing club. The first meeting is in January, and I am so super stoked! This is something that I would have LOVED to be a part of when I was their age, so I can’t wait to try out all sorts of fun writing exercises with them and just generally give them a space to share what they are working on and get feedback from peers.

5. Cleaning out the Storage Closet

This might sound ridiculous, but tackling the giant mess of a storage closet was a big goal of mine this year and it felt SO GOOD. My library is pretty small, so we  use just about every inch of space we have. Organizing that closet took the majority of my 8-hour shift, but it was so worth it! (Cue my husband asking me why I can’t get this excited about being organized at home…)

Empty

So organized!

Contents of the closet

4. First Summer Library Program under my belt

Although I experienced a Summer Library Program in my first post-grad school job, this was the first one I completely planned and executed on my own. I did some fun stuff (see slide show below), kept some stuff the same, and made some changes–the most prominent one being moving away from physical incentives to a charitable-giving model. Read more about it in this blog post if you’re interested.

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3. Saying YES to things

Things I’ve said “yes” to this year:

• Being the Communications Chair for the Friends of the CCBC
• Presenting at local organization meetings, like Kiwanis and Rotary
• Pulling a question out of a hat and answering it in front of my peers at a Guerrilla Storytime session (If you haven’t participated in a Guerrilla Storytime yet, I highly recommend it! It’s a great way to pick up new ideas, share your own ideas, and feel supported by fellow children’s librarians)
• Being interviewed on CWTV about the role libraries play in building Early Literacy and Kindergarten Readiness skills. That’s right, I’m gonna be FAMOUS! Well, local/library-famous at least. 😉 I’m so glad my friend Holly of Let the Wild Rumpus Start agreed to do it with me!
• Being the official “feedback giver” for the local 4H club’s Communication Arts Festival next month
• Helping start up a Storytime Underground Local Chapter for the Madison, WI area with some library pals–yay, Holly and Mary! If you’re in the area, look for more information about this soon.

OK, so I’m kind of a yes-man. If asked to do something or presented an opportunity, I rarely say no. But that doesn’t mean I’m super comfortable doing All The Things. It can be overwhelming, uncomfortable, and sometimes just plain scary. This year, I’ve tried to be strategic about what I say yes to, but it’s still something I’m working on. Which brings me to #2…

2. Saying NO to things

This is hard for a yes-man to do, but I’m working on it. I recently had a big win in this area, and it felt so good that I’m considering running around and shouting “NO!” at the top of my lungs like a toddler who just learned the word. Alright, I guess I won’t go quite that far. I guess what I’m getting at is that saying no is good sometimes, even if it’s hard.

1. Bringing Tween Book Club back to life

When I started my current job about a year and a half ago, there was already a pretty well-established Tween Book Club in place with 4 or 5 very loyal attendees (which is pretty darn good for a book club that’s not for adults). It quickly became one of my favorite programs to plan and run. However, when the school year came to an end I realized something horrible: Next year, my Tween Book Club kids were all graduating to 7th grade, which meant they were going to be… TEENS. *gasp!* When September came back around and no one showed up to book club, I was a pretty sad librarian. So I reached out to the middle school librarian and asked if I could arrange to visit the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes to promote book club. The next week, I talked up the program to 10 different groups and suddenly there was a waitlist for the next month’s book! The next book club meeting brought six new members to the table, and the month after that? NINE KIDDOS showed up! I successfully saved the beloved Tween Book Club from fizzling out, and for that I feel very happy indeed.

 

10 Favorite Non-Library Things

10. Binge-watching Star Wars *for the first time*

This was me up until like a month ago. It took me several tries, as I kept falling asleep (not because it was boring. It was like the music and sound effects were a strange lullaby to me), but I did it! AndNoIHaveNotWatchedTheNewOneSoDon’tRuinItForMe.

9. Chicago with my love

Chicago was another first for me. What’s even better is I got to travel by train! As mentioned above, I went there for the ALA-MW conference, but happily my hubby got to join me, so we did the whole tourist thing too. By “tourist thing” I mostly mean we ate deep-dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches, watched the Super Bowl at a bar, and saw ourselves reflected in “The Bean.” We happened to be there when a giant snowstorm hit, so we didn’t get to go to any museums or the aquarium like we had hoped, but now we have something to look forward to next time!

8. Craft brews with good crews

The Midwest is a great place to be if you’re into craft beer. The husband and I have decided that instead of displaying china like real grown-ups, we’re going to collect and display tasting glasses and growlers from brewery tours. This year, we hit up more breweries than I can count–both within and outside the Midwest–and we’ve just barely scratched the surface. Whether we’re with friends and family or just the two of us, tasting amazing beer is always a good time.

7. Discovering the joys of audiobooks and podcasts

For awhile there, I’d kind of gotten into a bit of a reading rut. I didn’t have the attention span to sit down with a book and just dive in like I used to. It worried me. What if I could never get back into it? Isn’t reading kind of a *requirement* to being a librarian? And then I discovered the joys of “reading with my ears,” as the great librarian and audiobook expert Sharon Grover puts it. Now I can read while in the shower, while walking the dog (something I’m happy to say I’ve done a whole lot more of this year!), while driving to and from work, while doing the dishes… I would talk your ear off about reading with your ears, but then you’d… have no… ears to listen with, so…

Favorite podcasts:

• Note to Self
• Let’s Get Busy
• The Longest Shortest Time (sadly currently on hiatus)
• NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour
• The Yarn
• The Moth Radio Hour
• TED Radio Hour
• On the Media

Books I read with my ears this year:

• The Madman of Piney Woods by Christopher Paul Curtis
• The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
• Beastly by Alex Flinn
• If I Stay by Gayle Forman
• Yes Please by Amy Poehler
• Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger
• Paper Towns by John Green
• All American Boys by Jason Reynolds (currently reading)

6. Crafting and discovering new ways of making

I’ve always enjoyed making stuff. Painting, drawing, writing, crocheting, you name it. But this year, I came to the conclusion that making stuff is one of the things that makes me happiest. Among other things, I attended my first Paint Nite after being invited by the mom of one of my TAB members, made a rustic-chic wall-hanging after being inspired by metal cut-outs of the states I love, and took a needle felting class which may be the beginning of an unhealthy wool obsession.

5. California trip with friends

This summer we visited our friends Jon and Amanda in California (yes, I took a vacation during Summer Library Program. No, the library didn’t explode.). Our friends Gabe and Leann came, too. We crammed as much fun into those couple days as we could: Lots of wineries, breweries, amazing food, sea kayaking, and we were even on The Price is Right! Sadly, none of us were asked to “Come on down,” but it was still a crazy cool experience.

4. We bought a boat!

We are currently renting a house on a lake, and after experiencing one summer on the lake without being able to actually get out on the lake, we decided to “take the plunge” (pun very much intended) and buy a boat. Best decision ever! We spent every chance we could get out on the water–floating, boating, and drinking gin gimlets all summer long with the dog, friends, and family. Also, due to the persistence of my husband and brother-in-law, I finally got up on skis for only the second time in my life. Whoop, whoop! Can’t wait for another fun summer in the sun.

3. My sister Angela is cancer-free

My sister beat her breast cancer and just completed her reconstructive surgery yesterday! She had such an amazing positive attitude throughout the entire process and always maintained her goofy sense of humor. Love you, Angel!

2. Negative Huntington’s diagnosis for my siblings and me

Last November, we learned that both my uncle and my mom have Huntington’s Disease (HD), a genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It affects things like mood, movement, and memory. HD has been called a mix of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and ALS and as of now there is no cure. In short, it sucks. The good news that we received this year, though, is that my siblings and me (who each had a 50/50 chance of having the Huntingtin gene) all received Negative test results, which means we are HD free and cannot pass it on to our children. While navigating this new reality has made it an oftentimes difficult year for our family, knowing that we kids do not have it makes it easier for us to care for and provide support to my mom and other relatives affected by the disease. To learn more about HD, visit hdsa.org.

1. Getting more in touch with my Zen side

Speaking of the crazy rollercoaster ride of a year I’ve had, I learned a few tricks for managing stress and anxiety. Right around the time I was dealing with all the “getting tested for HD stuff,” I started a yoga class. It felt so good that I got a yoga mat and started doing it on my own at home, too. Although lately I’m about as good at doing yoga as I am at blogging. I think one of my New Year’s resolutions will be getting back into yoga. 🙂 I have also been dabbling in meditation, which helps me tap into my emotions and clear my mind. If you are interested, I highly recommend the Headspace app (yes, there’s an app for that!). Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, Sleepytime tea, and going for walks with the dog have helped me get through this crazy year. Along with my supportive husband, friends, and family of course.

With that, I’d like to say happy holidays to you and yours. May 2016 bring even bigger, better, and more favorite-y things!

Now it’s your turn! What are your favorite library and non-library things of the year? Even if you don’t share it publicly, I challenge you to come up with your own list. It’s a great exercise!

Toddler Storytime – Senses

Storytime this week was all about our five senses–sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. I wanted to make sure we got a chance to explore and talk about each of these senses, so I chose a variety of books, songs, and activities that focused on different aspects of the five senses.

Welcome Song: “We clap and sing hello” (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)

We clap and sing hello, 
we clap and sing hello
With our friends at storytime, 
we clap and sing hello!
(We stomp and sing hello…
We wave and sing hello…)

ASL Sign: “Touch,” “Smell“

STEM Activity: Marshmallow exploration: Hand each child a marshmallow and use our five senses to explore and talk about it. What does it look like? What does it smell like? Does it make any sound when we squish it? What does it feel like? And last but not least… What does it taste like?

I was a little wary about doing this activity with a larger group (I had over 40 in the room that day!), but I was really excited about it and thought it would work really well as an introduction to the five senses since we would actually get a chance to use and talk about each of them in the context of one object. I was sure to let the grown-ups know that if they didn’t want their child to participate, they could just say “No thank you” as I passed the marshmallows out. A few of the parents chose to pass (especially those with younger kids), and that was okay. The activity was a little crazy and not super focused, but I think the sheer number of people in the room contributed to that. After we got a chance to use our tastebuds, I walked around with a trash can because many of the kids only took a bite of their marshmallow and I didn’t want half-eaten marshmallows to distract from the upcoming songs and stories. Overall, I would definitely do this activity again with a smaller group, but probably skip it with a group as large as this.

Rhyme: “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, creep them
Creep them, creep them
Way up to your chin
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them in!

Book 1: Cold, Crunchy, Colorful by Jane Brocket

I liked this book because it covered all five senses and contained photographs of real things associated with each sense. However, it is a little too long for storytime so I paperclipped a few pages together to create my own abridged version.

Song: “The Sensey Pokey”
You put your seeing eyes in, you put your seeing eyes out,
You put your seeing eyes in and you shake them all about
You do the Sensey Pokey and you turn yourself around
That’s what it’s all about
 
(Sniffing nose, Hearing ears, Touching hands, Tasting tongue)

I actually ended up skipping this one in the storytime I did due to time shortage, but a coworker who filled in for me for one of the earlier sessions said she did it and it was kind of awkward because most of the grown-ups had a hard time committing to saying “Sensey Pokey” instead of “Hokey Pokey” (Ahh, stubborn grown-ups… ;)).

Rhyme: “A Nose”

A nose breathes in 
A nose breathes out
A nose can smell and wiggle about.
A nose can blow
A nose can sneeze
Achoo! That’s what noses can do!

Book 2: I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs

We got to use our sense of sight with this book, as we guessed what kind of under sea animal was peeking through the peephole. The kiddos always seem to enjoy guessing-game type books (especially the older ones), so this one went over pretty well.

Song on iPod: “Shake Your Sillies Out” – The Wiggles, from the CD Yummy Yummy

OK, so this one wasn’t exactly related to senses, but I couldn’t find any senses songs that I thought they’d really get into. I thought they’d love dancing to this song–and they did!

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”

Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes)
Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes)
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes)

This is always a nice, easy song to throw in–and hey, we used some of our senses body parts in this one too!

Book 3: Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr.

I used a “big book” for this, as I love the bright, colorful illustrations and the large text allows for a group read-along. The kids had fun trying out some of the goofier noises (what might a “fluting flamingo” sound like?).

Closing Song: “Icky Sticky Bubblegum” – David Landau

Craft: Paper Mr. Potato Head

Our lovely practicum student and some willing teen volunteers helped cut out all the pieces for this craft. A few of the grown-ups marveled at the fact that there were even two different left and right ears and left and right arms. We free-cut our potatoes and got most of our body parts from this online template, as well as free-handing some too.

Here is this week’s handout for parents and caregivers.

This was my last storytime at this library, so it was quite bittersweet for me. I enjoyed seeing the same kids and families week to week–I will miss those familiar faces, but I know that I will make more storytime friends at my new job. 🙂

Speaking of which, KeenOnLibrarianship will be absent for a little while as I plan the next round of storytimes at my new library (wish me luck!). See you in a few weeks!

Toddler Storytime – Music/Sound

It has been awhile since I’ve posted because (drum roll, please…) I got a new job! I am now the Youth Services Director at Columbus Public Library in Columbus, Wisconsin. Today was my first official solo day, but the last couple weeks have been busy with training, finishing up SRP, and wrapping up my LTE job. That said, I still have a couple more SRP storytimes to blog about, including this one which was one of my favorite storytime themes so far! So without further ado, here is what I did for Music/Sound Storytime.

Welcome Song: “We clap and sing hello” (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)

We clap and sing hello, 
we clap and sing hello
With our friends at storytime, 
we clap and sing hello!
(We stomp and sing hello…
We wave and sing hello…)

Sign: “Music”

STEM Activity: Guess the animal sound – We identified our five senses, and then used our sense of hearing to play a little game. I played a series of animal sound clips on the iPod and challenged the kids to guess what kind of animal was making that noise. Some of the sounds were quite unexpected, like an elephant that sounded like it was growling. It’s not every day that kids get to hear real animal noises, and I think they enjoyed this activity.

Book 1: Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp! by Wynton Marsalis

I abridged this book slightly by paper-clipping some pages together, and I think it worked really well for storytime. It introduces a variety of different noises and has a rhythmic, jazzy beat that had the children and caregivers grooving along. Some kids even joined in saying some of the goofy noises (they especially liked the ambulance and motorcycle). The last page challenges the reader to say all the noises in a tongue-twistery fashion, and I think they got a big kick out of my attempt to say them all quickly.

Song: “This is the Way We Clap Our Hands”

This is the way we clap our hands
Clap our hands, clap our hands
This is the way we clap our hands 
so early in the morning
 
(This is the way we stomp our feet…
This is the way we wiggle our ears…
This is the way we rub our bellies…)

Rhyme: “Tommy Thumbs”

Tommy Thumbs are up (wiggle thumbs up)
And Tommy Thumbs are down (wiggle thumbs down)
Tommy Thumbs are dancin’ (groove thumbs back and forth)
All around the town
Dance ‘em on your shoulders (tap thumbs on shoulders)
Dance ‘em on your head (tap thumbs on head)
Dance ‘em on your knees (tap thumbs on knees)
Then tuck them in to bed (one at a time tuck thumbs into armpits)

Book 2: The Baby Goes Beep by Rebecca O’Connell

This is a nice repetitive text that encourages the audience to move along with the baby’s actions in the story.

Song w/ egg shakers: “I Know a Chicken” – The Laurie Berkner Band, from the CD Whaddaya Think of That?

This was my first time breaking out the shaky eggs, and it was an absolute blast! This song was the perfect fit for dancing with some shakers. I’ll definitely do this one again for future storytimes.

Song: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”

Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes)
Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes)
And eyes and ears and mouth and nose
Head and shoulders, knees and toes (knees and toes)

Book 3: If You’re Happy and You Know It by Jane Cabrera

This is a fun storytime book, but only if you have enough energy to pull it off! I sang the whole thing with a little help from some of the grownups in storytime. I was pretty breathless by the end, but I think the kids enjoyed doing all the actions so it was definitely worth it. 🙂

Closing Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau

Craft: Paper plate maracas. I made them ahead of time by stapling a paper plate in half and pouring some uncooked rice inside. The kids decorated them with markers and stickers and took them home to make their own music.

This storytime was a big hit! Several of the caregivers made a point of telling me how much fun it was. Here is the handout I sent home with them. Hopefully your kiddos will have as much fun with this as mine did!

Toddler Storytime – Counting

We had a bunch of fun at storytime this week learning about numbers and practicing counting together. You know it’s a good storytime when the fourth session of the week ends, and you just want to do it all over again!

Welcome Song: “We clap and sing hello” (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)

We clap and sing hello, 
we clap and sing hello
With our friends at storytime, 
we clap and sing hello!
(We stomp and sing hello…
We wave and sing hello…)

Sign: “Number”

After I introduced the theme, we counted how many fingers we had, how many ears, and how many noses (teehee!).

STEM Activity: Estimation

I started by explaining that “estimate” means that we take our best guess as to how many of something there are. I had three jars filled with different items (pom-poms, clothespins, and bottle caps), and I held up the one with pom-poms and asked if they could help me guess how many were in the jar. Most of the little ones were pretty quiet, but a few ventured an adorable guess of “two” or “three.” Some of the parents chimed in with guesses, or urged the older kids in the room to guess. I opened up the jar and we counted the pom-poms together (there were fourteen).

Then I held up the other two jars and explained that while I’m sure we could do it, we weren’t going to count these ones, since they were pretty big numbers, but I asked them to guess how many, and I had the numbers written on the inside of the lids. A few kids gasped at the big numbers (thirty-five clothespins and forty-eight bottle caps).

I realize that this is a pretty advanced activity for a toddler crowd, but the idea was to introduce them to the concept of estimation and to give their caregivers an idea of the different ways they can encourage math skills in their children, besides just counting. Although the littlest ones may not have quite fully grasped it, I think it was worthwhile and I definitely had their attention throughout the activity.

Song with puppets: “Five Little Ducks”

Five little ducks went out one day
over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only four little ducks came back
 
(Four… Three… Two… One… None of her little ducks came back)
 
(Sadly) Poor mother duck went out one day
over the hills and far away
Mother Duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
And all five of her little ducks came back!

We counted the little ducks before the song, but I also asked my storytimers to help me count them again after the song, just to make sure they really did all come back. I mostly did this to calm the fears of a few of the kiddos who seemed a little disturbed by the thought of the missing ducklings!

(Okay, so a couple of the ducklings are actually chicks… Shhh!)

Book 1: Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin

Song: “Jumping and Counting” – Jim Gill, from the CD Jim Gill’s Irrational Anthem

Rhyme: “One, Two Buckle My Shoe”

Before reciting this one, I shared with the parents and caregivers that learning nursery rhymes helps children develop Language and Cognitive skills.

One, Two, Buckle my shoe;
Three, Four, Shut the door;
Five, Six, Pick up sticks;
Seven, Eight, Lay them straight;
Nine, Ten, A big fat hen!

After reciting the rhyme, we “read” the next book together, since it uses the same words (with the addition of a few extra lines at the end).

Book 2: Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker

Rhyme: “Hickory Dickory Dock”

Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)
The mouse ran up the clock (bring arms up above head)
The clock struck one (clap once)
The mouse ran down (arms roll back down in front of you)
Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)

Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)
The mouse ran up the clock (bring arms up above head)
The clock struck two (clap twice and count 1, 2)
The mouse he FLEW! (bring arms back down in front of you)
Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)

Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)
The mouse ran up the clock (bring arms up above head)
The clock struck three (clap three times and count 1, 2, 3)
The mouse said “Wheee!” (bring arms back down in front of you)
Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)

Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)
The mouse ran up the clock (bring arms up above head)
The clock struck four (clap four times and count 1, 2, 3, 4)
The mouse said “no more” (shake head)
Hickory Dickory Dock (swing arms back and forth like a pendulum)

Song: “You Have Two Arms” (Tune: You Are My Sunshine)

You have two arms, they are for waving
You have two feet to go stomp stomp
You have two eyes, they are for blinking
And a bottom to sit with a bump

Book 3: Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin Jr.

Closing Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau

Craft: Pete the Cat coloring page and circular stickers for his “four groovy buttons.”

I couldn’t find a great coloring page of Pete, so I drew my own. The “buttons” are just those circular stickers that are used for labeling.

I don’t know if it is a reflection of the success of this particular storytime, or if I’ve just finally earned the trust of the storytime grown-ups, but I am happy to say that I had to make additional copies of my handout this week. Hooray!

A few parents and caregivers approached me after storytime to tell me how much fun this one was. One sweet little “storytime regular” brought her coloring page up to me and asked if I would spray it with water. Good memory from our water-themed storytime craft two weeks ago!

Toddler Storytime – Water

This week storytime was all about water. Summertime is the perfect season for this theme. I had a blast doing this storytime, and for the most part I think the kids and grown-ups were pretty amped about it too.

Welcome Song: “We clap and sing hello” (Tune: Farmer in the Dell)

We clap and sing hello, we clap and sing hello
With our friends at storytime, we clap and sing hello!
(We stomp and sing hello…
We wave and sing hello…)

Sign: “Water” The sign for “water” is made by forming your right hand into the letter “W” (hold up index, middle, and ring finger), and touching your index finger to your mouth twice.

STEM Activity: “Sink or float?”

With a small tub of water and several items to put in the water (I used a rubber duckie, rock, feather, crayon, and piece of pool noodle), we made predictions as to which would float and which would sink.

Song: “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”

Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
Life is but a dream

Rock, rock, rock your boat
gently down the stream
If you see an crocodile,
don’t forget to scream (“Ahhhh!”)

Row, row, row your boat
gently to the shore
If you see a lion there,
don’t forget to roar (“Rawwwwr!”)

The kids and grown-ups seemed pretty amused with the extra verses, and I like it because it adds a surprising little twist to a well-known favorite.

Book 1: Splash! by Flora McDonnell

I love this book because it has beautiful, big illustrations and simple text. The kids can identify the animals, and it leads nicely into a conversation about how it’s fun to cool off in the water hose or at the splash park on a hot summer day.

Song: “It’s raining, It’s Pouring / Itsy-Bitsy Spider Medley” – from the CD Music for Little People: 101 Toddler Favorites

Rhyme: “Rain is Falling Down”

Rain is falling down, splash!
Rain is falling down, splash!
Pitter, patter, pitter, patter.
Rain is falling down, splash!

Sun is peeking out, peek-a-boo!
Sun is peeking out, peek-a-boo!
Peeking here, peeking there,
Sun is peeking out, peek-a-boo!

Book 2: Storm Song by Nancy Viau

I just love the bold illustrations and rhythmic text representing the sights and sounds that make a thunderstorm come alive. This one begs to be read aloud!

Song: “All the Fish are Swimming in the Water”

All the fish are swimming in the water (swimming motions with arms)
Swimming in the water
Swimming in the water
All the fish are swimming in the water
Bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble…SPLASH! (waggle fingers up and clap above head)

All the ducks are quacking in the water (doggy paddle motion with hands)…
All the frogs are jumping in the water (jump with both feet)…
All the children are splashing in the water (splash hands in the air)

Book 3: Hooray for Fish! by Lucy Cousins

Song: “The Fish in the Sea” (Tune: The Wheels on the Bus)

The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish, (Make your hand like a fin and swim along!)
Swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish.
The fish in the sea go swish, swish, swish
All day long

The lobsters…pinch, pinch, pinch (Make pinching motions with fingers)
The sharks…chomp, chomp, chomp (Chomp with your arms)
The stingray…flap, flap, flap (Move arms in slow, flying motions)
The crabs…skit, scat, skit (Run in place)
The octopus…wiggle (Wiggle your body and arms)
The clam…open and shut (Two hands to make a clam)

Closing Song: “Icky Sticky Bubble Gum” – David Landau

As always, our closing song was a hit. And the wonderful David Landau came to perform at our library in person this week, so storytime was the perfect opportunity to put in a plug for that event, too!

Craft: Coffee filter sun catchers (Thanks for the idea, Miss Meg and Storytime Katie!). I introduced the craft by talking about how water can transform our art. I taped coffee filters to paper plates and the kids colored on them with washable markers, then came up to me to have them spritzed with water and placed in a Ziplock bag to bring home. One mom thanked me for being so organized with the bags, so I had to pat myself on the back a bit for that one (and thank Miss Meg for recommending it, of course!).

Overall, this week’s storytimes went really well. The nervousness and self-doubt from the first week have all but vanished, and I’m finding it becoming more and more natural to tap in to my goofy self and bring silliness out in others too! I also got the chance to throw in some literacy tips, encouraging parents to sing simple songs and rhymes with their little ones to build narrative skills.

After storytime, I noticed several parents and caregivers picking up this week’s handout, and one woman mentioned that her daughter has been saying “circle” all week (since last week’s storytime theme was shapes). As she walked out the door she added, “I guess storytime really makes a difference!”

STEAMing things up with Artbots

Each Monday, my library has Open Art Studio, a two hour arts and crafts drop-in program, in which children ages 3-10 are invited to come and make stuff with us. Every week has a different theme. The first week was Animals in Art, so we made things like paper plate snakes, clothespin animals, and paper bag jellyfish. We also had a few “animal products” on hand (feathers, sheep’s wool, sea sponges) for the kids to dip in paint and utilize as tools.

This week, the theme was Robots. I got really excited when we started planning for this theme, not because I’m a crazy robot fanatic or anything, but because it provided the opportunity to try out something I had seen at the PLA Conference back in March – Artbots! What better way to combine Science, Technology, Engineering, and Art than to build robots that create art? And just look at how adorable they are…

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There are lots of different ways to make artbots, but the way they described it at the “Tinker with Technology” session at PLA was to cut down a pool noodle, shove the motor from an electric toothbrush inside, attach some markers for legs, and voila! A moving, breathing (okay, not really) artbot! Click here for a PDF of the handout from that session if you are interested. See p. 4 for info on Artbots, but definitely peruse the rest of the doc for lots of creative tech-based programs to try with kiddos.

Because this was a drop-in program that we do not require registration for, I unfortunately was not able to set it up as a “create your own” type project as we had no idea how many people would show up (and probably not a big enough budget to supply 100+ kids with electric toothbrushes, even though they are from the dollar store). So instead, I pre-made several artbots for the kids to experiment with, and provided a half-sheet handout for instructions on making their own at home.

The toothbrushes I found happened to be battery operated, so instead of ripping out a motor I just shoved the entire toothbrush into the center of the noodle. It worked out pretty well, and the on/off switch was on the bottom of the toothbrush, so it was perfect placement for turning the robot on and off.

The kids enjoyed playing with them, and several expressed interest in making them at home. The parents were on board with it, too, especially when I mentioned that the toothbrushes were only a dollar a piece (No expensive Sonicares were harmed in the making of these robots).

Things I learned from this project:

• Have extra toothbrushes (and batteries that have proven to be compatible) on hand. $1 toothbrushes are CHEAP–not only monetarily, but quality-wise too. The battery life on these babies started pooping out about a half hour into the program and I tried replacing them with the extra batteries we had on hand, but somehow they required “special” AA batteries? The AA Energizer batteries I tried were not the right fit. Not exactly sure how that works, but I ended up having to rush out for a few more toothbrushes during the program so I could have at least one or two working robots, as they were dying fast.
• Don’t over-accessorize your bots. Although they look adorable, the more stuff I loaded onto the artbots, the heavier they became. As the battery life wore down, I had to start stripping the costumes off my robots for the sake of weight.
• Attach markers with rubberbands instead of tape. This makes for easier swap-outs if the markers start to die (which they did).

This is a fun, easy, inexpensive project to do with kids and I definitely plan on doing another Artbots program sometime in the future. Hopefully next time, I’ll be able to have a registration-required program so we can purchase enough supplies for everyone to build and decorate their own artbot to take home.