Meade County Public Library

April Storytimes

2011-05-04T12:21:00.002-05:00

Theme: Rabbits
Books: Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes, The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett, Little Bunny Foo Foo by Paul Johnson, Goldie and the Three Hares by Margie Palatini, What's the Matter Bunny Blue? by Nicola Smee
Craft: Rabbit magnets from Oriental TradingTheme: Easter
Books: Max Counts His Chickens by Rosemary Wells, Where are Baby's Easter Eggs? by Karen Katz, Milo the Really Big Bunny by Stephen Krensky
Activity: Egg hunt and pictures with the Easter Bunny
Craft: Easter egg decorating (kits)
Theme: National Dance Week
Books: Baby Danced the Polka by Karen Beaumont, Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson, Dancing Feet by Lindsay Craig
Activity: Dance to Stop and Go and the Hokey Pokey
Craft: Popsicle stick streamers
Theme: Mother's Day
Books: Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney, Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Rosenthal, What! Cried Granny by Kate Lum, My Mommy Hung the Moon by Jamie Lee Curtis
Song: Happy Mother's Day To You
Craft: Flower pots

Learning Systems are Coming to Your Library!

2011-04-07T10:34:00.003-05:00

Want to try the latest children's learning systems and e-readers? Soon you'll be able to borrow them for your library! We will have 4 Vtech MobiGo systems and 4 Vtech Vreaders available for checkout once we move to the new building. With popular titles like Tangled, Toy Story 3, Cars, and more, your kids will be sure to love them (and learn something too)!

Animal Storytime Plans

2011-04-06T15:09:00.003-05:00

Theme: Zoo
Books: Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann, Wild About Books by Judy Sierra, 1 Zany Zoo by Lori Degman, Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
Song: You have to sing 5 Little Monkeys with these books! Craft: Animal cracker zoos. We printed off the word ZOO with outlined letters onto cardstock. The kids glued animal crackers inside the letters which could be also decorated to look like cages with some crayon and imagination!
Theme: Pets
Books: Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin, Bark George by Jules Feiffer, Pet Shop Lullaby by Mary Ann Fraser, Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian Craft: Aquariums. We took blue cardstock tanks and added craft sand, "seaweed" (green Easter grass), shells, and fish stickers. I wish I had pictures of how cute these turned out!
Theme: Circus
Books: Where's Pup? by Dale Ann Dodds, Little Beauty by Anthony Brown, Where's Walrus? by Steven Savage
Craft: Carnival sticker scenes from Oriental Trading Company. We also painted faces and dressed up like clowns!
More pictures are available on our storytime Facebook page! Next week, Ms. Donna and Ms. Melanie will be sharing books about rabbits as we prepare for Easter.

Sneak Peek at NLW Prizes

2011-03-18T08:34:00.003-05:00

National Library Week is coming soon!

Enter to win these fabulous prizes for each item you check out on April 10-16th. We will also be giving away a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card to one of our Facebook friends, so follow us today!

Vtech Pink Tote and Go Laptop
Vtech Lightning McQueen Learning Laptop
Sony E-reader PRS-300 with case and built-in light

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T09:03:00.002-05:00

This week we read books about leprechauns and all things green at our St. Patrick's Day celebration.

Books: That's What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting, The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever by Teddy Slater, Jump! by Scott Fischer, Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
Craft: Pot of gold and rainbow craft (similar to this one, only we used glue dots to stick "real" gold pieces on our pots, wrote our names on the pots in gold pen, and added a rainbow which the children colored)!
Activity: Try a green snack (shamrock cookies and apple juice with green food coloring) and watch Irish a clip of Irish dancers from Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames.

We also went on a gold hunt in the children's library! Everyone received a small pot for their gold. There were even a few chocolate coins mixed in as well. Those naughty leprechauns sure made a mess in the library, but the storytime children did a great job cleaning up after them!

Hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day and we'll see you next week as we start our animal unit. Sláinte (cheers)!

Royal Storytimes

2011-03-09T11:25:00.002-05:00

Theme: Dragons
Books: Who Wants a Dragon by James Mayhew, Where's the Dragon by Richard Hook, The Princess and the Dragon by Audrey Wood
Craft: Dragon puppets
Theme: Knights
Books: Good Night, Good Knight by Shelley Thomas, Do Knights Take Naps? by Kathy Tucker, Princess Knight by Cornelia Funke
Craft: Knight masks (ours were just cardstock covered with tinfoil, but here's a fancier version to make at home)
Theme: Princes and Princesses
Books: Falling for Rapunzel by Leah Wilcox, King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Don and Audrey Wood, The Prince Won't Go to Bed by Dayle Ann Dodds, Twenty-Six Princesses by Dave Horowitz
Craft: Decorate crowns

Next week we will be having a St. Patrick's Day celebration and then starting into storytimes about animals! Hope you can join us!

January Story Hours

2011-03-02T12:48:00.003-05:00

This month our programs were all about food!

Theme: Grocery Shopping
Books: Don't Forget the Bacon by Pat Hutchins, Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw, Put It On the List by Kristen Darbyshire, Market Day by Carol Cordsen
Craft: Pasta and cereal necklaces
Activity: Go "shopping" with empty food containers, play money, and shopping baskets.
Theme: Pie
Books: All for Pie, Pie for All by David Martin, More Pies by Robert Munsch, Sweet Dream Pie by Audrey Wood, Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Flannelboard: Pick berries and make a pie
Craft: Paper plate pies
Theme: Pizza
Books: Pete's a Pizza by William Steig, Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturgis, The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane Auch
Craft: Paper plate pizzas
Activity: Enjoy real pizzas thanks to Mr. Gatti's!
Theme: Sweets
Books: If You Give a Cat a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff, Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, The Cow Loves Cookies by Karma Wilson, How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food by Jane Yolen
Craft: Decorate a cupcake
Activity: Decorate a real cupcake with sprinkles!Theme: Valentine's Day
Books: How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You by Jane Yolen, Bloom by Maria Van Lieshout, Henry in Love by Peter McCarty, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
Craft: Make a valentine
Activity: Exchange valentine treats

November Story Hours

2010-12-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

Theme: Gingerbread
Books: Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Ernst and The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup
Craft: Gingerbread ornaments from Oriental Trading CompanyTheme: Thanksgiving
Books: Fall, Leaves, Fall by Zoe Hall, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson, Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano, Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
Craft: Scratch leaf ornaments from Oriental Trading Company

Theme: Dinosaurs
Books: When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach, If the Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most, Dino Pets by Lynn Plourde, and How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You by Jane Yolen.
Craft: Paper plate dinosaurs similar to this one:

Theme: Wolves
Books: The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza, My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza, and The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugenios Trivizas.
Flannelboard: The Three Little Pigs
Craft: Make houses for the three little pigs similar to this picture:

Catching up on past storytimes!

2010-11-09T15:07:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay in posting these storytime plans, we've had a busy fall! Between September and October, the library held 195 programs with over 5658 attendees of all ages.

Chickens Storytime:
Books: Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
First the Egg by Laura Seeger
Hurry, Hurry by Eve Bunting
Craft: Chick kit from Oriental Trading Company Horse Storytime:
Books: Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
Clip Clop by Nicola Smee
Activity: Dress up like a cowboy, sit in a saddle, and ride stick horses
Craft: Cowboy bandannas from Oriental Trading Co mpany Vehicle Storytime:
Books: Hot Rod Hamster by Cynthia Lord
The Scrubbly Bubbly Car Wash by Irene O'Garden
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
Activity: Crawl through a cardboard box "car wash" (original idea by Susan M. Dailey)
Craft: Racecar stamp pictures
Bug Storytime:
Books: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback
Old Black Fly by Jim Aylesworth
Itsy Bitsy the Smart Spider by Cherise Mericle Harper
Craft: Egg carton spiders
Monster Storytime:
Books: Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley
Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Rebecca Emberley
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Craft: Monster masks
Halloween Storytime:
Books: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Snappy Sounds Boo! by Beth Harwood
Frankie Stein by Lola Schaefer
We improvised a bit for this storytime since we had to go in the basement for a tornado warning!
Craft: Pumpkin bags
Snake Storytime:
Books: Mouse Count by Ellen Walsh
Hide and Snake by Keith Baker
The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Noble
Craft: Bradley the Snake
Wolf Storytime:
Books: My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
The Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza
The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Eugenios Trivizas
Storytelling: The Three Little Pigs
Craft: Build the pigs' houses

For more information on any of these storytimes, feel free to contact megan@meadereads.org for detailed plans.

Cats and Dogs Storytime

2010-09-21T12:38:00.003-05:00

Bow Wow, Woof, Meow!
Cats and Dogs Storytime

Books we shared:
Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Bark, George by Jules Pfeffer

Songs and Rhymes to Share:
Bingo
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
B-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
(Clap)-I-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap, clap)-N-G-O!
(Clap, clap)-N-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap, clap)-G-O!
(Clap, clap, clap)-G-O!
(Clap, clap, clap)-G-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap, clap, clap)-O!
(Clap, clap, clap, clap)-O!
(Clap, clap, clap, clap)-O!
And Bingo was his name-o!
There was a farmer who had a dog,
And Bingo was his name-o.
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
(Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap)
And Bingo was his name-o!
Craft Ideas:
Paper bag puppy puppet
Cat crafts
Puppy chow recipes
Other books you may enjoy:
Please, Puppy, Please by Spike and Tonya Lee E LEE
The Dog from Arf! Arf! to Zzzzz E DOG
Move Over, Rover by Karen Beaumont E BEA
Dogerella by Maribeth Boeltz E BC BOE
Clifford the Small Red Puppy by Norman Bridwell E BRI
Wet Dog! by Elise Broach E BC BROA
Biscuit and the Little Pup by Alyssa Capucilli E CAP
Dogku by Andrew Clements E CLE
Katie Loves the Kittens by John Himmelman E HIM
Have You Seen My Cat? By Eric Carle E CAR
A Kitten’s Year by Nancy Day E BC DAY
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens by Denise Fleming E FLEM
Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag E GAG
Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton E SCOT
Chester by Melanie Watt E WAT
Dewey: There’s a Cat in the Library by Vicki Myron J636.809 MYR

Chickens Storytime

2010-09-21T12:31:00.002-05:00

Bawk Bawk Bawk and Books!
Chickens Storytime

Books we shared:
Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman
First the Egg by Laura Seeger

Songs and Rhymes to Share:
If You’re a Chicken and You Know It
(to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It")
If you're a chicken and you know it, say "cluck cluck."
If you're a chicken and you know it, say "cluck cluck."
If you're a chicken and you know it, then you really ought to show it.
If you're a chicken and you know it, say "cluck cluck."
(Repeat with pig, say "oink oink," cow, say "moo moo," etc.

Hickety Pickety
Hickety, pickety, my black hen,
She lays eggs for gentlemen.
Sometimes nine,
Sometimes ten,
Hickety, pickety, my black hen.

The Unhatched Egg
Make a noise like a rooster. (Crow)
Make a noise like a hen. (Cluck)
Make a noise like a chick. (Peep)
Make a noise like an unhatched egg. (Silence)

Craft Ideas:
Chick craft kit from Oriental Trading
Pom pom chick
Hatching chick directions with templates

Other Books You May Enjoy:
The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane Auch E AUC
Hattie and the Fox by Mem Fox E FOX
Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski E HEL
Little Chick by Amy Hest E HES
The Wolf’s Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza E KAS
This Little Chick by John Lawrence E LAW
Chicks and Salsa by Aaron Reynolds E REYN
Tippy-Toe Chick Go! By George Shannon E SHA
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Stoeke E STOE
The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato E AMA
Little Chick’s Big Day by Mary Kwitz E KWIT
New Socks by Bob Shea E SHE
The Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza by Philemon Sturgis J398.2 STU

A Very Berry Storytime

2010-08-23T15:15:00.004-05:00

Books we shared: Jamberry by Bruce Degen and Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood.

Rhyme: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Slap thighs to the beat
Refrain: Goin on a bear hunt
We’re gonna catch a big one
I'm not afraid, are you? NO!

Oh look! It's some tall grass!
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to go through it (repeat... Make motions with arms like you are clearing a way thru grass)

Repeat Refrain

Oh look! It's a tall tree.
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to climb up it (Repeat and pretend to climb up the tree)

Repeat Refrain

Oh look! It’s a wide river.
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to swim across it. (Repeat and pretend to swim.)

Repeat Refrain

Oh look! A deep, dark cave.
Can't go over it (repeat)
Can't go under it (repeat)
Got to go in it. (repeat, close eyes as you pretend to enter the cave)
Oh,oh! It's dark in here. (repeat)
I feel something (repeat)
It has lots of hair! (repeat)
It has sharp teeth! (repeat)
It's a bear!! (scream!!!)
Repeat rhyme in reverse, patting thighs quicker and quicker.

Craft: make berry "pies" with dot stickers and an outline of a pie slice. Sample below is from Small Fox's Story Hours.

Other yummy books you may enjoy:

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson E WIL

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey E MCL

Each Peach, Pear, Plum by Allen Ahlberg E AHL

Lousy Rotten Sinkin’ Grapes by Margie Palatini E PAL

The Story of Cherry the Pig by Ukato Yamada

The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Lord

We Scream for Ice Cream!

2010-08-17T08:19:00.002-05:00

Books we shared:

How to Speak Moo by Deborah Fajerman

Isaac the Ice Cream Truck by Scott Santoro

Songs and Rhymes to Share:

"Eighteen Flavors" By Shel Silverstein

Eighteen luscious, scrumptious flavors

Chocolate, lime and cherry,

Coffee, pumpkin, fudge banana

Caramel cream and boysenberry.

Rocky road and toasted almond,

Butterscotch, vanilla dip,

Butter brickle, apple ripple,

Coconut and mocha chip,

Brandy peach and lemon custard,

Each scoop lovely, smooth and round,

Tallest ice cream cone in town,

Lying there (sniff) on the ground

Ice Cream Scoops

First we need a cone,
Nice and crunchy.
Then we need some ice cream,
Sweet and yummy,
Scoop 'em on; stack 'em on'
Up to the sky.
We love ice cream; my, oh my!

First comes vanilla,
Cold and sweet.
Then comes chocolate
A delicious treat.
Here's some strawberry;
Orange sherbet, too,
A super-duper scooper cone
Just for you!

One scoop, two scoops,
Three scoops, four.
We love ice cream
Let's have some more!

Other yummy books you may enjoy:

Ice Cream Colors by John Fosberg (E Board Book)

Ice Cream: The Full Scoop by Gail Gibbons (E GIB)

Ice Cream at the Castle by Ann Love (E LOV)

From Cow to Ice Cream by Bertram Knight (EJ637.4 KNIG)

Ice Cream Larry by Daniel Pinkwater (E PIN)

Wemberly’s Ice Cream Star by Kevin Henkes

The Sundae Scoop by Stuart Murphy

Ice Cream Recipe

Large zip lock bag 1/2 cup of whole milk
Small zip lock bag 2 Tbsp sugar
3 cups of ice 1/4 Tsp Vanilla
6+ tbsp of salt

Add milk sugar and vanilla together in the small zip lock bag. Zip
TIGHT and place larger zip lock bag with the ice and salt around it.
SHAKE.....SHAKE.......SHAKE

Next week we will be reading books about berries and making "pie!"

Summer Reading Week 2: Pirate Lesson for Children Ages 3-Entering Grade 2

2010-06-15T16:01:00.003-05:00

Theme: Pirates
Song: Review Slippery Fish (see week 1)
Book: Pirate Pete's Talk Like a Pirate by Kim Kennedy
Song: I'm a Pirate
"I'm a pirate, yes I be (point to self).
I sail my ship across the sea ("steer" a wheel).
I stay up late, 'til half past three (point to invisible wrist watch),
And that's a peg below me knee (wiggle leg)
Arrh!" Repeat!
Book: How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
Craft: Decorate treasure chests with jewels, stickers, and metallic markers (purchased from Oriental Trading)
Activity: Hunt for gold in our sandbox! Build sandcastles and visit the library to check out books!

See you next week for our Beach Bash! Children should come dressed to get wet and make sand art!

Summer Reading Week 1: Underwater Lesson for Children Ages 3-Entering Grade 2

2010-06-15T15:47:00.003-05:00

Theme: Under the Sea!

Books: Swimmy by Leo Lionni

Song: Slippery Fish
"Slippery fish, slippery fish, sliding through the water (prayer hands glide back and forth).
Slippery fish, slippery fish, GULP, GULP, GULP!
Oh no (hands to face)! He was eaten by an...
Octopus, octopus, sliding through the water (arms squiggle and flail at sides).
Octopus, octopus, GULP, GULP, GULP!
Oh no (hands to face)! He was eaten by a...
Tuna fish, tuna fish sliding through the water (palms joined, fingers open and close).
Tuna fish, tuna fish, GULP, GULP, GULP!
Oh no (hands to face)! He was eaten by a...
Humongous whale, humongous whale sliding through the water (arms open and close).
Humongous whale, humongous whale, GULP, GULP, GULP, BURP!"

Book: The Three Little Fish and the Big Bad Shark by Ken Geist

Song: I'm a Little Fishy (to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot")
"I'm a little fishy (point to self), I like to swim (swimming motion with arms).
Here is my tail (wiggle), and here are my fins (wave cupped hands).
When I want to have fun with my friends (point to self), I wiggle my tail (wiggle) and dive right in (jump)!"

Craft: Sea foam paintings
Mix equal parts liquid glue, shaving cream, and food coloring or liquid watercolor. Apply to heavy cardstock and add fish stickers/cutouts, sea shells, and Easter grass to look like seaweed. This paint dries puffy and is a great way to make your own aquarium- without the water!

Activity: Fishing
Try to catch the fish out of our pool without catching a shark!

Activity: water play at table, wading pools, and visit the library to check out books!

5/24, 5/25 Story Hour

2010-05-24T12:08:00.001-05:00

Theme: Library Tour
Book: Mr. Wiggle's Book by Paula Craig and Carol Thompson
Activity: Look at damaged books. Can you guess what happened to them and how the accident could have been prevented?
Activity: Library matching game
Activity: Library tour
Craft: Decorate a bookmark

5/17, 5/18 Story Hour

2010-05-24T12:05:00.002-05:00

Theme: Bears
Book: The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky
Activity: We're Going On a Bear Hunt
Song: Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear
Craft: Color the letter B and decorate it with Teddy Grahams to remind you that B is for bear!

Make a Splash at Your Library!

2010-05-10T17:24:00.003-05:00

Summer Reading registration is only 2 weeks away!

Did you know....

Children 13 and under can win $1,000 just by signing up for Summer Reading!

2 lucky parents who register at least one child will be entered to win a night at the historic Doe Run Inn!

Can't make it to the weekly programs this year? No problem! Sign up for Bookworm and receive reading logs to track time spent reading. Whether you're on vacation, at a friend's house, or at the beach with a good book, you can still enter to win prizes at the Summer Reading Shop!

Speaking of prizes, how would you like to win a DVD player, digital camera, bicycle, water slide, fishing pole, tent, and more?!? The more you read, the better your chances of winning!

Registration for Summer Reading opens on Monday, May 24th at 9:00AM. Reservations will be taken by phone, but an adult must come to the library to fill out paperwork by Saturday at 3:00 for us to continue holding your spot. A waiting list is likely for grades 2 and under, so be sure to sign up early for your preferred session. Check out our website for a complete schedule of Summer Reading programs. Whether you're 0 or 100 years old, we have a way for you to Make a Splash at Your Library this summer!

5/10, 5/11 Story Hour

2010-05-10T17:18:00.003-05:00

Theme: Mother's Day

Book: My Mom is Magic by Ingrid Godon

Song: Happy Mother's Day to You (to the tune of "Happy Birthday")

Craft: Flowerpot hand tracings. (Purchase kit from Oriental Trading or try these instructions at home: Children trace their hands on a sheet of green foam. Cut out and add foam flower stickers at the top of each finger and decorate with leaves. "Plant" in a foam pot cutout with a special poem and write child's name on it. Add ribbon to hang.)

5/3, 5/4 Story Hour

2010-05-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

Theme: Cinco de Mayo

Book: Off We Go to Mexico by Laurie Krebs and Christopher Corr

Sign Language: Party

Activity: Break open a pinata

Craft: Make a paper plate maraca

A Very Hungry Storytime

2010-04-27T13:04:00.002-05:00

Theme: Butterflies
Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Activity: retell the story with flannelboard pieces (builds narrative skills)
Activity: crawl like a caterpillar, curl up in a cocoon, fly like a butterfly
Activity: make Hungry Caterpillar Fruit Salad
Craft: tissue paper butterflies

Book Spine Poetry from Homeschool Connections

2010-04-27T12:57:00.010-05:00

Here are some of the silly book spine poems we made during our monthly homeschool meeting:

For more inspirational ideas, click here!

Our next homeschool meeting will be Tuesday, May 25th from 1-2PM in the MCPL Annex.

4/18, 4/19 Story Hour

2010-04-19T18:09:00.004-05:00

Theme: Earth Day
Book: My Garden by Kevin Henkes
Discussion Questions: What things do you like to do outside? What if we didn't have trees and flowers? What can you do to help keep our earth clean?
Activity: Practice recycling! Sort a bag of items into paper, cans, boxes, and plastic. This is a great way to teach kids about sorting and help the environment at the same time!
Craft: Watercolor earths. Click here for directions on how to try this at home.

4/12, 4/13 Story Hour

2010-04-19T18:03:00.004-05:00

Theme: Gardening
Book: The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Sign Language: flower and tree
Song: review "Sticky Sticky Bubblegum" from the week before
Discussion Questions: What can you plant in a garden? What else lives there? What do flowers need to grow? How can you take care of your garden?
Craft: Decorate pots and plant flowers to take home!

4/5, 4/6 Story Hour

2010-04-06T07:44:00.003-05:00

Theme: Bubbles
Book: Trouble Gum by Matthew Cordell
Sign Language Words: hands, eyes, face
Song: Sticky Sticky Sticky Bubblegum
Activity: Dance on bubble wrap
Craft: Paint with bubbles! Mix bubble juice and food coloring or liquid watercolor and blow bubbles on cardstock to make a pretty splatter painting!

Check out pictures from this program on our facebook page! Become our fan today so you can follow the latest news and events at MCPL!

Easter Story Hour

2010-03-31T09:33:00.002-05:00

Theme: Easter
Book: Little Bunny Foo Foo Illustrated by Paul Brett Johnson
Activity: Sing Little Bunny Foo Foo
Craft: Bunny picture frames or Easter egg wreaths from Oriental Trading
Activity: Easter egg hunt in the children's library and pictures with the Easter Bunny!

Have a happy Easter!

The Great Unsung YA 2010 Giveaway

2010-03-29T19:45:00.002-05:00

Check out this awesome giveaway at http://yannabe.com/2010/03/22/unsung-ya-giveaway/

While you're there, use the rest of the site for some great YA suggestions!

3/22, 3/23 Story Hour

2010-03-25T14:50:00.002-05:00

Theme: Easter
Book: Milo the Really Big Bunny by Stephen Krensky
Sign Language: Bunny, Jump, and Egg
Song: Little Bunny Foo Foo
Click here for lyrics
Use sign language for bunny and hopping.
Activity: Bunny Twister
Craft: Decorate Easter Eggs

We will take pictures with the Easter Bunny at Story Hour on Monday, 3/29 and Tuesday, 3/30. Come ready to have fun and hunt for eggs!

3/15, 3/16 Story Hour

2010-03-17T17:24:00.002-05:00

Theme: St. Patrick's Day
Book: Hooray for St. Patrick's Day by Joan Holub
Sign Language: review jump and hat, learn dance. Kids act out these actions when shown different signs.
Activity: play Who's the Leprechaun? One child is picked to stand in front of the group and close their eyes while another child gets a piece of "gold." All children hide their hands behind their back and the first child gets 3 guesses to figure out who's hiding the gold. The child who held the gold then gets to be the next guesser.
Song: talk about rainbows and sing "If Your Clothes Have Any Red," to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"
If your clothes have any red, pat your head...
If you clothes have any yellow, touch your elbow...
If your clothes have any black, pat your back...
If your clothes have any brown, turn around...
If your clothes have any blue, touch your shoe...
If your clothes have any green, touch your knees...
Craft: tissue paper rainbows or St. Patrick's Day hats

3/8, 3/9 Story Hour

2010-03-09T16:21:00.002-05:00

Theme: Frogs
Book: Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan
Sign language words: Jump, frog
Song: 5 Green and Speckled Frogs
"5 green and speckled frogs (hold up 5 fingers)
Sat on a hollow log (bounce 5 fingers on arm held parallel to body)
Eating the most delicious bugs, YUM, YUM! (pat stomach)
One jumped into the pool (jump)
Where it was nice and cool.
Now there are 4 speckled frogs."
Repeat until there are no frogs left!
Activity: Play leap frog
Craft: Paper plate frogs with party blower tongues (similar craft instructions here)

Next week we will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day by hunting for gold, making leprechaun hats, and watching clips of Irish dancers.

3/1, 3/2 Story Hour

2010-03-01T16:55:00.002-05:00

Theme: Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
Book: Green Eggs and Ham
Sign Language Words: green, egg, cat, hat
Song: Happy Birthday to Dr. Seuss
Activity: Play Cat in the Hat, I Can Do That! game
Activity: Green egg relay
Craft: Decorate hats and have a picture taken with our Horton decoration

Story Hour has resumed on both Mondays and Tuesdays. Both programs are identical and begin at 10:30AM in the Annex. Hope to see you next week when we learn about another green thing- frogs!

2/22 Story Hour

2010-03-01T16:25:00.002-05:00

Theme: Bath time
Book: King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood
Rhyme: Scrub a Dub Dub
Song: This is the Way We Wash Our Face
Activity: Blow bubbles
Craft: Make a boat from a sponge, straw, and foam sail. Try it out in a tub of water!

2/9 Story Hour

2010-02-08T23:03:00.002-05:00

Theme: Valentine's Day
Book: One Zillion Valentines by Frank Modell
Song: I am your heart and I go beat, beat (clap hands on beat)
I pump blood while you're asleep (pretend to sleep).
I pump blood while you jump up and down (jump).
I pump blood while you run around (run in place).
I pump blood when you move your feed (march in place).
I pump blood as you tiptoe to your seat (tiptoe and sit down).
Activity: use a stethoscope to listen to heartbeats. What happens when you run or jump and when you sit quietly?
Flannelboard: H-E-A-R-T (to the tune of "Bingo")
There is a shape and it means love and heart is its name-o. H-e-a-r-t...
Craft: Make a mailbox for your valentines and deliver cards to your friends

Another favorite about love is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. Enjoy this non-traditional story on Valentine's Day!

2/1 Story Hour

2010-02-08T22:59:00.003-05:00

Theme: Snowmen
Book: Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner
Flannelboard: 5 Little Snowmen (to the tune of 5 Little Monkeys)
5 little snowmen riding on a sled (5 fingers sit on other hand which is out flat, palm down)
One fell off and bumped his head (pretend 1 finger falls off, rub head)
Mama called Frosty and Frosty said (pretend hand is a phone, hold to ear)
"No more snowmen riding on that sled!" (say in a deep voice and shake head)
Repeat with 4, counting down until there are none.
Activity: Melt like a snowman
Kids dance and spin, "melting" to the floor when a flashlight shines on them
Craft: Make a snowglobe using kits from Oriental Trading

1/25 Story Hour

2010-02-08T22:54:00.002-05:00

Theme: Snow
Book: Snow by Uri Shulevitz
Flannelboard: 5 Little Snowflakes
One little snowflakes with nothing to do. Along came another and then there were two.
Two little snowflakes laughing with me. Along came another and then there were three.
Three little snowflakes looking for some more, Along came another and then there were four.
Four little snowflakes dancing a jive. Along came another and then there were five.
Five little snowflakes having so much fun. Out came the sun, and then there were none!
Activity: "Ice skate" with waxed paper. Put waxed paper under your feet and slide around on the carpet!
Craft: Practice scissor skills by making paper snowflakes. Use a square piece of paper, fold, cut, and then unfold to see your finished design.

1/11 Story Hour

2010-02-08T22:48:00.002-05:00

Theme: Arctic Animals
Book: The Penguin Who Wanted to Sparkle from Glitter Books
Flannelboard: Help decide where the arctic animals like seals, polar bears, and snow leopards live- in the water or on land?
Song: I'm a Little Penguin (to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little penguin, black and white (hands at armpits to make wings, wobble back and forth)
Short and wobbly, an adorable sight (squat lower and wobble)
I can't fly at all (shake head like saying "no")
But I love to swim (make swimming motion through air)
So I'll waddle to the water and jump (jump high) right in!
Activity: balance a plastic egg on your feet and practice walking like a daddy penguin
Craft: make a picture of a polar bear using cotton balls

1/4, 1/5 Story Hour

2010-01-04T09:54:00.003-05:00

This is Ms. Megan's last Story Hour before going on Maternity Leave. She will resume Monday/Tuesday programs on March 1st and hopes to bring baby Patrick by for a visit!

Theme: New Baby
Book: The Baby Shower by Eve Bunting
Song: to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle"
Baby, baby wants a nap
Rock him gently in your lap (rock arms like holding baby)
Watch him as he falls asleep (pretend to sleep)
Quiet now, don't make a peep (finger to lips)
Baby, baby wants a nap
Rock him gently in your lap.
Activities: Guess how much Patrick will weigh and look at baby pictures
Craft: Water bottle rattles. Take an empty water plastic bottle and fill with beads, bells, or anything that makes noise. Cover top with fabric and tie on lots of ribbons to decorate.

Beginning on Monday January 11th, Story Hour will be held on Mondays only from 10:30-11:30. Come next week to hear Ms. Margaret read about arctic animals and make a furry polar bear!

12/28, 12/29 Story Hour

2009-12-29T14:43:00.002-05:00

Theme: The New Year
Book: Twelve Hats for Lena by Karen Katz
Activity: Practice numbers by counting down from 10 to 0. Be sure to yell "Happy New Year" at the end! We made extra noise using musical instruments.
Craft: Make a 2010 calendar. Children glued a calendar to cardstock and added a loop of yarn so they can hang it up at home. Everyone had their picture taken which was then printed and glued above the calendar. Now they can remember library Story Hour every day of the new year. Have your child color in their birthday as well as other special days they look forward to.

Note the upcoming schedule change:
Story Hour will only be held on Mondays from 10:30-11:30 beginning Monday, January 11th. We will resume programs on Mondays and Tuesdays starting Monday March 1st, 2010.

Story Hour with Santa

2009-12-23T11:39:00.002-05:00

Theme: Christmas
Book: The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore
Song: Jingle Bells
Activity: Share what you want for Christmas
Activity: Have your picture taken with Santa Claus. Pictures were then printed at the library for children to take home.
Craft: Make a candy cane ornament to decorate your tree.

12/14, 12/15 Story Hour

2009-12-14T15:12:00.002-05:00

Theme: Santa Claus
Rhymes: Shake Your Sillies Out and the letter "G"
Book: What Santa Can't Do by Douglas Wood
Activity: Share what you want for Christmas
Song: Jingle Bells
Craft: Make your own stocking. Decorate a paper stocking with cotton balls, stickers, yarn, and pictures cut from old Christmas cards. Don't forget to hang it from your chimney with care!

Next week, Santa will be visiting Story Hour on Monday and Tuesday from 10:30-11:30 and on Tuesday from 6-7PM. Hope to see you then!

12/7, 12/8 Story Hour

2009-12-09T09:06:00.002-05:00

Theme: Reindeer
Book: Olive the Other Reindeer by J. Seibold
Song: Practice Jingle Bells to perform when Santa visits Story Hour on 12/21 and 12/22
Activity: Pin the nose on Rudolph
Craft: Make magic reindeer food. Mix oats, birdseed, sugar, and sprinkles in a baby food jar. Top with festive fabric and a tag with instructions-
"Sprinkle on the lawn at night. The moon will make it sparkle bright. Santa's reindeer fly and roam, this will guide them to your home!"

Next week we will read a book about Santa Claus and make stockings. Santa will join us for Story Hour on Monday and Tuesday, 12/21 and 12/22 from 10:30-11:30. He will also make an appearance at our 6:00PM Story Hour on Tuesday, December 22nd.

11/30 Story Hour

2009-11-30T12:36:00.003-05:00

Theme: Winter Clothes
Book: The Mitten by Jan Brett
Song: The Winter Pokey
Sing using winter clothing such as hat, mittens, boots, and scarf
Flannelboard: Match the mittens
Each child gets a mitten and has to place it with it's match on the flannelboard
Craft: Make a mitten ornament for your Christmas tree. Kits can be purchased from Oriental Trading or make your own at home using construction paper and collage materials.

11/23, 11/24 Story Hour

2009-11-30T12:30:00.003-05:00

Theme: Thanksgiving

Book: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson

Flannelboard: Gobble, Gobble, Turkey

Song: Pumpkin Pie (to “Peanut Butter and Jelly”)

First you take the pumpkin and you pick it, you pick it, you pick it, pick it, pick it.

(Chorus in Deep voices) Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie-Yummy! Pumpkin, Pumpkin Pie-Yummy!

Then you take the pumpkin and you carve it, you carve it, you carve it, carve it, carve it.

Chorus

Next you take the spices and you mix it, you mix it, you mix it, mix it, mix it.

Chorus

You put it in the oven and you wait, you wait, you wait, you wait, you wait.

Humming Chorus while tapping foot

You take it out the oven and you bite it, you bite it, you bite it, bite it, bite it (sing like mouth full)

Sing chorus like your mouth is full

Activity: Play Duck, Duck, Turkey

Activity: What are you thankful for? Add it to the Thankful tree

Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Make a placemat to use at your Thanksgiving feast! Make a picture with magazine cutouts or trace your hand and decorate it like a turkey. Use a laminator or contact paper to turn your artwork into a surface you can eat on!

For Further Reading:

Arthur’s Thanksgiving by Marc Brown (E)

The Best Thanksgiving Ever by Nancy Inteli (E)

Five Little Turkeys by William Boniface (E)

Happy Thanksgiving by Margaret McNamara (E)

The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing (E)

11/16, 11/17 Story Hour

2009-11-18T11:49:00.002-05:00

Book: I'm A Turkey by Jim Arnosky

Flannelboard: Make a turkey

"The turkey is a funny bird (flap arms like wings). His head goes wobble wobble (roll head in circles). And all he knows is just one word (hold up one finger), 'Gobble, gobble, gobble! (hold hands at mouth like a beak and open/close with each gobble)"

Activity: Play Duck, Duck, Turkey

Activity: What are you thankful for? Add it to the Thankful tree

Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Make a turkey centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.

Try this at home by tracing your child's hand and decorating it with feathers to look like a turkey!

For Further Reading:

I Am the Turkey by Michele Spirn E

One Tough Turkey by Steven Kroll E

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting E

Try at Home:

Take a walk and gather fall leaves. Cut out two circles from grocery bag about 5 or 6 inches across. On the head glue eyes beak and waddle cut from construction paper. Glue the leaves to the outer edges of one of the circle with most of the leaf sticking out over the edge. Glue the other circle on top. Add two legs from construction paper.

11/9, 11/10 Story Hour

2009-11-12T15:05:00.003-05:00

Theme: Leaves

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Narrative skills (sequencing events, telling stories)

Book: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

Flannelboard: 5 Little Leaves

5 little leaves in the autumn breeze tumbled and fluttered from the trees. The first leaf said, “I am red. I shall sleep in the flower bed.” The second leaf, all purple, said, “pick me up, I’m cold and wet!” The third leaf said, I’m yellow, a happy go lucky fellow. The fourth leaf said, I’m green, as I was in the summer sun. The fifth leaf said, I’m brown and I shall blow all over town.

Song: Autumn Leaves (to “Ring Around the Rosie”)

All the leaves, come here

Summer’s gone ‘till next year

Autumn, autumn, we all fall down!

Activity: Scarecrow, Scarecrow

Activity: Add your name to the Thankful Tree

Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Paint a leaf. Craft supplies used:

Leaves from Discount School Supply

Liquid Watercolors (could also substitute water with food coloring)

Plastic Eye Droppers

For Further Reading:

Arthur Jumps into Fall by Marc Brown (E)

The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall (E)

Fall, Leaves Fall! by Zoe Hall (E)

Fall Leaf Project by Margaret McNamara (E)

Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (E)

Try at Home:

· Take a nature walk and collect leaves, acorns and seeds. Make artwork with them when you get home!

11/2, 11/3 Story Hour

2009-11-03T08:27:00.002-05:00

Theme: Monsters

Book: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Song: Monster Stomp

If you want to be a monster, now’s your chance, 'cause everybody’s doing the monster dance. You just stomp your feet, wave your arms around. Stretch ‘em up, stretch ‘em up, then put them on the ground. ‘Cause you’re doing the monster stomp! That’s right, you’re doing the monster stomp!

Activity: Monster dress up and wild rumpus dance

Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Make a crown for the King of the Wild Things

For Further Reading:

Go Away, Big Green Monster by Michael Emberley (E) No Such Thing by Jackie Koller (E) Billy Monster’s Daymare by Alan Durant (E) Go to Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing (E) Jeremy Draws a Monster by Peter McCarty (E) Monster Stew by Mitra Modarressi (E)

Try at Home:

Design your own monster paper plate mask.

Look at the wild things carefully. They are all so different. Some of them have horns or claws. Others have hair or feathers, toe nails or bird beaks. Draw yourself as a "Wild Thing."

Max tames the Wild Things by staring into their yellow eyes without blinking. Get a clock or a watch and time how long you can go without blinking.

10/26, 10/27 Story Hour

2009-10-22T12:58:00.002-05:00

Theme: Halloween

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Print motivation (enjoying books and reading)

Book: The Halloweiner by Dav Pilkey
Fingerplay: Itsy Bitsy Spider
Fingerplay: Five Little Pumpkins
Song: Autumn Leaves (to “Ring Around the Rosie”)
All the leaves, come here
Summer’s gone ‘till next year
Autumn, autumn, we all fall down!
Activity: Practice trick-or-treating and show off your costumes
Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Decorate goodie bags that you can use on Halloween.
For Further Reading:
Boo! By Robert Munsch (E)
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman (E)
The Halloween Cat by Christine Ricci (E)

Halloween Pie by Michael Tunnell (E)

Sheep Trick or Treat by Nancy Shaw (E)

10/19, 10/20 Story Hour

2009-10-22T12:49:00.002-05:00

Theme: Witches

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Phonological Awareness (understanding words are made up of smaller parts and can rhyme)
Book: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Song: 5 Black Bats (to “Frere Jacques”)
Bats are sleeping, bats are sleeping
Upside down, upside down
Waiting for the night to come
Waiting for the night to come
Then they fly around!
Then they fly around!
Fingerplay: Five Little Pumpkins
Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Make a magical brew with blood drops (Red Hots), werewolf teeth (candy corn), owl’s eyes (M&Ms), bat bones (pretzel sticks), cat claws (sunflower seeds), dead flies (raisins), ghost noses (mini marshmallows), and spider eggs (popcorn).

Fingerplay: Itsy Bitsy Spider. Do this fingerplay in a whisper for the Itsy Bitsy spider, regular voice for Medium Mama spider, and yell for Great Big Daddy spider!
Activity: Play Musical Brooms! Whoever holds the broom when the music stops gets to fly around the circle!
For Further Reading:
10 Trick or Treaters by Janet Schulman (E)
By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson (E)
Fright Night Flight by Laura Melmed (E)
The Great Pumpkin Strikes Again by Justine Fontes (E)

Halloween Rescue! by Cynthia Stierle (E)

10/13 Story Hour

2009-10-22T12:45:00.002-05:00

Theme: Boo!

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Narrative skills (sequencing events, telling stories)
Book: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Flannelboard: Make a Jack-o-Lantern
Fingerplay: Five Little Pumpkins
Activity: Practice saying “Boo!” with pumpkin mask
Craft (targets Fine Motor Skills): Make a tissue paper pumpkin
For Further Reading:
Boo! By Robert Munsch (E)
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman (E)

Sweet and Spooky Halloween by Melissa Lagonegro (E)
Two Little Witches by Harriet Ziefert (E)

Halloween or Bust by Jane O’Connor (E)
The Berenstain Bears Go On a Ghost Walk By Stan and Jan Berenstain (E)

10/7 Story Hour: Fall Reading Week

2009-10-21T16:45:00.003-05:00

Theme: Pumpkins

Story: Mrs. McMurphy’s Pumpkin by Rick Walton
Flannelboard: Five Little Pumpkins

"Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate (one arm held horizontally with other hand sitting on it, fingers pointing up).

The first one said, 'Oh my, it's getting late!' (hands to cheeks)

The second one said, 'There's a chill in the air!' (arms crossed on chest, pretend to shiver)

The third one said, 'But we don't care!' (arms out at sides, shake head sideways)

The fourth one said, 'Let's run and run and run' (pump arms at sides like running)

The fifth one said, 'We're ready for some fun!' (dance in place)

Then oooooohhhhh went the wind (wiggle fingers through air)

and OUT (clap) went the lights

and five little pumpkins rolled out of sight! (roll arms over each other)"

Flannelboard: "Carve" a Jack-o-Lantern using felt pieces
Activity: Try eating pumpkin seeds
Craft: Decorate a mini pumpkin

10/5, 10/6 Story Hour

2009-10-21T16:37:00.003-05:00

Theme: Trains
Targeted Early Literacy Skill: Narrative skills (sequencing events, telling stories)
Story: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Song: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Kids helped by playing their train whistles when the song called for the train to blow it's horn.
Fingerplay: Here is the Choo-Choo Train
Here is the choo choo train rolling down the track (pump arms at sides like running).
Now it's going forward (arms stretch ahead)
Now it's going back (arms stretch behind).
Now the bell is ringing (ring pretend bell)
Now the whistle blows (make whistle noise)
What a lot of noise it makes (cover ears)
everywhere it goes (yell "All Aboard!")
Craft: Train stamp pictures

9/28, 9/29 Story Hour

2009-10-21T16:27:00.003-05:00

Theme: Fire Trucks

Targeted Early Literacy Skill: Vocabulary
Book: Firebears, the Rescue Team by Rhonda Greene
Fingerplays: Fireman Number 8

"Fireman, fireman, number 8 (make 8 with hands).

Bumped his head upon the gate (tap head).

The gate swung in (prayer hands swing one way),

the gate swung out (prayer hands swing the opposite way).

And that's how they put the fire out (swing hands back and forth quickly).

Emergency, emergency, 911! (repeat 3 times while stomping feet to the beat)"
Song: I’m a Firefighter

"I'm a firefighter, here's my hose. (extend arm out)

I put out fires as everyone knows. (tap head with finger)

When I see a fire, I put it out. (arm out, wiggle fingers)

'Thank you! Thank you!' people shout." (clap to the beat)
Activity: Stop, Drop, and Roll
Craft: Fireman Dress Up using fire cheif badges and hats.

We loved our visit with the Meade County Fire Department! Kids tried on fireman clothes, learned about the equipment, and climbed aboard the fire engine!

9/21, 9/22 Story Hour

2009-09-21T13:36:00.002-05:00

Theme: Fire Safety

Targeted Early Literacy Skills: Vocabulary (knowing the names of things)

Rhyme Dice: Baby Bumblebee and the letter "F"

Book: Firefighters! Speeding! Spraying! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell

Song: I'm a Firefighter (sung to "I'm a Little Teapot")

I'm a firefighter (point to self)

Here's my hose (outstretch arm with finger pointed).

I put out fires as everyone knows (tap head with finger).

When I see a fire (hand over brow)

I douse it out (outstretch arm and wiggle fingers).

"Thank you! Thank you! people shout" (clap hands).

Fingerplay: Fireman Number 8

Fireman, fireman number eight (make 8 with hands)

Bumped his head upon the gate (tap head with hand).

The gate swung in (swing prayer hands one way)

The gate swung out (swing prayer hands the other way)

That's how they put the fire out (swing hands both ways).

Emergency, emergency, 911 (marching, say 3 times getting faster).

Activity: practice Stop, Drop, and Roll

Activity: color butcher paper like smoke, then crawl under it.

Craft: Watercolor art

Next week we will be visited by the Meade County Fire Protection District. Come meet the firefighters and see a fire truck in person!

9/14, 9/15 Story Hour

2009-09-14T15:06:00.003-05:00

Theme: Safety
Rhyme Dice: Shake My Sillies Out and the letter "A"
Story: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
Flannelboard: What’s an emergency: talk about different scenarios that warrant a call to 911 (lost toy vs. an injured parent, someone not sharing vs. a house fire)
Activity: Dial 911 Jump Game: numbers 0-9 are laminated and taped to the floor in the arrangement found on phones. Kids can jump on the numbers 911 or any other numbers to practice counting. They also practiced numbers with phones that had been unplugged.

Craft: Phone number craft found here. Write child's name at the top of the phone and write phone number in spaces provided below. Then have child cut out matching numbers and glue them over the ones you wrote. A good way to reinforce numbers and safety principles!

Next week we will be learning about fire safety to get ready for our visit from the Meade County Fire Protection District. Barring an emergency, they will be bringing the fire truck and firefighters to Story Hour on September 28th and 29th.

9/8 Story Hour

2009-09-08T13:16:00.003-05:00

Theme: Grandparents Day

Rhyme Dice: Shake Your Sillies Out and the letter "D"

Book: I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal

Activity: Family Bingo

Craft: Make cards and tissue paper flowers for your grandparents

Thanks to all our grandparents who joined us today! Next week we will begin our safety unit with a lesson on Emergencies!

MCPL Now on Twitter!

2009-08-31T12:39:00.004-05:00

Follow the Meade County Public Library on Twitter! Just click http://twitter.com/meadereads to read the latest library news. Links to articles on books, crafts, and more are posted daily.

8/31, 9/1 Story Hour

2009-08-31T12:21:00.003-05:00

Theme: School Bus

Rhymes: 5 Little Hot Dogs and the letter "B"

Book: The Little School Bus by Carol Roth

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Flannelboard: 5 Little School Busses

"5 little school busses driving down the street.

The first one says, "New kids I get to meet!"

The second one says, "Let's drive off to school!"

The third one says, "Riding quietly is a rule."

The fourth one says, "I like to speed ahead."

The fifth one says, "I stop when lights are red."

Then "beep" went the horns, and green went the light

and five little busses drove out of sight."

Activity: Red light, green light

Craft: Color a school bus, fill it with passengers (faces from magazines), and add wheels that go round and round (fastened with brads).

There will be NO STORY HOUR on Monday, September 7th due to Labor Day. We will celebrate Grandparent's Day on Tuesday, September 8th. Grandparents are welcome to join us!

8/24, 8/25 Story Hour

2009-08-25T15:50:00.003-05:00

Theme: Back to School

We learned about the many similarities between kindergarten and Story Hour.

Rhyme Dice: Button Factory and the letter "F"

Story: Llama Llama Misses Mama by Ana Dewdney

Activity: Practice the Clean Up Song

"Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere!

Clean up, clean up, everybody do your share!"

Flannelboard: Story Hour timeline

Craft: Make an apple for the teacher! An at-home version can be found here.

Kindergarten readiness principles taught: scissor skills, colors, name writing/recognition

Join us next week to learn about school busses!

8/10, 8/11 Story Hour

2009-08-13T12:41:00.003-05:00

Theme: Cows

Rhyme Dice: The Button Factory and the letter "B"

Book: Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin

Activity: Animal Charades (act out different animals and guess whether they live on a farm, at the zoo, or are kept as pets)

Activity: Make butter and try it on bread and crackers. Recipes can be found here. Helpful hint: let the heavy whipping cream sit at room temperature for several hours to make butter in just a few minutes. The process can also be sped up if you add a marble to the jar or bag you are shaking. Just be sure to take it out of your butter before eating!

Craft: Make cow masks using the template here. Decorate with black or brown spots.

Next week we will be learning about pigs! Ms. Megan will be on vacation, but come ready to give Ms. Donna your best "oink!"

8/3, 8/4 Story Hour

2009-08-04T14:27:00.002-05:00

Theme: Horses and Cowboys
Rhyme Dice: Baby Bumblebee and make the letter "C"
Story: Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer
Song: I’m a Little Cowboy (to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot)

"I'm a little cowboy (point to self)

here's my hat (pat head).

Here are my spurs (touch feet)

and here are my chaps (hands hit thighs).

I wake up in the morning (stretch and yawn)

and I work all day (pretend to shovel hay).

I get on my horse and ride away (pretend to ride in place)."
Activity: Use a lasso, wear a cowboy hat, and get your picture taken in saddle. Ride stick horses.

Craft: Color a bandana

Next week we will be learning about cows, making butter, and decorating cow masks. Hope you enjoy this next trip to the farm!

NEW EXTENDED LATE LIBRARY HOURS!!!

2009-08-03T14:20:00.004-05:00

Effective August 1, 2009 we will be open LATER hours to better serve you!!

Monday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Tuesday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Wednesday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Thursday 9:00 am to 8:00 pm

Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Saturday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Sunday CLOSED

7/27, 28 Story Hour

2009-07-29T13:29:00.004-05:00

Theme: On the Farm

Book: Big Chickens Fly the Coop by Leslie Helakoski

Flannelboard: Old MacDonald

Craft: Make a farm picture frame

Activity: Pet one of the chickens that came from the farm to visit us today!

Next week, saddle up for a story hour about cowboys! Try your skills at roping, sit in a saddle, and make a cowboy bandana to take home.

7/20, 21 Story Hour

2009-07-29T13:24:00.002-05:00

Theme: County Fair

Book: Minerva Louise at the Fair by Janet Stoeke

Activity: Kids "judged" their own fair categories such as horses and vegetables.

Craft: Make a blue ribbon pin

Activity: Play fair games like a beanbag toss.

Hope you all enjoyed the Meade County Fair and were able to stop by the library's booth!

Summer Reading: Drama Lesson for ages 3 - Grade 2

2009-07-15T07:39:00.004-05:00

We used our imaginations to "visit" a farm this week and got ready for next week's County Fair with this lesson based on Charlotte's Web. We also talked about drama, pretending, and movies based on books.

Wiggler: Baby Bumblebee, Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: Celestine, Drama Queen by Penny Ives
Read scene from Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White and watch clip from the movie. Discuss how books inspire movies and name examples.

Visit the Library: while one group went, the other made hand puppets and played with the puppet theater

Craft: Paint a pig with "mud!" Using cardstock with a picture of a pig, children colored their pig and then added chocolate pudding to make their pig muddy.

Activity: Make ice cream. Kids partnered up to make and decorate their own ice cream.

Recipe:

1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup milk or half and half
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt (or regular salt if you can’t find rock salt)
1 gallon size Ziploc bag
1 pint size Ziploc bag
Ice
Fill the gallon size bag (the larger bag) with ice about half way and add the salt and seal it.
Mix the sugar, milk and vanilla in the small pint sized bag and seal it.
Open up the large bag and put the small bag inside and seal the large bag again.
Shake the bag and you’ll see your mixture in the small bag turn into ice cream! (It will take about 5 minutes of shaking) Open up the small bag and enjoy!!

Games: Spider web toss and egg races

Activity: Do the chicken dance!

Thank you all for participating in Summer Reading! If you couldn't attend our weekly programs it's still not too late, as we will be offering more activities for the rest of the summer. Join us to celebrate your accomplishments at Summer Reading with a Family Fun Night at Riverfront Park from 5-9PM on Friday, July 17th. SRP participants and their families can receive a free dinner (hot dog, popcorn, and drink) from 5:30-6:30PM and extra meals will be available for purchase. We will be announcing contest winners, enjoying a band, inflatables, games and more, so be sure to stop by!

Summer Reading: Dance Lesson for ages 3-Grade 2

2009-07-08T15:45:00.003-05:00

Wiggler: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: Hilda Must Be Dancing by Karma Wilson

Activity: Dance the limbo, play Twister to get loosened up for our dance instruction!

Activity: Dance class lead by Kim Myers of Dancetime Studio, Brandenburg

Preschoolers learned a dance to "We're Going to the Zoo" and Grades 1-2 learned steps to "Yankee Doodle Dandy." The children also learned about the history of dance, it's styles, and more.

Craft: Dance streamers. Each child received a paper plate with the center cut out and they added different color streamers around the sides. These look lovely when waved while dancing!

If you liked our dance unit, you'll love Dance Day! This event will be held on Friday, July 10th at David T. Wilson Elementary from 1-3 and features the Wulfe Brothers and Dancetime Studio Dancers. Crafts and dance activities will follow the performances. Hope to see you there!

Summer Reading: Music Lesson for ages 3-Grade 2

2009-06-29T15:47:00.004-05:00

Today we learned all about musical instruments! Have fun trying these activities!

Wiggler: Flap your arms, turn around, run in place, now sit right down. Put your finger on your nose, and wiggle it around, Put your finger on your lips, and make this sound, Shhhh….

Book: The Remarkable Farkle McBride by John Lithgow

Kids helped tell this story by demonstrating the instruments Farkle played in the book. We also discussed the instrument families, how different sounds are made, and how music can portray a character.

Activity Stations: Instrument petting zoo where kids played...

· Piano, Music Tree, bongo drums
· Violin, flute, clarinet
· Tambourine, trombone, sax
· Xylophone (experiment with water levels), trumpet, tambourine

Crafts: paper plate maracas and cards for Conrad Music. To make the maracas, put a few handfulls of dried beans on a paper plate. Staple another plate to the top. Add hole punches for ribbon, yarn, or jingle bell decorations. Color, add stickers, and personalize your artwork. The thank you cards were for Conrad Music of Corydon, IN who loaned many of today's instruments. The kids added pictures of their favorite instrument, what animal it sounded like, and drew themselves playing with them.

Can't get enough music? Join us on Friday, 7/3 from 1-3 at David T. Wilson Elementary for a performance by Marie Augustine's Garbage Can Band. We will be making instruments to take home after the show.

Next week we will be learning about dance and enjoying a presentation from Kim Meyers of Dancetime Studio! Hope to see you there!

Summer Reading: Art Lesson for Ages 3-2nd Grade

2009-06-29T15:33:00.003-05:00

This was our program for sessions 1-4 (ages 3-5 and grades 1-2) for the first week of Summer Reading. Hope you can use this information at home if you were unable to attend or would like to try parts of it again!

Wiggler: Flap your arms, turn around, run in place, now sit right down. Put your finger on your nose, and wiggle it around, Put your finger on your lips, and make this sound, Shhhh….

Book: I Ain't Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont

Slideshow: Going to an art gallery

Together we looked at pictures of famous artwork and how the artists created them. It was fun to see the different styles and methods of artists such as Pollock, Michelangelo, Monet, and the Surrealists.

Activity Stations:

· Sistine Chapel (need: butcher paper, crayons)- replicated by putting butcher paper under the table and letting kids lie on their backs to color. The papers have now been hung on the Annex ceiling!
· Impressionists (need: q-tips, washable paint, picture templates)- kids made art with "Dots" by filling in patterned circles to make a picture. Check out the Children's Library for examples of their work. This can be done at home without templates since it's fun to see what they create on blank paper!

· Bubble paintings (bubble solution, food coloring, bubble wands, cups, butcher paper)- stand over the paper and blow bubbles. When dry, this makes a great "splatter painting" like Jackson Pollock created!

· Surrealists- exquisite corpse (paper, crayons, markers) and crazy faces (face outline on paper, collage materials- Click here for directions on how to make an Exquisite Corpse. This is a great group activity! Younger children made crazy faces with collage materials and had their faces painted!

Visit the Library: Readers picked a prize out of the treasure chest if they checked out 5 books. Bring them back the following week and feed the "Shark" in the Children's Library. Parents should check their child's bag for important handouts and coupons for local attractions.

Be Creative at Your Library!

2009-06-04T15:19:00.003-05:00

Join us for Summer Reading 2009 for 4 weeks of programs for children age 3 through teens in Grade 12! Check out the schedule and stop by the Library to register:
All sessions begin the week of June 22nd and end on Friday, July 17th.

Session 1: Mondays from 9:30-11:30 for children entering grades 1-2 (Waitlist only)
Session 2: Mondays from 1:30-3:30 for children entering grades 1-2 (Waitlist only)
Session 3: Tuesdays from 9:30-11:30 for children ages 3-6 (Waitlist only)
Session 4: Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30 for children ages 3-6 (Waitlist only)
Session 5: Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 for children entering grades 3-4
Session 6: Wednesdays from 1:30-3:30 for children entering grades 3-4
Session 7: Thursdays from 9:30-11:30 for children entering grades 5-6
Session 8: Thursdays from 1:30-3:30 for children entering grades 5-6

Session 9: Friday evenings for teens in grades 7-12. Enjoy a Twilight program with a presentation by someone who worked on the set of the first film, have fun at a concert, and make Japanese cards. Reading program available all summer so start checking out books soon- you could win a Nintendo DSI, iPod, or $25 gift card. See Library calendar for schedule.

Do the sessions not fit with your busy schedule? Even if you are not registered for Summer Reading, you are welcome to attend our Friday programs at David T Wilson. No sign-up required, just bring your friends and family!

Friday, June 26th from 12-4: Art Day featuring the Game Krazy Video Game Van
Friday, July 3rd from 1-3: Music Day with a performance by Marie Augustine's Garbage Can Band
Friday, July 10th from 1-3: Let's Dance! Don't miss this concert from the Wulfe Brothers and production by Dancetime Studio.
Friday, July 17th from 5-9 at Riverfront Park, Brandenburg: Celebrate your success at Summer Reading with a Family Fun Night featuring inflatables, food, and games.

Feel free to call the library at 422-2094 for additional information on these programs.

6/2 Story Hour

2009-06-04T15:15:00.003-05:00

Theme: Owls
Rhyme: Baby Bumblebee
Book: Owl Babies by Martin Waddell
Song: The Owl in the Tree (See previous week for lyrics)
Flannelboard: 5 Little Owls
Craft: Owl puppets made out of paper bags

Story Hour will continue to be held on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:30 until Summer Reading begins on June 22nd. The programs will pick back up on Monday, July 20th.

5/26 Story Hour

2009-06-04T15:11:00.003-05:00

Theme: Birds
Book: The Best Nest by P.D. Eastman
Song: The Owl in the Tree
"The owl in the tree goes who, who, who,
Who, who, who,
Who, who, who,
The owl in the tree goes who, who, who,
Who, who, who are you? (point to child who says name)"
Craft: Make a birdfeeder with a pinecone, peanut butter, and birdseed.

Great Websites for Children

2009-06-04T15:08:00.001-05:00

Check out this resource of many outstanding websites for kids. The list is organized by theme to help you find just what you're looking for!

5/19 Story Hour

2009-05-19T15:06:00.002-05:00

Theme: A Very Hungry Storytime

Rhyme Dice: 5 Little Hot Dogs

Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Activity: Feed the caterpillar using cutouts of his favorite foods!

Activity: Act out the story by turning into an egg, caterpillar, coccoon, and butterfly!

Craft: Tissue paper butterflies

Remember, next week is Summer Reading Sign-Up! Stop in the library during regular hours on Tuesday May 26-29th and from 10-2 on Saturday, May 30th to register!

5/12 Story Hour

2009-05-19T14:36:00.002-05:00

Theme: Bugs

Days of the Week Song

Rhyme Dice: Shake Your Sillies Out

Book: The Very Ugly Bug by Liz Pichum

Fingerplay: The Itsy Bitsy Spider (do this verse in a whisper, followed by Medium Mama Spider in a regular voice, then Great Big Daddy Spider at a shout!)

Fingerplay: Baby Bumblebee

Craft: Bug Catchers (click here for online bug craft ideas)

Children's Poet Laureate Presents

2009-05-05T18:27:00.002-05:00

Click here to see Children's Poet Laureate, Mary Ann Hoberman, reading from her own work, as well as from favorite collections of classic children's poetry.

5/5 Story Hour

2009-05-05T18:06:00.004-05:00

Theme: Mother's Day

Rhyme Dice: Button factory, 5 Little Hot Dogs

Song: Days of the Week

(to the tune of "The Adams Family")

"There's Sunday and there's Monday,

There's Tuesday and there's Wednesday,

There's Thursday and there's Friday,

and then there's Saturday.

Days of the week (clap clap)

Days of the week, days of the week, days of the week (clap clap)."

Story: Llama Llama Mad at Mama by Anna Dewdney

Flannelboard: Mother and baby animal puzzle

Song: Happy Mother's Day to You

(to the tune of "Happy Birthday")

"Happy Mother's Day to you, Happy Mother's Day to you! Happy Mother's Day dear Mommy, Happy Mother's Day to you!"

Activity: Mama Says (like Simon Says)

Craft: Make a hug for mom!

Directions: Let the child hug you. Then measure the hug with a piece of string. Put the string on the long paper and cut. Trace the child's hands and attach on either end of the paper. Let them decorate with bingo markers or whatever. Add a small heart in the middle with the poem:

Here's a great big happy hug

From your little cuddlebug.

May smiles and kisses come your way

With Lots of Love on Mothers Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all our moms and gradmas!

4/28 Story Hour

2009-04-27T12:13:00.005-05:00

Theme: Derby Party!
Book: Are You a Horse? by Andy Rash
Flannelboard: Horse race counting game
Book: Look at pictures of horses from the Ultimate Horse Book. Count their height in hands to see who is the biggest!
Activity: Try on horse racing equipment like a helmet and goggles and ride stick horses.
Craft: Design your own horse
Activity: Enjoy horse snacks- carrots, apple juice, and oatmeal bars.

Next week we will celebrate Mother's Day! Come listen to Llama Llama Mad at Mama!

4/21 Story Hour

2009-04-27T12:09:00.001-05:00

Theme: Earth Day

Book: Dora Celebrates Earth Day

Activity: Practice recycling by sorting through newspaper, bottles, and cardboard.

Craft: Decorate grocery bags that will be given out at Kroger on Earth Day

Activity: Plant a seed to take home

4/14 Story Hour

2009-04-27T12:05:00.003-05:00

Theme: Rabbits

Book: Milo the Really Big Bunny by Stephen Krensky

Rhyme: 5 Little Rabbits
Five little rabbits under a log

This one said "Shh! I hear a dog!"

This one said "I see a man!"

This one said "Run while you can!"

This one said "I'm not afraid!"This one said, "Let's hide in the shade!"

A man and his dog went hurrying by,

And you should have seen those rabbits fly!
Action rhyme: Little Bunny Foo Foo
Dance: Bunny Hop

Craft: Bunny ears

4/7 Story Hour

2009-04-07T18:32:00.002-05:00

Theme: Easter

Rhyme Dice: Shake My Sillies Out

Story: The Story of the Easter Bunny by Katherine Tegen

Activity: Do the Bunny Hop

Song: Little Bunny Foo Foo

Craft: Easter bunny ornament

Activity: Egg hunt in the library!

Thanks to those who brought treats to share with the group! Happy Easter!

Prom Preview Party

2009-04-01T11:57:00.003-05:00

Join us this Saturday, April 4th from 2-4PM for a Prom Preview fashion show and dress swap. Come see the latest fashions from Geno's Formal Affair in our fashion show at 2:30. Then find a dress or accessories to wear at Prom, make jewelry to complete your outfit, or learn how to do your own hair and makeup. Win prizes and bring your friends!

We are currently seeking donations of gently-used formal attire and accessories to give away at this event and the 2010 Prom Preview Party. Items can be dropped off at the front desk.

3/31 Story Hour

2009-04-01T11:28:00.002-05:00

Theme: Librarian for a day

Rhyme Dice: Shake My Sillies Out

Book: Mr. Wiggle's Book by Paula Craig

Activity: Look at damaged books and learn how to handle books from the library

Craft: Make a bookmark

Activity: Take a "behind the scenes" tour of the library. Check out your own books and help Ms. Megan shelve DVDs!

Next week we will be celebrating Easter with an egg hunt and appearance by baby chicks!

3/24 Story Hour

2009-03-24T12:11:00.003-05:00

Theme: Bus Driver

Rhyme Dice: 5 Little Hot Dogs

Book: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Sign Language: drive, stop, caution

Song: The Wheels on the Bus

Activity: Red Light, Green Light

Activity: Learn how to cross the street. Remember to:

"Think first! (finger taps head)

Stomp your feet (stomp feet)

Look to the left (point left)

Look to the right (point right)

Look to the left (point left)

and listen (hand to ear)."

If you don't hear or see any cars coming, look over your shoulder before walking across the street. If you hear a car, take a big step back from the side of the road and try this all again!

Craft: Create a stop light with paper plates. Make a hole on each side of 3 plates, tie together with string, and color!

St. Patrick's Day Story Hour

2009-03-23T14:09:00.003-05:00

Theme: St. Patrick's Day

Rhyme Dice: Button Factory

Book: The Luckiest St. Patrick's Day Ever by Teddy Slater

Activity: Dance an Irish Jig

Rhyme: Do Your Ears Point Up?

Do your ears point up? (make ears pointy with fingers)

Do you have a lot of luck? (cross fingers)

Can you dance an Irish jig? (dance)

For a pot of gold you'd dig (dig)

Do you toss gold o'er your shoulder (throwing motion over shoulder)

Like a giant throws a boulder (throwing motion)

Craft: Shamrock rainbow ornaments

Activity: Rainbow hand tracings for the Children's Library

Laundry Soap Making

2009-03-12T08:37:00.004-05:00

Laundry Soap Making
Monday, April 20th
6:00 p.m.
Library Annex

Learn how to make laundry soap. Participants will get to take some home. Space is limited. Sign up today!

Healthy Living Series

2009-03-12T08:26:00.003-05:00

Healthy Living Series
Monday, April 13th
6:00 p.m.

The Meade County Public Library presents LaDonna Frantz from Harmony and Health. Join us to learn all about the importance of wellness for quality of life and disease prevention.

Topics covered include:
* Lifestyle habits
* Stress Management
* Steps to natural health
* Intestinal health.

Sign up at the front desk. For more information contact the library at 422-2094.

Name Our New Pet!

2009-03-10T12:48:00.004-05:00

A new pet is coming to live at the Meade County Public Library. Start thinking up good names for a hamster! Stop by the Children's Library, write down your favorite name, and leave it in the fishbowl on the Librarians' desk. The winner will not only name and meet the hamster, but also get their picture sent to the newspapers!

We're excited to hear your ideas!

3/10 Story Hour

2009-03-10T12:27:00.004-05:00

Theme: Restaurant

Rhyme Dice: Baby Bumblebee

Book: Minnie's Diner by Dayle Ann Dodds

Craft: Make a "pizza" using cut-out ingredients. A big thanks to Mr. Gatti's for donating the boxes.

Activity: Enjoy a slice of real pizza!

See you next week for our St. Patrick's Day party! Remember, Monday sessions of Story Hour will begin on 3/23.

3/3 Story Hour

2009-03-04T08:33:00.004-05:00

Theme: Construction Workers

Rhyme Dice: Button Factory

"Hi, my name is Joe. I've got a wife and two kids and I work in a button factory. One day my boss came up to me and said 'Joe, are you busy?' I said 'No.' 'Then push the button with your right hand.'" Repeat with both hands, feet, head, etc. On final time, when the boss asks if he is busy, Joe yells YES!

Book: Curious George and the Dump Truck by Margaret and H.A. Rey

Sign language: hammer, nail, restaurant

Craft: The kids decorated cardboard construction hats and foam hammer bookmarks.

Activity: They used their new hammers to "build" a restaurant we will visit next week. An outline of the restaurant was drawn on butcher paper on the wall and they colored the picture and drew in things they thought the cafe should have. Kid-friendly tools were also available for them to play with. One of the big hits was styrofoam blocks they could drive plastic nails into. We also had fun measuring each other and playing with a 100' tape measurer.

Join us next week to visit the MCPL Cafe! Hear a story, make a "pizza," and enjoy a slice of the real thing!

Because Story Hour has experienced a growth in popularity, we will now be offering 2 programs a week to better fit your schedule. Starting on March 23, Story Hour will be held on Mondays in the Annex at 10:30 in addition to our regular time on Tuesdays. Hope this makes it easier for everyone!

2/24 Story Hour

2009-02-26T12:26:00.003-05:00

Theme: At the Vet's Office

Rhyme Dice: 5 Little Hot Dogs

"5 little hot dogs in a frying pan.

The grease got hot and one went BAM (clap)!

repeat with 4, 3, 2, 1

No little hot dogs in a frying pan.

The grease got hot and the pan went BAM (clap)!

Story: Sally Goes to the Vet by Stephen Huneck

Activity: Daisy, our puppet friend, visited us and shared her fears about going to a vet. But after talking with the children who helped her "think happy thoughts," she got a shot without even noticing! Now Daisy is no longer afraid of the vet or the boys and girls at story hour!

Activity: Play veterinarian with stuffed animals and doctor supplies.

Craft: Make a puppy puppet! At-home directions can be found here.

Next week, we will continue our careers theme and be construction workers for a day. We will be playing with tools and building a restaurant we will "visit" the following week!

Meade County Women In Agriculture

2009-02-17T13:26:00.002-05:00

Women involved in any type of farm activity are invited to join Meade County Women in Agriculture to take advantage of educational, leadership, and networking opportunities. Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 26th from 6:00-7:00 at the Extension office. If you were unable to attend the last meeting but would like more information, you can view the slideshow presentation here. You can also contact Megan Stith at 422-2094 to receive handouts or to learn more.

Meade County Women In Agriculture

View more presentations from meadereads. (tags: advocacy networking)

2/17 Story Hour

2009-02-17T13:05:00.005-05:00

Theme: Presidents

Rhyme Dice: Baby Bumblebee

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee
Won't my Mommy be surprised at me (Cup hands together as if holding bee)
I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee
Ouch, he stung me (Shake hands as if just stung)

I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee
Won't my Mommy be surprised at me ('Squish' bee between palms of hands)
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee
Squish, squish, squish ('Squish' bee between palms of hands)

I'm licking up a baby bumblebee
Won't my Mommy be surprised at me (Pretend to lick bee off hands)
I'm licking up a baby bumblebee
Slurp, slurp, slurp (Make slurping sounds)

I'm throwing up a baby bumblebee
Won't my Mommy be surprised at me (Stick tongue out and look 'sick')
I'm throwing up a baby bumblebee
Blech, blech, blech (Make awful face)

I'm sweeping up a baby bumblebee
Won't my Mommy be surprised at me ('Sweep' bee up with one hand into the other)
I'm sweeping up a baby bumblebee
Swish, swish, swish ('Sweep' bee up with one hand into the other)

I'm bringing home a baby dinosaur
Won't my Mommy kick me out the door (Pretend to be carrying heavy dinosaur)
I'm bringing home a baby dinosaur
Oops, he ate me, I'm no more!

Book: If I Were President by Catherine Stier

Activity: We will be collecting spare change for the next 6 weeks and the children can earn coins for good behavior at Story Hour. We talked about voting, what it would be like to be president, and voted to decide which charity will receive the money we raise. The children selected Appalachian Region Missions which does very important work in our state! The kids also got to put their face on the $1 bill and had fun making faces that could end up on our money. We hope to have a few presidential candidates come from this group someday!

Craft: Coin rubbings

Next week we will be learning about a day in the life of a veterinarian. Bring your favorite stuffed animal in for a checkup!

2/10 Story Hour

2009-02-10T16:07:00.003-05:00

Theme: Valentine's Day

Story: Love You Forever by Robert Munsch

Roll the Ryhme Dice: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Recite "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" fingerplay in a very soft voice. Then do it in a regular voice using the words the Medium Mama Spider, and finally a very loud voice for the Giant Papa Spider.

Sign Language Words: love, family, friends, pets

Activity: I Am Your Heart (see 2/3 story hour for words)

Craft: Make a valentine

Activity: Class party with candy and valentines

Join us next week as we begin our 6 week theme of careers. We will be learning about what it is like to be the President!

2/3 Story Hour

2009-02-03T13:41:00.003-05:00

Theme: Valentine's Day

Book: One Zillion Valentines by Frank Modell

Sign Language Words: heart, valentine, candy, flowers

Rhyme: I am your heart and I go beat, beat (clap hands on beat).

I pump blood while you’re asleep (pretend to sleep).

I pump blood when you jump up and down (jump).

I pump blood when you run around (run in place).

I pump blood when you move your feet (march in place).

I pump blood as you tiptoe to your seat.

Activity: Listen to your heartbeat with a stethoscope. Is it faster or slower after doing the action rhyme? Why do you think that is?

Craft: Make a mailbox for the valentines you will receive next week!

Next week we will be having a Valentine's Day party! We will read Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and talk about important people in our lives. Children are welcome to bring in treats to share with the group.

Page to Screen: I Am Legend

2009-01-26T10:05:00.003-05:00

If you enjoy watching movies and reading books, you'll love our monthly From Page to Screen program! Many popular films got their starts as books before hitting the big screen. This Thursday, January 29th from 5:30-8:00PM we will be watching the film I Am Legend, based on the book by Robert Matheson. A short discussion concerning the adaptation of the film will follow the movie for those who are interested. If you would like more information or to check out a copy of the book, please stop by the front desk.

Bedtime Story Night

2009-01-26T10:02:00.002-05:00

Children and their caregivers are welcome to join us for our monthly Bedtime Story Night on Monday, January 26th from 6:30-7:00 in the Annex. Listen to stories, lullabies, try a few yoga poses, and get ready for bed. Children are encouraged to attend in their pajamas and bring a pillow, blanket, or their favorite stuffed animal.

Teen Dinner and a Movie

2009-01-23T08:46:00.002-05:00

Join us Tuesday, February 17th at 5:30 p.m. in the Library Annex for "Dinner and a Movie." We will be watching High School Musical 3, which is rated PG. The program is open for teens ages 11 to 18 who like pizza, a good movie and lots of fun! For mroe info call us at 422-2094 or stop by the library.

Best Blogs for Children's Books

2009-01-16T10:12:00.002-05:00

Looking for the latest in Children's literature? Check out these blogs for some unique perspectives and book suggestions!
BookMoot
Chicken Spaghetti
Book Buds KidLit Reviews
How to Find the Best Children's Books
ShelfTalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog
Big A, little a: On Children's Books
I.N.K.- Interesting Nonfiction for Kids
Bookworms' Reviews (reviews written by children)
American Indians in Children's Literature
Colibritos (Children's books in Spanish)

Debt-Free Living Workshop Slideshow

2009-01-13T14:09:00.003-05:00

Couldn't make it out to our workshop on how to live Debt Free? You can now view the powerpoint presentation online by clicking the link to our Slideshare account. We will offer the program again in the spring, so check back with us for more information.

UPDATE: The Debt-Free Living slideshow will be featured on the main Finance section of Slideshare on 1/14/09. We welcome your feedback!

1/13 Story Hour

2009-01-13T14:00:00.003-05:00

Theme: Snowmen

Book: Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner

Flannelboard: 5 Little Snowmen

Five little snowmen riding on a sled (hold up 5 fingers)

One fell off and bumped his head (tap head with hand)

Frosty called the doctor and the doctor said (make "phone" with thumb and pinky fingers)

"No more snowmen riding on the sled!" (shake head and point finger)

Sign Language: We reviewed the words mittens, hat, scarf, and boots from last week and added signs for snowflake, cold, ice, snow, penguin, and polar bear. Learn these signs here and here.

Craft: Make a snowman snow globe.

Next week, join us to learn about penguins!

1-2-3 Magic

2009-01-09T14:33:00.003-05:00

Effective Discipline for Children(ages 2-12)

Join us on February 23rd from 5:00—8:00 p.m. as Patsy Thompson (from the Meade County School System) leads parents through one of America’s most popular parenting programs. There will be kid friendly activities as Patsy leads parents through the 1-2-3 Magic system. The program is free, so be sure to sign up today!!