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May Book & Cookie Club: Fake Mustache

5/30/2018

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Book and Cookie Club is a monthly book discussion that I facilitate.  It is geared toward students in 3rd - 5th grade and an adult caregiver.  Each month I select a book, we read it, and then we get together to nosh on some delicious cookies while we have Maximum Fun!  

Our book for this month was Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger.   
My Devious Plan
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I have been desperate to create an escape room and use it in one of my programs.  I think escape rooms are incredibly fun and I love how they encourage everyone to work together.  I thought that Fake Mustache would be the perfect book to use as inspiration for my very first escape room.
Escape Room Noob
Research
I highly recommend doing as much research as you can before you start the process of creating an escape room from scratch.  

Here are the websites & blogs that I referenced when I was creating the escape room:
The Logic Escapes Me
Now Escape
Lock Paper Scissors
​Weekend Notes
Instructables
​
Fundraising Mums
Recommendations
These are the four major things that I wish I would have done a little bit better when I was planning and executing this escape room.  
  • Time: give yourself time to plan your escape room
  • Think: consider how you will set-up the room & where the clues will go
  • Test: have a group of people test out your escape room so that you can work out the little kinks
  • Try: make sure you know how to open the locks (I struggs to open and close that durn rope lock.  Yikes!)
Supplies
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  • Computer*
  • Projector*
  • BlueTooth speaker*
  • Boggle*
  • Lewo Tumbling Tower*
  • Interoffice envelope*
  • 10 cardstock mustaches (laminated w/ paper clips attached)*
  • 2 hands (laminated with magnets on the back & yarn attached)*
  • Does It Fart?  by Nick Caruso & Dana Rabaiotti*
  • Slime (I made it from scratch)*
  • Nose tissue box holder* 
  • Orange crepe streamers
  • Extendable cord lock
  • Number/letter lock
  • Mario tin with ? mark*
    • Candy (Jolly Ranchers & Life Savers)
    • Sticky hands
  • Whoopee cushion
  • Pictures of book characters with mustaches*
Some of the items for the escape room were things that I already owned.  I'm going to be 100% honest with you, I am in grad school, I work part time, and I'm married to a teacher.  We're not swimming in cash so I definitely designed the clues around things that I had lying around my house.  Anything marked with a "*" is something that I either own or was provided by my library. 

The whoopee cushion was my timekeeper  I let 'er rip to let everyone know that they had 15 and 10 minutes left.
Room Set-Up
Book and Cookie Club is hosted in our children's program room.  We have a lot of cabinets where we store our programming supplies.  I decided to utilize two of the cabinets for the escape room.  I also thought it was important to mark off the things that were NOT part of the escape room.  I used orange crepe streamers to block off the areas that weren't part of the escape room to provide a visual reminder in case participants fogot which areas were not part of the game.

​There was also the added challenge of everyone being in the room before we began the escape room.  I covered up the clues for the escape room with blue table cloths and made sure I had a fun icebreaker activity (mazes) for everyone to do at their seats as we waited for everyone to arrive.
The Story & The 1st Clue
Every escape room has to have a story!  I usediFakeText Message and Screen Cast O'Matic to create a text conversation between myself and Fako Mustacho (the evil villain).  The B&C Crew watched the video and began the search for their candy!
The hint is located in the the text messages of the video.
  • Find a lock with numbers
  • Combination is 4-2-2.
Clue #2: URGENT!
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Once participants unlocked the cabinet, there was an interoffice envelope with a yellow note marked “URGENT!!!”

There are hints hidden inside of the memo that led the team to the next major clue: word, blue, hairy, and evil (the boggle game)
​
There is also a secret clue on the logo of the memo: HNBC (that came in handy later)
Clue #3: EVIL HAIR!
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I hid a yellow piece of paper that was slightly poking out from under Boggle.

The yellow piece of paper had a poem that led The Crew to the next clue.

"Finding candy is your wish, use your
hands to go and fish.  To locate the candy stash - you must catch a mustache!”


The hints in the poem are the words "hands" and "mustache".
Clue #4 -- Catch That 'Stache
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Participants used the magnetic hands to pick up all of the mustaches.  Each mustache had a number written on the back.  

The numbers represented a letter.  One of the magnetic hands had a number/letter key that participants used to break the code.

This is the code:
U = 1
12  18 7  26 1 18  11 20 9 11
Answer to the code is: Flatulence
Clue #5-- Does it Fart?
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I had a stack of books on a table with the spines facing out.  Participants had to find the book Does It Fart? to locate the next clue.

I placed a bookmark on the horse page of Does It Fart that would lead participants to the next clue.
Clue #6 -- The Tower
I taped a picture of a nose on four of the Lewo blocks.  I hid them inside of the tower.  The kids decided the best strategy was to knock down the tower to find the next clue!
Clue #7 -- It's SNOT funny
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I made slime and placed it inside of this amazing tissue box cover that belongs to MLaw (my awesome husband).  I hid the next clue inside of the slime/snot.  The kids had to stick their hand in the box and pull the clue out of the slime.  Squealing noises were made (MWA-HA-HA!)

The clue inside of the slime/snot was a laminated piece of paper that said "I am as pretty as a picture."
Clue #8 -- Picture Perfect
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There's nothing funnier than putting mustaches on book characters.  I'm not going to lie, putting mustaches on The Berenstain Bears had me giggling uncontrollably.

The characters pictured here are: Harry Potter, Nancy Drew, Berenstain Bears, and Clifford (HNBC).

The Crew really thought long and hard on this one.  They came up with some ideas that I hadn't thought of (like counting the number of mustaches on the characters).  Ultimately, they figured out that the first letter of each character's name was the first part of the lock combination and then they realized that there were four pictures on the wall, which was the last part of the lock combination.

​So, the lock combination was HNBC4.
THEY DID IT!
The Crew solved the escape room in 22 minutes.  Each of the kids recieved a cello treat bag for their candy stash and sticky hand.  I considered getting mini whoopee cushions, but I decided the sticky hands and sugared up children would be enough of a punishment to the parents in attendance (Sorry! #notsorry #theyhadfun)
Mustache Photo Booth
I created a photo booth and printed off some mustache photo booth props.  The kids and parents had a blast taking photos! 

I took some photos of my own after Book and Cookie Club was over to celebrate the success of my first escape room!
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Family Storytime: Best Furends (Dogs)

5/23/2018

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Clipart by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips. Graphic designed on PicMonkey.
It is no secret to my friends, family, and colleagues that I really, really, really want a doggo.  When my parents moved to TX two years ago, they took the family dog with them (check out slideshow at the end of this post to see pictures of said family doggo).  To say that I have dog withdrawl is an understatement.  I decided that I needed a dog storytime so that I could get a temporary doggo fix.  

I assembled the basket for this week.  Click here to see the books, action rhymes, songs, etc. that I included in our family storytime basket.

The outline of my family storytime plan can be found here and the lyric sheets that I made to project up on a screen using the document camera can be found here.

THE PLAN

Pre-Storytime Music
These are the songs that we listened to before storytime.  If you are interested in checking out these songs, the album cover images have links to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase these great songs!
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"Give a Hug"
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"The Great Big Dog"
Pre-Storytime Activity: I-Spy Cats & Dogs
Kids love a good I-Spy activity and Next Comes L Blog comes up with the BEST I-Spy activities.  They practically have every I-Spy under the sun.  I highly recommend checking them out! 
​Hello Song: We'll Wave Hello Together
We’ll wave hello together,
We’ll wave hello together,
We’ll wave hello together,
Because it’s fun to do.
 
We’ll give a hug together,
We’ll give a hug together,
We’ll give a hug together,
Because it’s kind to do.
 
We’ll high five together,
We’ll high five together,
We’ll high five together,
Because it’s fun to do.​
Letter of The Week: Cc
I introduced the letter of the week by showing everyone the collage on the document camera.  I asked participants "What letter is this?"  We made the two different sounds that the letter C makes and we made the letter C with our bodies.  Then, we talked about the pictures in the collage.  We moo'd together for the cow, meowed together for the cat, pretended to eat cotton candy, and shared our favorite crayon color.
letter_c_collage.pdf
File Size: 452 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

I purchased the clipart for this collage from the amazing Krista Wallden of Creative Clips.
Books
Can I Be Your Dog?  Is a sweet story about a doggo looking for his forever home.  He writes letters to people in the neighborhood asking if they would be willing to adopt him.  

Gaston is about two puppies who don't look like the rest of their family members, and learn that it's more important to be who you want to be.

Will You Help Doug Find His Dog?  Is a fabulous interactive book that invites everyone to help Doug figure out which dog is his.

Bark, George is an old favorite.  George makes the sounds of other animals instead of saying "woof."  This is a great interactive book as you can invite participants to make the different animal sounds with you.
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Picture
Picture
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Recorded Music
These are the songs that we danced to during storytime.  If you are interested in checking out these songs, the album cover images have links to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase these great songs!
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"Can You Dance?"
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"Mr. Eric's Jumping Song"
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"If You're Happy and You Know It"
Songs We Sang
My Dog Rags
​Credit: Jbrary
I have a dog.
His name is Rags.
He eats so much that his tummy sags,
His ears flip flop
and his tail wig wags.
And when he walks, he goes zig zag.

He goes flip flop, wig wag, zig zag.
He goes flip flop, wig wag, zig zag.
He goes flip flop, wig wag, zig zag.
I love Rags and he loves me.
If You're a Dog and You Know It
​Credit: Librarian Lisa
To the tune of: If You're Happy and You Know It

If you’re a dog and you know it bark like this, “Woof, Woof!”
If you’re a dog and you know it bark like this, “Woof, Woof!”
If you’re a dog and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you’re a dog and you know it bark like this, “Woof, Woof!”

If you’re a dog and you know it wag your tail, (wag your tail)
If you’re a dog and you know it wag your tail,
If you’re a dog and you know it wag your tail,
If you’re a dog and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you’re a dog and you know it wag your tail.
Action Rhymes & Fingerplays
Puppy Roll
​Credit: Canton Public Library
Five little puppies all digging a hole (hold up five fingers)
One fell in and started to roll… (roll your hands)
She rolled to the bottom, she didn’t get hurt.
How many puppies are left digging dirt? (count how many puppies are left)
 
Four little puppies all digging a hole (hold up four fingers)
One fell in and started to roll… (roll your hands)
He rolled to the bottom, he didn’t get hurt.
How many puppies are left digging dirt? (count how many puppies are left)
 
Three little puppies all digging a hole (hold up three  fingers)
One fell in and started to roll… (roll your hands)
They rolled to the bottom, they didn’t get hurt.
How many puppies are left digging dirt? (count how many puppies are left)
 
Two little puppies all digging a hole (hold up two fingers)
One fell in and started to roll… (roll your hands)
She rolled to the bottom, she didn’t get hurt.
How many puppies are left digging dirt? (count how many puppies are left)

One little puppy all digging a hole (hold up five fingers)
One fell in and started to roll… (roll your hands)
He rolled to the bottom, he didn’t get hurt.
How many puppies are left digging dirt? (count how many puppies are left)
Rover Can
Credit: Jen in the Library
Can you do what Rover can do?
Rover can shake.
Rover can roll over.
Rover can chase his tail.
Rover can speak.
Rover can sit.
What else can rover do?
Some Dogs Bark
Credit: Storytime Katie
Some dogs bark.
Some dogs growl.
Some dogs yip.
Some dogs howl.
Five Little Puppies
​Credit: Storytime Katie
Five little puppies were playing in the sun. (Hold up hand, fingers extended.)
This one saw a rabbit, and he began to run. (Bend first finger.)
This one saw a butterfly, and he began to race. (Bend second finger.)
This one saw a pussycat, and he began to chase. (Bend third finger.)
This one tried to catch his tail, and he went round & round. (Bend fourth finger.)
This one was so quiet, he never made a sound. (Bend thumb.)
Goodbye Song: Say Goodbye
Picture"Say Goodbye"
This is the goodbye song that I have been using in storytime.  If you are interested in checking out this song, the album cover is a link to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase this song.

Post-Storytime Music
These are the songs that we listened to after storytime.  If you are interested in checking out these songs, the album cover images have links to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase these great songs!
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"I Love My Dog"
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"Sammy the Dog"
And Now...Some Dog Pics
Because everyone could use some photos of Curley the Wonderdog.  
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Artsy Babies: Dance Day!

5/23/2018

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Clipart by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips. Graphic designed on PicMonkey.
We decided to end our Artsy Babies series with some movement and dance.  We taught our participants a choreographed dance routine and had a super fabulously fun dance party under some strobe lights!  This was the 4th and final installment of the Artsy Babies program. 

This was our first time planning and facilitaing a program like this and we weren't sure what the level of interest would be. We recieved a great deal of positive feedback from caregivers that attended every session.  Caregivers mentioned how much they loved the music classes.

If and when we do this series again, we may focus solely on music and movement as we already offer an art program for babies called "Mini Masterpieces."

Overall, this was a really fun program to put together and I am so glad to have had the opportunity to try and offer something new!

Previous posts about the Artsy Babies programming series can be found by clicking on the links below.
Week 1: Music & Movement
Week 2: Art
Week 3: Musical Instruments
Welcome Song: Wake Up Feet
Credit: Jbrary
Wake up feet, wake up feet (touch baby’s feet)
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (touch & wiggle baby’s feet)
Wake up feet, wake up feet (touch baby’s feet)
Wake up and wiggle in the morning. (wiggle baby’s feet)

Wake up hands, wake up hands (touch baby’s hands)
Wake up hands and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (touch & wiggle baby’s hands)
Wake up hands, wake up hands (touch baby’s hands)
Wake up and wiggle in the morning. (wiggle baby’s hands)

Wake up ears, wake up ears (touch baby’s ears)
Wake up ears and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (touch & wiggle baby’s ears)
Wake up ears, wake up ears (touch baby’s ears)
Wake up and wiggle in the morning. (wiggle baby’s ears)
Book
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This is a new board book series that we ordered for Artsy Babies, but alas, they did not arrive in time save for this one.  
Group Dance & Action Songs
We chose to sing these together, but you can use recorded music too!
Ring Around the Rosie
Ring around the rosy,
Pocket full of posies,
Hush-a, Hush-a,
We all fall down.
Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Head and shoulders, knees, and toes
Knees and toes
Head and shoulders, knees, and toes
Knees and toes
eyes and ears
And mouth and nose
Head and shoulders, knees, and toes
Knees and toes
The Wheels on the Bus
The wheels on the bus go round and round
Round and round, round and round
The wheels on the bus go round and round
All through the town.
(Roll hands over each other) 

The wipers on the bus go "Swish, swish, swish,
Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish"
The wipers on the bus go "Swish, swish, swish"
All through the town.
(Swish arms like windshield wipers) 

The door on the bus goes open and shut
Open and shut, open and shut
The door on the bus goes open and shut
All through the town.
(Open and close hands)

The horn on the bus goes "Beep, beep, beep
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep"
The horn on the bus goes "Beep, beep, beep"
All through the town.
(Pretend to honk horn) 

The babies on the bus say, "Wah, wah, wah!
Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah!"
The babies on the bus says, "Wah, wah, wah!"
All through the town.
(Fisted hands in front of eyesand rub them like baby crying) 

The grown-ups on the bus say, "Shh, shh, shh,
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh"
The grown-ups on the bus say, "Shh, shh, shh"
All through the town.
(Put pointer finger to mouth to 'shhh') 
Hokey Pokey
You put your right foot in
You take your right foot out
You put your right foot in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

You put your left foot in
You take your left foot out
You put your left foot in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

You put your right hand in
You take your right hand out
You put your right hand in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

You put your left hand in
You take your left hand out
You put your left hand in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey 
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about

You put your whole self in
You take your whole self out
You put your whole self in
And you shake it all about
You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
That's what it's all about
Choreographed Dance Routine
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
​Credit: Jbrary
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We decided to teach everyone a choreographed dance routine to "Can't Stop This Feeling" from the Trolls movie.  We used the movie version with Anna and JT.

To see a short video of the dance click here.

cant_stop_this_feeling_choreo.pdf
File Size: 118 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Dance Party!
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I decided to purchase this awesome Strobe Light from Amazon and I think it was the best $10.00 I have ever spent!  It comes with a remote and several different light settings.  

Our participants had a blast dancing it out and the lights really added an extra element of fun!

The .GIF to the left is a demonstration of the strobe light and also serves as an accurate representation of how awesome life is at The Lawton Lodge.
*Note: This is the way that we decided to sing the goodbye song:

We wave goodbye like this
We wave goodbye like this
We clap our hands for all our friends
We wave goodbye like this.


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Artsy Babies: Musical Instruments Day!

5/16/2018

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Clipart by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips. Graphic designed on PicMonkey.
This was our third program in our Artsy Babies series.  Week 2 was Art and week 1 was Music and Movement.
This is a new series that we are piloting this spring and so far it has been fairly popular.  

Today was musical instrument day for Artsy Babies!  We played with bells, rattles, and egg shakers.  There was singing, shaking, and ringing!

THE PLAN

Welcome Song: Wake Up Feet
Wake up feet, wake up feet (touch baby’s feet)
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (touch & wiggle baby’s feet)
Wake up feet, wake up feet (touch baby’s feet)
Wake up and wiggle in the morning. (wiggle baby’s feet)


Wake up hands, wake up hands (touch baby’s hands)
Wake up hands and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (touch & wiggle baby’s hands)
Wake up hands, wake up hands (touch baby’s hands)
Wake up and wiggle in the morning. (wiggle baby’s hands)


Wake up ears, wake up ears (touch baby’s ears)
Wake up ears and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle (touch & wiggle baby’s ears)
Wake up ears, wake up ears (touch baby’s ears)
Wake up and wiggle in the morning. (wiggle baby’s ears)
Book
Picture
 We had some of the instruments shown in this book on hand, so we demonstrated the sounds of those instruments as the story was read aloud.  We also gave caregivers and babies time to try out the different instruments at the end of the program.
Musical Instrument Activities
Bells
If You're Happy & You Know It
We took an old classic and adapted it.

If you’re happy and you know it
ring your bells.
If you’re happy and you know it
ring your bells.
If you’re happy and you know it
and you really want to show it
If you’re happy and you know it
ring your bells.
Shake Those Bells
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"Shake Those Bells"
If you are interested in checking out this song, the album cover is a link to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase it.

Shake Your Bell In the Air
Shake your bell in the air, in the air
Shake your bell in the air, in the air
Shake your bell in the air and hold it right there
Shake your bell in the air, in the air

Shake your bell on the side, on the side
Shake your bell on the side, on the side
Shake your bell on the side as you smile really ride
Shake your bell on the side, on the side

Shake your bell way down low, way down low
Shake your bell way down low, way down low
Shake your bell way down low, then smile and say “hello”
Shake your bell way down low, way down low

Rattles
Shake!
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"Shake!"
If you are interested in checking out this song, the album cover is a link to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase it.
We Shake & Shake & Stop
We shake and shake and stop
We shake and shake and stop
We shake and shake and shake and shake
and shake and shake and stop
Egg Shakers
Going to Kentucky
I was going to Kentucky
Going to the fair
to see the senorita with the flower in her hair
Oh shake it, shake it, shake it
Shake it if you can
Shake it like a milkshake
And do the best you can
Oh wobble to the bottom
and wobble to the top
And turn around and turn around
until you make a stop.
Shake Your Shakers
Shake your shakers in the air
Shake it here, shake it there
Shake your shakers in the air
Shake your shakers.

Shake it high and shake it low
Shake it yes, shake it no
Shake it high and shake it low
Shake your shakers

Shake it up and shake it down
Shake your shaker on the ground
Shake it up and shake it down
Shake your shakers

Shake it fast and shake it slow
Shake it stop, shake it go
Shake it fast and shake it slow
Shake your shaker
I Know A Chicken
Picture
"I Know a Chicken"
​If you are interested in checking out this song, the album cover is a link to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase it.
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
We wave goodbye like this
We wave goodbye like this
We clap our hands for all our friends
We wave goodbye like this.
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Family Storytime: Moms

5/12/2018

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Picture
Clipart by Krista Wallden of Clipart by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips. Graphic designed on PicMonkey.
As I was growing up I had several maternal figures in my life that read to me, loved me, and cared for me.  Some of those incredible women are still part of my life and a small few have passed away.  I am grateful to have had countless  instances in which I was shown unconditional love by a maternal figure.

When I was looking through the basket of books for this week, I reflected on all of the different maternal figures that exist in the world and I wanted to provide a storytime in which they were included and celebrated.

Click here to see the outline from today's storytime.

THE PLAN

Pre-Storytime Activity: Words of Kindness
I cut out paper flowers using our Ellison machine.  I wrote a word on each flower that could describe a caregiver, mom, aunt, grandmother, etc.  I deliberately did not write words like "beautiful" or "pretty" on the flowers because I wanted the focus to be on traits that often go unnoticed about women - i.e.: brave, artistic, adventurous, entrepreneur, etc..  If you are curious to see the full list, it is on page 8 of my outline.

I hung the flowers in different parts of the meeting room where storytime is held and encouraged participants to look for a word that describes their caregiver or someone very special to them.  I also had some blank flowers that participants could take home, write on, and share.
Pre-Storytime Music
These are the songs that we listened to before storytime.  If you are interested in checking out these songs, the album cover images have links to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase these great songs!
Picture
"My Family"
Picture
"Give a Hug"
Welcome Song
We’ll wave hello together,
We’ll wave hello together,
We’ll wave hello together,
Because it’s fun to do.

We’ll give a hug together,
We’ll give a hug together,
We’ll give a hug together,
Because it’s kind to do.

We’ll high five together,
We’ll high five together,
We’ll high five together,
Because it’s fun to do.

Credit: Verona Storytime.
Letter of the Week: Mm
To introduce the Letter of the Week, I ask participants what they think the letter of the week is.  We practice making the sound of that letter and then we practice "drawing" the letter.  Today, I had caregivers trace the letter M on their child's back and had the children draw the letter M on the carpeting.  #DoubleSensoryInput  #Yas  

After we "drew" the Letter of the Week, we went through the collage and talked about the items on the collage.
letter_mm_collage.pdf
File Size: 423 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

I purchased the clipart for this collage from the amazing Krista Wallden of Creative Clips.
Recorded Music
These are the songs that we danced to in storytime.  If you are interested in checking out these songs, the album cover images have links to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase these great songs!
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"Can You Dance?"
Picture
"Mr. Eric's Jumping Song"
Picture
"If You're Happy and You Know It"
Books
I wanted to share books that depicted female caregivers and children doing every day things together.  

Bee-bim Bop! is a wonderful story about a young girl cooking with her family.

I Will Love You has a lovely message about the unconditional love that caregivers have.

My Mother's Sari is a story about a young girl and all the ways she loves, plays with, and uses her mother's sari.

I wanted to add in a book about aunts.  There are not a ton of aunt books out there in the world.  As an auntie, I wish there were more!  What Aunts Do Best was a quick read that talks about all of the ways aunts spoil their nieces and nephews.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Songs We Sang
Yo Te Amo
​Credit: Jbrary
Yo te amo, yo te amo
All day long I’ll sing this little song to you.
Yo te amo, yo te amo
Darling I love you!

Je t’aime, Je t’aime
All day long I’ll sing this little song to you.
Je t’aime, Je t’aime
Darling I love you!

I love you, I love you
All day long I’ll sing this little song to you.
I love you, I love you
Darling I love you!

Skinnamarink
​Credit: Jbrary
Skinnamarink e-dink, e-dink,
Skinnamarink e-doo,
I love you.
(repeat)
I love you in the morning,
And in the afternoon;
I love you in the evening,
And underneath the moon.
Skinnamarink e-dink, e-dink,
Skinnamarink e-doo,
I love you.
Action Rhymes
I Have a Little Heart
​Credit: Jbrary
I have a little heart, (place hand over heart)
And it goes thump, thump, thump (pat chest three times)
It keeps right on beating,
When I jump, jump, jump (jump three times)
I get a special feeling, when I look at you. (point to child)
It makes me want to give you a hug or two. (hug)
Hurry Scurry Little Mouse
​Credit: Pierce County Library
Hurry scurry little mouse,
Starts down at your toes. (touch toes)
Hurry scurry little mouse,
Past your knees he goes. (touch knees)
Hurry scurry little mouse,
Past where your tummy is. (touch  tummy)
Hurry scurry little mouse,
Gives you a mousy kiss. (blow a  kiss)
Let's Go to the Forest
​Credit: Pierce County Library
Let’s go to the forest.
What will we do there?
Find our grown-ups. (point to caregivers.)
What will we do with them?
Kiss them, kiss them, kiss them! (give kisses)
Tall as a Tree
​Credit: Pierce County Library
Tall as a tree, (stretch arms overhead)
Wide as a house, (stretch arms out to sides)
Thin as a pin, (arms tight against sides)
Small as a mouse. (crouch)
Goodbye Song: "Say Goodbye"
Picture
Post-Storytime Music
These are the songs that we listened to after storytime.  If you are interested in checking out these songs, the album cover images have links to Amazon where you can listen to a sample and purchase these great songs!
Picture
"I Love You"
Picture
"Hey Ho!"
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Artsy Babies: Art Day!

5/9/2018

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Picture
Clipart by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips. Graphic designed on PicMonkey.
Today's theme for Artsy Babies was art!  We found a very cute printable that allowed caregivers to turn their baby's fingerprints into balloons, we did some painting in a bag, and made mini paper collages with Ellison die cut-outs and contact paper.  

The biggest challenge for today's program was keeping the art projects simple and relatively mess-free while also trying to make the projects different from our Mini Masterpieces program (which is an art-specific program for babies and caregivers).

THE PLAN

Welcome Song: Wake Up Feet
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Wake up hands, wake up hands
Wake up hands and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up hands, wake up hands
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Wake up ears, wake up ears
Wake up ears and wiggle, wigglw, wiggle
Wake up ears, wake up ears
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Book
Picture
We used this book from the Alphaprints board book series because fingerprints are used to form the illustrations.  We thought that would tie in nicely to the fingerprint art!
Art Activities
We set all of our activities up around the room in stations so caregivers and babies could rotate through each activity.  In addition to our three stations that had art projects, we also put out our bin of baby toys and a book display cart with some of our favorite picture books.  
Picture
Fingerprint Art
Picture
My colleague found these darling elephant printables.  Caregivers pressed baby's fingers into washable non-toxic stamp pads and used baby's tiny inky fingers to make balloons.  We also included some washable markers for caregivers to write baby's name, the date, or to draw any additional details they wanted onto the page.  We provided Babyganics wipes for caregivers to clean baby's fingers after they were done creating their fingerprint masterpiece.
Painting in a Bag
Picture
We used Crayola washable finger paint, white cardstock, and gallon sized Ziploc bags.  We cut two inches off of the top of the cardstock so that it would fit nicely into the Ziploc bags.  We also squirted a dollop of paint onto each piece of cardstock, carefully placed the cardstock inside of the bags, and sealed the bags.  The bags held up really well!  The caregivers even found the painting in a bag to be soothing!
Mini Mural on Contact Paper
Picture
We set out an assortment of Ellison-die cut shapes, pre-cut contact paper, and sheets of cardstock for caregivers and babies to make mini paper murals.  This was our most popular activity.
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

We wave goodbye like this
We wave goodbye like this
We clap our hands for all our friends
We wave goodbye like this.

If you would like to see the post from our first week of Artsy Babies click here.
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Techno Thursday: The Last Hurrah

5/3/2018

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Picture
Last night I went to my last class of the spring semester.  For the past three weeks I have had a magnificent stress-induced eye twitch and a good case of the "I can't brain, I has the dumbs."  I think that I have just enough brain power left to write and reflect on my last project for my #LIS724 Integrating Technology into Programming, Services, and Instruction course. 

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to try different platforms and sharing what I loved, learned, and (sometimes) loathed about them (I'm looking at you, Prezi).  I hope that I can continue to set aside some time to learn and experiment with new technological platforms and integrate them into my programming and reference services at my library.

Final Project

Our final project tasked my group members and me with developing an inquiry based lesson to teach to our classmates.  After four years of not wearing my "teacher hat", I had to dust it off and put it back on.
Choosing a Topic
At first, I thought that it would be great fun for us to use some of the robotics that my library owns.  I looked at our Ozobots and Makey Makey, but due to special programming my group would not have been able to get enough materials for our classmates to use the robotic equipment effectively.

One of my group members suggested using GeoGuessr.  GeoGuessr is an online platform that utilizes Google Maps Street View.  Users select a region of the world and GeoGuessr places them in an unknown location within that region.   Users must use physical clues (mountains, trees, water, etc.) and human clues (signs, cars, people, clothes, etc.) to figure out where they are.  The user will make a guess about where they are and GeoGuessr will tell them how close or far away they are from their guess.
Designing a Lesson
I had to reach into The Archives (a.k.a my 2009 Toshiba Satellite Laptop that is still alive) to dig out my lesson plan outline.  It has been a while since I have had to wear my "Teacher Hat" but I feel like it is a bit like riding a bicycle - you remember what to do once you start going. 

I wanted to think of an activity that would get everyone interested in what we were about to do so I created the"Where in the United States" activity.  I downloaded pictures from Pixabay of four landmarks in the United States.  I wanted my classmates to guess the function of the landmark and where it is located.  

After the "Where in the United States Activity", my group decided that it would be a good idea to show our classmates how to use GeoGuessr and to try guessing a location together.  We also thought it would be helpful to provide Chicago Guidebooks to our classmates so that they could utilize a paper map and the index to help them pin-point their location.

My group and I met before class to talk through our lesson plan.  We also wanted to figure out how much time we wanted to spend on each component of our lesson. We were allotted twenty minutes to present our inquiry based lesson and we wanted to stick to the time frame.
Presenting our GeoGuessr Adventure
Our lesson was developed for seventh grade students.  I had some classmates that decided to act like they were in seventh grade.  I must admit, that while it was done in jest, I found it to be slightly distracting. 

Do distractions happen in the classroom?  Absolutely.  Distractions happen in library programming too, but when I am presenting a program or lesson to children I am mentally prepared for the possibility of a distraction to occur.  Was I mentally prepared for it in that very moment?  Nope.  

I thought that this was an engaging activity for everyone. It was interesting to see how each group used different strategies to figure out where they were on GeoGuessr.  Some people scrolled until they found a street sign or address, other people used familiar buildings or landmarks, and some used the guidebooks and maps. 

Some of the landmarks for the "Where in the US" activity were a bit difficult.  I would have liked to tie the physical and human factors to the introductory activity, but I was worried about the time and did not include that part.

Overall, I enjoyed putting together this lesson with my group.  I felt that the tools we used for this lesson were effective at making inquiry based learning hands-on and engaging.
Lesson Plan * Presentation Slides *  Where in the US Handout * GeoGuessr Handout
And Now...I Celebrate
Now that I am officially finished with my spring semester, I can celebrate that I have reached the half-way point of attaining my MLIS.  One year from now, I will be an official librarian!

via GIPHY

And Now...I Remember Summer Classes Start Monday

via GIPHY

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Artsy Babies: Music & Movement Day!

5/2/2018

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PictureClipart by Krista Wallden of Creative Clips. Graphic designed on PicMonkey.
About nine months ago, Julie from Tales for The Tiny shared her blog post on the Storytime Underground Facebook page about an art and music themed programming series for babies and their caregivers she had developed. 

I have been wanting to plan and facilitate a similar program at my library so I shared the post with my colleague and we submitted a special program proposal.  We were quite excited when our idea was selected!

Today's focus was on music and movement.  We did some bounces and we used parachutes, scarves, and bubbles.  This was our maiden voyage of "Artsy Babies" and I think that it was something that our attendees really enjoyed.  ​

THE PLAN

Welcome Song: Wake Up Feet
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up feet and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle
Wake up feet, wake up feet
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Wake up hands, wake up hands
Wake up hands and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
Wake up hands, wake up hands
Wake up and wiggle in the morning.

Wake up ears, wake up ears
Wake up ears and wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.
Wake up ears, wake up ears

Wake up and wiggle in the morning.
Book
Picture
Bounces
Come Along and Bounce with Me
Come along and bounce with me.       (bounce baby in your lap)
Come along and bounce with me.       (bounce baby in your lap)
We’ll bounce and bounce,                   (bounce baby in your lap)
And bounce and bounce.                    (bounce baby in your lap)
So come along and bounce with me.  (bounce baby in your lap)

Come along and twist with me.          (twist with baby)
Come along and twist with me.          (twist with baby)
We’ll twist and twist,                          (twist with baby)
And twist and twist.                           (twist with baby)
So come along and twist with me.     (twist with baby)

Come along and tickle with me.        (tickle baby)
Come along and tickle with me.        (tickle baby)
We’ll tickle and tickle,                       (tickle baby)
And tickle and tickle.                         (tickle baby)
So come along and tickle with me.    (tickle baby)


I Bounce You Here, I Bounce You There
*Note: The version that I like to use comes from Read Sing Play Blog but I use the rhythmic pattern from this video.
I bounce you here, I bounce you there, (bounce child on knees)
I bounce you, bounce you, everywhere.
I tickle you here, tickle you there, (gently tickle child)
I tickle you, tickle you, everywhere.
I hug you here, I hug you there, (hug child)
I hug you, hug you, everywhere!
Parachute Activities
Toast in the Toaster
I'm toast in the toaster
and I'm getting very hot!
Tick, tock, Tick, tock
Up I pop!
Let's Go Riding in an Elevator
Let's go riding on an elevator,
Elevator, elevator,
Let's go riding on an elevator,
Come along with me!
First floor,
Second floor,
Third floor,
Fourth floor,
Fifth floor,
And.... down-down-down-down-down.
We Wiggle and Wiggle and Stop
 Note: I like to sing this one to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

We wiggle and wiggle and stop
We wiggle and wiggle and stop
We wiggle and wiggle and wiggle and wiggle
​and wiggle and wiggle and stop
Scarf Activities
Dancing Scarf Blues
Picture
Put your scarf to the side 
Then back the other way 
Keep your scarf a-moving 
Now you can sway

Chorus: 
You've got the blues,
you've got the dancing scarf blues, Yeah! 
Just keep your scarf a-moving,
​you've got the dancing scarf blues.

Put your scarf to the front 
And then to the back 
Keep your scarf a-moving 
Don't you give me no slack
Chorus
Bridge: 
Twirl your scarf around, your head around 
Your hips around, too, then FREEZE! 
It's called the Dancing Scarf Blues. 
Then jump up and down, and up'n'down 
And up'n'down, FREEZE! 
Don't move a muscle, I'm watching you!

Shake your scarf way up high 
Then shake it down low. 
Shake up'n'down and up'n'down 
Look at you go!
Peek-a-Boo
To the tune of "Are You Sleeping?"

Peek a boo, peek a boo
I see you, I see you
I see your button nose,
I see your tiny toes
I see you, peek a boo
We Wave Our Scarves Together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
because it's fun to do.
Wave them up high
Wave them down low
Wave them in the middle
Because it's fun to do.
Bubbles
We listened to some fun kids' music as we played with the bubble wands and had the bubble machine going.
Goodbye Song: We Wave Goodbye Like This
 *Note: There is a couple of different ways you can sing this song .  I have put the lyrics of the version that we used below.  This is to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell"

We wave goodbye like this
We wave goodbye like this
We clap our hands for all our friends
We wave goodbye like this
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    About the Author

    Children's librarian.  Unicorn wrangler. 
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