TinkerLab, Reverse Engineering, STEM Saturday...

So, this happened...

                                                                                 

Old computers, laptops, and various electronics, screwdrivers, curious kids, a couple helpful parents, and lots of fun!

Hooray for Audiobooks!

What have I been up to? Well, for starters...reading listening to many great audiobooks. I'm in the car 1-1 1/2 hours 5 days a week. That can be a lot juvenile fiction listened to. Here's some faves for upper elementary to middle grades that will make it onto my next "Staff Picks" list, check 'em out:

Bridge to Terrabithia by Katherine Paterson
 

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander


Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
 

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


The Nest by Kenneth Oppel


First Light by Rebecca Stead


A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck


A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen


Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli


And these are only the ones I loved!

Be My Valentine Party!

 

So much fun packed into 45-60 minutes! The line-up for this successful party program started with a story and a song. Because about 1/2 the children attending were between 2-4 I went with a slightly younger picture book: The Shape of my Heart by Mark Sperring and Alys Paterson. Colorful pictures and having the kids name different shapes in the book made it a great interactive book with a big AWE...at the end. 

Next up: H.E.A.R.T. song (to the tune of BINGO). I made a Valentine for you. The heart shape says I love you. H.E.A.R.T. It took a couple verses to get into the swing of it because we were so used to singing BINGO. :)

Activity stations: 

• Scratch art, I SPY Valentine sheet 
• decorate your own bookmark (stickers, variety of hole punchers, and ribbon to go with the pink, red, and purple paint sample strips)
• bubble station with a bunch of different shaped wands 
• minute to win it games (stack the hearts and transfer the marshmallows with straws)
• giant floor tic-tac-toe with purple vs. pink hearts and a heart toss game - Bozo bucket style
• a "kissing booth" that was actually guessing how many Hersey kisses were in a jar
• a cookie decorating table (very messy, but yummy) and finally,
• a "Kind Bomb" area to make a sweet note to put in a book for someone to randomly find.

Bedtime Storytime

     

There are so many great books to choose from to do a bedtime storytime. I had all 5 of these on deck ready to go for my 2's and 3's toddler storytime. I knew I wouldn't make it through all 5 but advised the grown-ups about all the great picture books out there with a edtime theme. What are some of your favorites?

I made little dinosaur stickers for each child to wear that said "ROAR!" And while I read Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, each child started to ROAR! when the word came up on the page. It was very exciting and one of the highlights of the story time. I love repetition in storytime!

I also read Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late and Llama Llama Red Pajama. Our craft was based on Llama Llama Red Pajama. I printed the Llama sitting in bed on card stock and provided bits of tissue paper in all kinds of colors for them to make their own custom quilt for Llama. 

A great activity song was My Engery by the Laurie Berkner. A lot of movement and then tiredness when done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKcs_oefYyk

My transition between craft and the good-bye song is turning on the bubble machine. Usually the kids jump around and try catching the bubbles. Because today's theme was bedtime, I had them lay down on the storytime rug and imagine stars in the sky and wait for the bubbles to come to them. It was a nice peaceful version of bubble-time. (The following week, several children decided they preferred laying back down and make themselves at home on the floor...quite cute!)