Monday, August 17, 2015

The Return of LEGO Club: Unleash the Choas

133 people showed up for the first LEGO club this summer. I had seven tables, at least 5,000 LEGO bricks and it was still madness.

I was expecting this, just maybe not on this scale. We had issues with kids not sharing, ignoring safety rules and several who had never played with LEGO at all and keep pulling on my tailcoats asking me to show them how to build something.

The kicker was a had a notoriously obnoxious patron show up half way through, remark loudly on the chaos and then had this "helpful" suggestions.

"Next time I come, I will help you organized the kids into groups of the same age and gender. That way it will work smoother. Okay, honey"


 Ah my inner monologue at that point.

"These children are working together to make beautiful creations. Why do they need to be separate by gender? Is there a law that boys and girls can't play together? Did I miss something?! Ages. Sure put all the older kids together! They would win every time because they have more experience and practice. Then you'll be back whining to me at how that's not fair to the little kids. Let the kids be! They are playing fine without your interference. I've been doing this for over a year. This ain't my first trip to the rodeo. Get out of my face, please. And don't call me honey, you're only 5 years older than me!"

(Imagining Lewis Black narrating that is quite satisfying)

Instead I apologized for the chaos and explained that we had an option of a free play table for kids of any ages to use if they don't want to team build.

Thankfully that patron never showed back up at LEGO club for the rest of the summer and things got a lot more calmer. Sure I had a panic attack afterwards and lived in fear that every club meeting this summer would be like the first, but they were not. (thank god)

We had four meetings of LEGO club this year and I divided the challenges into two categories. Creative Challenges and Technical Challenges

Creative Challenges had the kids build something to a specific theme while Technical let them build what ever they wanted but it had to fit a certain criteria

Creative Challenges
Favorite Books-  I selected about 20 well known books and gave each team a envelope with 5 titles that they could chose from. Each team could only pick one book and could build a scene, character or other representation from the story.

Our Winner- The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Superhero HQ- In going with our theme "Every Hero Has a Story" I asked the kids to build a superhero headquarter. They had to think about what the superheroes would use for communication, transportation and other technology. They also had to determine where it was located (A cave, underground, sky scraper or outer space.)

Impressive!


Technical Challenges
Unbreakable- This was a favorite for me. The kids can build what ever they want, but it can't break. I would go over and shake the tables, or tilt the creation and drop them. Any brick or figure that fell off, couldn't be put back on.

This one was call Vietnam Bomb Base. Historical!

Bricks Only- Again another favorite for me. Too often I had seen kids obsessed with sticking on the most mini figures, doo-dads and other assorted pieces instead of actually building something! It's seems to be the idea that the biggest and busiest creations will automatically be the winner. Not so! My experience has been the team with the best team work and clear vision always has the most votes.
For this challenge kids could build what ever they wanted, but there was to be no wheels, mini figures, clamps, food or other accessories allowed.



Again not my first time at the rodeo. For more tips about running a LEGO club and containing the creative chaos it brings, look here at this post.



Saturday, August 15, 2015

Storytime from the Liberry: The Color Yellow



 Back to school means the yellow buses will soon be cruising your streets. Even if your toddler or preschooler doesn't ride a school bus, they still might find them fascinating! Especially if they have a big brother or sister who does ride. On the sly side, it’s a good chance to talk about experiences; mainly other people’s experiences. In my small city, not many of the toddlers and caregivers are coming to story time on a bus or have ever ridden a bus, but in place like Washington D.C. or NYC, it very common.
To be fair, most kids have and never will ride in a rocket ship, but we still read and talk about them.

Reading about buses is a good transition to talk about going back to school with the whole family, school age and preschool alike. Plus if you are trying to check your local library now for the typical "back to school" books, you will most likely find them all checked out. (Don't blame me! Blame the teachers!)

Or if you are wanting a whole storytime/lesson plan about the color yellow, here is what I did. We talked about buses and bananas 



Opening Song: Wheels on the Bus (How fitting! )

Talk and Engage: Ask about what things are yellow? Or have pictures, or flannel pieces with suggestions if your group needs help

Book: Yellow is my Color Star by Judy Horacek  - A charming book about the color yellow that I did not expect to find.

Song: Two Little Blackbirds


Song: Go Bananas

This can be done two ways. If you have a really energetic group that loves to dance and can do it for a while, I recommend The LearningStation’s song Go Bananas

For my toddlers, I did a shorter song. We also talked before we sang, what it meant by “going bananas”

Go Bananas
Ready? OK!
Bananas unite! (Put hands over head)
Bananas split! (hands at side)

Go bananas!
Go, go bananas!
Go bananas!
Go, go bananas!
(Turn in circles, dance and move your arms)

Bananas to the left!
Bananas to the right!
Peel your banana and, mmmmm, you take a bite!
Go bananas!
Go, go bananas!
Go bananas!
Go, go bananas!
Go bananas!
Go, go bananas!
Go!

This song was the perfect transition to our next book!

Book: Betty goes Bananas by Steve Antony – This book will defiantly strike a chord with the parents of toddlers and preschoolers and make you laugh. When Betty the gorilla wants to eat a bananas, the struggle leads to a full blown tantrum. The maddening frustrations of doing a simple task with a toddler, now in storybook form. Also,  the Mr. Toucan character is quite sassy, I like his style.

Dancing Song: Shake Your Sillies Out


Flannel Board: Little Mouse, Little Mouse- I do this at every story about colors and the kids love it.

Closing Song: Wheels on the Bus

Other book recommendations about school buses: The BusStop, I’m your Bus, Hello School Bus.

There are also plenty of other things that are yellow that you could talk and read about.
Doing a storytime for spring? Read about the sun, bumblebees and yellow flowers.
For fall, corn, squash, changing leaves and harvest theme are easy to work in with the color yellow.

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Booklist- More than just a piece of paper?

The solution to all my problems and my anxieties will be solved....when we move to our new building. That is the mantra I must keep repeating to myself. Till then I'm going to fret about how we can better provide services to our patrons without being perceived as lazy.

Book lists.

I'll admit. I have a love/hate relationship with book lists. On the one hand I love making them. It's always fun to take on a new project and make the time at work pass by faster (It beats sitting at the desk all day, mindlessly surfing the internet, waiting for someone...anyone to ask me a question!) It gives me a chance to research on Goodreads and other book review blogs.

On the other hand, I think printing out a list and sticking it up on a slat wall is about as effective as...just waiting all day at the desk for someone to ask you a question!! It's not the ideal outreach tool for our patrons IMHO.

It also seems limited. I hate being asked "Where are books for 3rd graders?" "Where is level such and such." If some one asks for a lists of books about Greek Mythology, and I just hand them a list and tell them to go find them or look them up in the catalog; I'm not being helpful. I'd rather do Reader's Advisory with a patron over handing them a book list.

However I do realize that they serve a need. Some people are in a hurry and they are just looking for a quick suggestion. Some kids/adult will NEVER come to the desk and ask for suggestions for whatever reasons (shyness, social awkwardness, etc.).

There is no magic bullet to make our patrons suddenly check out more books and explore new topics. Most are set in their ways. They might ask you for a suggestion but most of the time it's "I'll just take a list, thank you very much"


We've had a mostly empty slat wall right by our storytime area. Another awkward space (Our library is full of them! Hence why I'm excited about the new building!) Neglected as a book display before my time and often forgotten by shelvers, it has mostly displayed Ready to Read posters.

To snazz it up, I added two displays of "helpful handouts" (not sure what else to call them) focusing on Ready to Read...without the wordy jargon. I found great resources over at Reading Rockets.
"How to Read to a Squiggly Baby (or Toddler!)"
"Finding the Right Book for Your Child"

I also created a book list based on a BuzzFeed article on 37 Books to Read To Your Kids, Based on Their Favorite TV Shows.

My goal was to make this area more appealing for parents visiting storytimes with their kids later this fall. The same day I finished this, I saw a father pick up my book list, browse the picture books and select a stack of suggested books to take home.

OMG a book list worked!


Book lists? Hate them? Love them?
Helpful tools for patrons and library staff alike? Or antiquated relics that should go the way of the card catalog?

(P.S. Reading Rockets also has a page for themed book lists if you need some inspiration)

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Blog Updates!

If you are looking for the links to my storytimes, I have added a page that links all the posts about storytimes. Please feel free to use or share in your library, school or home! 
<--- Right there on your left -In the side bar


Also this tale from the liberry

Patron: So I have a dumb question.
Me: No, nothing is a dumb question to me.
Patron: Ok so the letters on the side of the books, those are for the reading level right? Because you don't have many V's
Me:... No those letter labels stand for the author's last name...


Friday, August 7, 2015

Summer Reading Storytimes

I'm emerging from the fog that is summer reading. I think my mind still hasn't registered that it's over.

We've had an awesome summer at my library with great programs, storytimes and activities. I will say the odd raining and cool weather might have played a part in driving people into the building.

We did the Collaborative Summer Reading program "Every Hero has a Story" and I created 5 toddlers storytimes for "Super Toddlers" I kept my same format, but in the summer time my group is a lot smaller and I can usually rely on my regulars, so I added a craft to every storytime.



Super Toddlers- Superheroes

I took inspiration from Literary Hoots' Ninja Storytime . Not all superheroes wear capes!

Books Read : Do Superheroes have Teddy Bears (Coyle), Ninja Ninja Never Stop (Tuell) Hoot Owl Master of Disguise (Taylor) and Hero Mom (Hardin)

For our craft, we decorated blank superheroes with markers and scrap paper. I ordered some per-made craft sticks from Oriental Trader that were really too small for toddlers. So I made up something else on card stock and let them decorate both of them.

Super Toddlers- American Heroes

Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. So when I get a chance to do a storytime about it, I go for! While it's not a great choice for a read aloud at this age group- John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith is a must read at this time of year. Books about parades and summer picnics are also good choice to round out a Fourth of July storytime.

I reused a firework  flannel from Chinese New Year storytime

Books Read: Yankee Doddle (Hoberman), Fourth of July Mice (Roberts) Red White and Blue (Wardlaw)

Firework painting was our craft. It was very impressive! Most of kids were very focused on creating the fireworks while only a few treated it as a finger painting craft. I created firework stampers out of pipe cleaners and let them dip them in red, blue and silver paint. You can make a fire work shaped brush out of forks, straws or q-tips. Defiantly doing this again!




Super Toddlers- Construction Heroes 

Construction always seems a crowd pleaser regardless of age or gender.  You should do a mud/dirt/sand sensory bin. However you can also be like me who did enough of those already this summer and make a three little pigs sensory bin out of craft sticks, red LEGO bricks, and straw. 

Early literacy tip for parents: Most of these construction story often involve building something. Clues are hidden in the text so see if you and your child can guess was the "surprise" building at the end of the story. (A park, pool, roller coast etc.)

Books Read: B is for Bulldozer (Sobel) Huff and Puff (Rueda) Tip Tip Dig Dig (Garcia) Machines at Work (Barton)

Including playing with the story/sensory bin, I also let the kids doddle with white chalk on blue construction paper to create their own "blue prints"

Super Toddlers- Community Heroes

Can't forget our firefighters, mail carriers and sanitation workers! As an activity, I played Oscar the Grouch's "I love Trash" and literally scattered trash on the floor for the kids to pick up. Surprise, they love it! So I made them promise to their homes and pick up all the trash all the time.

Books Read: Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do (Heling)*, Smash! Mash! There Goes the Trash (Odanaka) Shhh! Everyone is Sleeping (Markes) This is the Firefighter (Goodwin)

Reading tips: With the book Shhh! Everyone is Sleeping- all the community helpers are sleeping in their work places. Ask you group if a librarian sleeps/lives in the library, etc. Most people do not, but some do (firefighters, the president etc.)

For our craft we made a community hero belt. Each kid got several coloring pieces of hammers, toothbrushes, police badge and brown construction paper to make a belt. I knew this was a bigger and more time consuming craft than others. I offered the craft as a take home for anyone who wanted it. 

(P.S. This author has a similar formatted book about sports. Planning ahead for SRP 2016! )

Super Toddlers- Storybook Heroes

This is a general theme less storytime. I used a selection of fairy tale, nursery rhyme books as well as some classic favorites. Chose what ever books, rhymes and fingerplays that suite you!

For our craft, we made simple paper plate crowns and covered them with loads of stickers, foam pieces and stick on jewels


We like many other libraries take a break in the month of August. So now I face with the awkwardness of parents asking me why I don't have story times and activities this month. What is the most efficient way of tell them we are on break without making the staff seem like we are lazy?