Imagination Station - Vet Clinic

In an effort to increase early childhood program attendance, I decided to try adding a couple of new monthly programs in addition to the regular weekly family storytime. I have found that while regular storytime attendance has been extremely low, people will come to our branch for programs that (1) are on days that most branches don't offer anything, and/or (2) are unique programs that other locations don't have. 

The first of these would be a once-monthly "Imagination Station" program inspired by the dramatic play areas I had set up at previous libraries (but sadly didn't have room for at my current library), geared for ages 3-6 (but open to ages 2-8 to accommodate older/younger siblings and homeschoolers). This would be a play-based program, but more structured than a "play & stay" program, with activities around a central dramatic play theme designed to encourage and develop imagination, creativity, expressive language, motor skills, socio-emotional skills, and early literacy. I scheduled it on a day that most of the other branches in this system do not have children's programs.

I decided to design the inaugural "Imagination Station" program with a 'Veterinary Clinic' theme because (1) that had been the most popular theme for the dramatic play area at a previous library, and (2) my current library system already had "health professional" and "pet" themed programming kits with materials and activities to supplement supplies I or my branch already had.

Program: Imagination Station - Vet Clinic

Ages: 3-6 (open to 2-8, actual participants ranged from age 2 to 5)

Number: Could accommodate up to 25, (actual attendance was 6 kids and 5 adults)

Budget: Negligible, as used mostly non-consumable items, and all items we already had or had access to.

Stations:

1. Reception
   
   
   
   
   I set up a small waiting room area with our market stand as the front desk, complete with signage, a laminated sign-in sheet on the patient side, clipboards with laminated patient charts on the staff side, and dry erase markers. The shelves on the staff side were also stocked with bandages, medicine, food, and food/water bowls. [Dramatic play, imagination, functional print, writing]
   
   
2. Exam Area
   
   
   
   
   The table directly behind reception was the exam area, and had all the medical instruments with easy access to the charts, bandages, medications, and syringes. [dramatic play, imagination, fine motor skills]
   
   
3. Grooming Area
   
   

   

   
   I set up another table with a dishpan for a bathtub, a play grooming kit with wooden hair dryer, brush, scissors, clippers, and shampoo (though I would've preferred the set from Melissa & Doug), along with a few empty travel sized spray and shampoo bottles. [imagination, fine motor, dramatic play]
   
   
4. Laboratory
   
   
   
   
   I brought in an old toy microscope that was my daughter's and set out a couple of graduated cylinders, pipettes, small clear dixie cups (a stand-in for test tubes) with water, vinegar, and baking soda (only put out a small amount at a time to minimize waste and mess!).  [exploration, curiosity, wonder, cause & effect, fine motor skills]
   
   
5. Radiology
   
   
   
   
   I cut two of the flaps off a medium-sized cardboard box, then painted the bottom (which would become the front) white and the rest silver to serve as a pretend x-ray machine/light box, and printed out and laminated several different animal x-rays. I hot-glued clothespins to the 'lightbox' to hold the x-rays, but one popped off right away, so I would recommend using a stronger, more permanent adhesive. I also had several smaller pictures of animal x-rays on pieces of folded cardstock taped to the table with photos of the animal underneath, with instructions to try to identify the animal from its x-ray, and lift the flap to see if they were right. [exploration, curiosity, dramatic play, background knowledge]
   
   
6. Sutures
   
   
   
   
   One of the programming kits I borrowed happened to have these animal lacing cards, which are a great fine motor activity that not only practices a life-skill, but also develops fine motor skills that will help with writing later. Relating lacing to sewing and thus to sutures was the perfect way to incorporate it into the veterinary clinic theme. [fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, life skills]
   
   
7. Book Display
   
   
   
   
   I pulled a variety of reading levels and both fiction and non-fiction, on veterinarians and pets for reading and/or checking out. [print awareness, print motivation, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
8. Costumes, Patients, and Signage
   One of the kits I borrowed had two lab/dr coats, plain scrubs, and scrubs with an animal print, which I put out for anyone who wanted to put them on [only one child did, so don't feel like you really need to have these]. I had quite a few different stuffed/plastic animal patients; some I owned (Kohl's Cares or Goodwill), some my branch had, some came with the kits. We had several dogs/puppies, several cats/kittens, a couple of rabbits, a guinea pig, a rat, a chameleon, a turtle, two fish, a pigeon, a parrot, and a unicorn (for whimsy). I put a couple at each station, a few in kennels (carriers I brought from home), and the rest in a large basket. [Imagination, dramatic play, life skills (getting dressed)]
   
   I included a lot of labels and signage with both text and pictographs (1) so the adults and kids would know what each station was supposed to be, and (2) to provide lots of functional print in the environment.

How It Went

I have mixed feelings about how this program turned out. I was really excited about it and had high hopes that it didn't quite live up to, but I think a lot of it is me just needing to manage my expectations and re-define success. My supervisor thought it was a success, and those they came were engaged and seemed to enjoy it, and that's what really matters.

I really was hoping for maybe 10-15 kids, but ended up with 6. However, my supervisor, who has worked at this branch much longer than I have, felt it was a good turnout for that age group at this location (I was used to having anywhere from 15-30 kids for programs at my last library, and sometimes more). 

I was a little disappointed that they didn't really use all of the activities or use them in the way I had imagined to get the most out of them. The adults didn't really facilitate exploration and play like I'd hoped, even when I tried to model, and I didn't see as much imaginative and dramatic play as I'd envisioned. I know in my head the fact that they came, were engaged in any way, had fun, and left happy is enough, but my heart still wants bigger, busier programs with people not only fully engaged, but doing things the 'right' way. I totally realize this is my issue, though, and I'm working on it.

Those that attended did really seem to enjoy it overall. I'd expected the exam station, with all the medical instruments and treatments, to be the biggest draw, but surprisingly the grooming area was by far the most used, with the laboratory a close second. All the kids wanted to bathe, brush, and trim the animals, and as we already know, kids can't get enough of baking soda and vinegar experiments! One kid did get into putting bandages on several animals, but I really didn't see much "doctoring" going on. The x-rays and lacing cards were pretty much ignored, only one child filled out a chart, and I don't think anyone, child or adult, really paid any attention to any of the signs or labels. 

My biggest disappointment was that not one single person that attended checked out or even looked at any of the related books I had pulled and put on display, which seems to be true here no matter what the age, program, or topic is. Maybe I shouldn't bother as it doesn't seem to be worth the time, but at the same time I just feel like I should. I guess I just won't pull nearly as many next time.

What I Would Do Differently

Going forward, I will know not to put quite as much time and work into the planning and set-up, nor plan as many stations. I will still include some functional print, but I won't go as overboard with so many signs and labels, and I just need to not expect quite so much. Overall, just make it more simple and not quite so elaborate, especially for a one-hour, one-time program that I'm only allotted 30 minutes of set-up time for.

I am still adjusting to being at a much smaller library in a neighborhood that primarily uses the library for technology access and assistance, rather than books and programs, and having much lower attendance than I'm used to at previous libraries.  At some point in the future I may consider trying it on a Saturday instead of Friday, to see if I can get more people, or more people from our immediate area.

The "Laboratory" station was such a hit I've decided that I will have to make that a whole theme sometime later this year. Next month will have a "Bakery" theme, with play food, sales counter, kitchen, dough-making station [making salt dough], and dough kneading, rolling, shaping, and cutting station. [I will also have play-doh for anyone with wheat/gluten allergies.]

Annual Reflection & Goal-Setting - 2026

 

I've had this blog for ten years now, and every new year I've written a post reflecting on the past year and setting goals for the year ahead. I was hesitant to do that this year as it's been a very tumultuous, difficult year for me (worse than 2020) that began with an ending and I really wasn't sure I wanted to reflect on it. But, I decided maybe that would be the best way to close that chapter once and for all and move on to better things! Fair warning, this is probably going to be a lot to read, but this past year was definitely A LOT!

Around the middle of 2024 I had begun to realize that no matter what or how much I did my work was never going to be valued or appreciated by management, and nothing I did was ever going to be good enough. I struggled with deciding whether to go or stay, because I was proud of all I had accomplished and had grown attached to all my regular patrons, but what started as a generally dysfunctional environment then became overtly hostile, abusive, and deeply toxic. Over the years many of you have thanked me for my honesty in addressing the many challenges and issues we face on this blog, but unfortunately that honesty came with a price and I became the target of retaliation. At the end of January 2025, after weeks of workplace bullying and harassment, things came to a head and I finally left what had begun as my dream job but had become a nightmare. It was truly a bizarre, horrible, and demoralizing experience.

I was so burned out and traumatized I didn't even consider looking for another job for a couple of months. I am very fortunate to have a spouse with a significantly higher income so that I could afford to take some badly needed time off to rest, travel, focus on physical and mental health, and figure out what I was going to do next. One great outcome of this was that after three years of always feeling like I couldn't take time off, I finally got to take several trips I'd been dreaming of and visit my kids. During this time I also got back to a healthy lifestyle, got my blood sugar under control (I'm a type 2 diabetic), lost weight, and I'm in better shape now than I've been in years. It's amazing the damage a toxic environment does, and how much your health improves once you get out of it and away from the constant stress, belittling, and gas-lighting.

Now that I've been away from it and regained perspective, I can see just how toxic my previous workplace really was from the beginning, and I now know I should have left long before I did. I had a hard time letting go of what I thought was going to be my dream job; I kept convincing myself I could make it work, that I just had to work a little harder, do a little more. But now I know there is no way to succeed in a toxic environment, no way to make it work, and nothing you do will ever be good enough. There is no pleasing a toxic, insecure manager; in fact, the better you are at your job the more they will resent you. As much as I hated leaving all the kids and families I had built relationships with, I should have done it much earlier. I now recognize the red flags I should have seen early on and regret passing up other opportunities. As another librarian friend tried to tell me, that library had likely been toxic for so long that they didn't know any other way to be. I didn't want to believe it at the time, but they were so right. 

During my time off I re-evaluated my career and even considered leaving librarianship. I was burned-out, disillusioned, and very disheartened by the continually growing anti-library and anti-librarian movement and the realization that the great managers I'd had earlier in my career were probably the exception rather than the rule. But after I had time to rest and recover, I realized I wasn't ready to give it up just yet. I still loved being a children's librarian; I just needed to find a workplace where I would be valued and treated with respect, and a position where I had a more manageable workload and could maintain healthier boundaries and work/life balance. 

After three months I began job-hunting, focusing on children's librarian positions in branches of larger library systems that would have centralized collection development and centralized summer reading planning and support. While I believe these are both very important and am proud of all the work I did developing a vibrant and diverse collection and a robust, evidence-based summer reading program, I realized that one person can't do it all, and I am content to have others perform those functions. I would prefer to focus on branch programming, day-to-day customer service, outreach, and building relationships with patrons. Also, being in a branch of a system puts some distance between you and upper admin, which I've learned is generally a good thing, making it much easier to keep your head down, focus on your job, maintain a more positive attitude, and ignore the BS.

Luckily, I found a position relatively quickly, and started my new job in early June. I am now the children's librarian at a smaller neighborhood branch in a larger system. I primarily assistant patrons, plan and conduct children's programs, and do outreach. I do some weeding, but I am not responsible for collection development; I do branch programming during the summer, but am not responsible for planning and designing the whole summer reading program. I also do not have any supervisory duties, which is something else I was happy to give up. I did take a small pay cut, but also a significant cut in responsibility and workload. The best part of my new position is that I am part of a great youth services team. My supervisor is a former youth librarian and really understands my job and all that it entails, and is very supportive. The teen librarian started at the same time I did and we have a great working relationship, providing support, advice, assistance, or just a sounding board for each other; there is none of the territorial behavior, competition, undermining, bulldozing, gas-lighting, or duplicity that I experienced at my last job. My stress and anxiety levels are so much less now!

The position is not without its challenges; no situation is perfect. I had to learn a whole new organizational structure and culture. We are understaffed and have a much smaller programming budget than I'm used to. There is not enough work or storage space, and our program/meeting room is way too small. It is challenging to get families to attend storytime, though I do get decent attendance at family and elementary programs most. While our library is used by the community fairly heavily for internet and other technology access and assistance, our circulation is very low (though it has gone up in the last few months!). The library is in a lower income community that is very diverse, with many that do not speak English fluently, so we frequently have to find ways around language barriers to help people, which can be very challenging, but also rewarding. But overall, the lower stress level far outweighs any of the challenges. Plus I got to meet Mychal Threets!

I have found that while I still want to be a children's librarian, I do not quite have the same level of passion for it as I used to, which honestly is probably more healthy. I give it my best for 40 hours a week, but no longer do I give it my all. I have accepted that sometimes "good enough" is good enough. A wise librarian once told me "don't let perfect be the enemy of good", and I now really understand what that means, and how important it is to be able to let go of frustrations and perfectionist ideals. I am going to focus on doing my job, but now I see it more as just that, a job. I have finally shrugged off the sense of vocational awe many of us have, and after five years as a professional librarian I no longer have the naïve idealism of someone new to the profession. I now have a more balanced approach; I am committed to doing a good job without making it my whole identity, re-defining success, and trying to resist the desire for external validation (though that's a tough one for me).

My goals for the upcoming year are pretty basic:

• continue prioritizing my health above everything else
• continue to maintain healthy boundaries and work/life balance
• continue getting to know the community and try to better understand their needs
• develop relationships within the community and the library system
• work on organization and time management
• increase storytime attendance
• increase outreach
• develop two new programs for 5&U
• Imagination Station - themed activities and dramatic play to encourage imagination, exploration, expressive language, and socio-emotional skills
• STEM Storytime- storytime that focuses on developing problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, inspiring wonder and curiosity, and modeling a growth-mindset with pre-math and science activities.
• maintain and possibly expand family & elementary programming
• take vacation time!
• go hiking at least once a month (this is my therapy!)
• read at least 1 book a month
• walk at least 3 days a week
• go to the gym at least once a week

Unfortunately, maintaining healthy boundaries and a healthy work/life balance means I probably won't be blogging that much, but I also don't want to give it up entirely, either. 

Wishing us all good health and peace in the coming year!

Happy New Year! 🎊🎆

Spy School 2025 - Elementary Program

 

This is the fourth time I've done a version of this program, and I’ve done it a little differently each time. The first time was an in-person program in 2019 that focused on learning different codes and different methods of hidden messages, plus a “laser” maze for fun. The second time was during the pandemic as a take-home cryptography kit along with a virtual program. The third time was during summer reading of 2024 and had a "treasure hunt adventure" theme with basic instruction of codes and hidden messages and a final treasure hunt complete with riddles, codes, invisible messages, and a treasure map that would lead them to a cache of gold coins they could trade for a prize. 

For this iteration I returned to the original "Spy School" theme, focusing on secret codes and hidden messages, but also including a few other activities. 

Ages: Advertised as for elementary ages (6-11), but actual participants ranged from 4 to 14.

Number: Planned for 10 participants, and had 9 (plus 4 caregivers; adult assistance was needed)

Time: Scheduled for an hour, but ran over at by 20 minutes.

Budget: Roughly $20, as most supplies were already on hand

Skills/Concepts: critical thinking, logic, decoding, observation, chemistry, socio-emotional

Materials:

• paper
• cardstock
• brad fasteners
• yarn
• tape
• scissors
• baking soda
• grape juice
• white crayons (regular, not washable)
• watercolor paint
• milk
• clothes iron
• ironing board, pad, or towel
• paintbrush, small and large
• small cups
• pencils
• stamp pad with washable ink
• invisible ink pens with UV light

In previous versions I led the program in a classroom style, but since people are frequently late to programs at this library I decided to set it up with stations in a more self-directed format. I created cute little instruction manuals along with signage at each station. They created code names and agent number numbers for themselves, practiced a simple substitution code using an encryption wheel and the Pigpen Cipher, experimented with three methods of invisible messages*, did a fingerprint study, matched footprints to a suspect's shoe, built a spy gadget out of Lego bricks, and practiced agility through a simulated laser maze. 

Once they completed all the training activities, they reported back to me and received a mission folder for their first secret mission along with a secret agent pen with UV reactive invisible ink and a UV light in the cap. The mission file included the code name for the mission, a mission objective, a scenario explaining the mission, and ended with a coded message using a numerical substitution code with the key for the code written in UV reactive invisible ink. This message led them to a general location in the library where they had to use their observation skills to locate a message hidden in a book. They were reminded to look for something that seemed out of place  (books shelved in the DVDs, an English book in the Spanish language section, and books shelved backwards).

These messages were coded with the Pigpen Cipher and led them to another location and the final clue. The final clue was written in the UV-reactive invisible ink and instructed them to go to the branch manager’s office and give the password provided to the "undercover agents" at the front desk to gain entry and find the assets they were seeking. In the office they would find our treasure chest which had small prizes like stickers, bracelets, stampers, etc., as well as a selection of prize books; they could pick one book and one toy. I prepared four different missions, dividing them into four teams so they were spread out and not getting in each other's way.

*The three methods of hidden messages we experimented with were:

• Wax Resist - write a message with a white crayon, then paint over with watercolor paint to reveal. The wax in the crayon is hydrophobic, and thus repels the water-based paint.
• Milk - a message written with milk can be revealed using a hot iron. The heat produces the Maillard reaction, which caramelizes and darkens the sugars and proteins in the milk.
• Baking Soda & Grape Juice - a message written with a concentrated baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NAHCO3) slurry can be revealed with grape juice due to the acid-base reaction and change in pH causing a color change.

How It Went
I may have gone *slightly* overboard planning and preparing for this program, spending a fair amount of time on the instruction manuals, folders, and signs; and planning the missions and the clues (but I had so much fun doing it!), and I was really worried no one would show up after all that work. However, I was very relieved to have four families show up for a total of nine kids and four adults, which is a really good turnout for this location! I think overall it went well; there were some hiccups and things that didn’t quite work as I had planned, but everyone completed most of the training activities and they all stuck around to complete their final missions and get their prizes. Though there were some moments of frustration, overall everyone seem to have a good time and weren't daunted by the challenge.

My attempt at making it a self-directed activity did not work very well, however. Participants, adults included, just did not want to take the time and effort to read the instructions included in their manuals or on the signage and still needed me to walk them through and explain everything, so I was run ragged, running from station to station to help people and give verbal instructions and explanations. I think I will go back to my preferred classroom-style instruction for similar programs in the future.  

Some struggled with the coding and decoding, especially with the Pigpen Cipher, and needed a lot of help with that. I also found that the Legos were too distracting and kids tended to just play and build whatever with them rather than making a gadget and then moving onto other activities, so I would probably recommend skipping that or having them make gadgets out of random craft supplies instead of Legos. Some really loved the "laser maze", doing it over and over, and one little boy asked me to time him. I would probably recommend this program for an older age range, say 8-12. For younger kids, I would place less emphasis on the secret codes, and stick to one simple numerical substitution code as those under 8 really struggled with the codes.

Dress-Up Storytime

 
The library where I work is in a very diverse community and we try to make our programs as inclusive as possible, so instead of a full-on Halloween party we decided to do a special "Dress-Up" storytime instead. This way kids (and staff!) could still have the fun of wearing costumes without excluding anyone who doesn't wish to participate in Halloween. Though we chose to have this as a Halloween alternative, you could have Dress-Up storytime anytime!

First I introduced myself and welcomed everyone, then we sang a "Hello" song, followed by what what to expect (stories & songs, costume parade, dance party w/bubbles, play & craft time, and treat bags). I also had a selection of costumes and accessories available for those who didn't have a costume.

We warmed up with singing "If You're a ____ and You Know It" and filled in the blank based on the costumes attendees were wearing:

If you're a superhero and you know it, show your muscles...
 If you're a butterfly and you know it, flutter your wings....
If you're a mouse and you know it, say "squeak, squeak"...
If you're an astronaut and you know it, blast off!...
If you're a kitty-cat and you know it, say "Meow"...
If you're a bear and you know it, give a growl...
If you're an avocado and you know it, make guacamole....

I chose Maisy Dresses Up by Lucy Cousins for our first book because it is short and simple, but still has a bit of a story. We see Maisy and her friends planning what they are going to wear to Tallulah's costume party. I like that this shows dressing up in costumes, but is not specific to Halloween, and also that Maisy makes her own costume. The illustrations are bright and bold, and not too busy, so perfect for a younger crowd.

I followed that with another song based on what the kids were wearing:

If You're Wearing...

If you're wearing red today, red today, red today;
if you're wearing red today, please stand up!

(Use different colors, patterns, characters, etc., and you can also play around with different actions)

Then we looked at a boardbook that shows babies dressed in different costumes, Baby Dress Up by Stephanie Meyers. This book features photographs of babies and toddlers in costumes, and we all know babies and toddlers love seeing photos of other babies. I appreciated the simple sets and the diversity shown.

Finally, I closed with one of my favorite read-alouds of all time, The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd. This book is so fun to read aloud, and adds a perfect slight spooky touch without actually being a true Halloween book. Yes, it does feature a pumpkin with a face, but never mentions Halloween or jack-o'lanterns. This is one book I never get tired of reading, and I look forward to it every year. And since it featured articles of clothing dressing as a scarecrow, it fit in with our "dress-up" theme.

After that, we did a costume parade around the library, returning to the program room for a short dance party with bubbles, followed by optional craft and play time, and treat bags to take home.

Activities
I put out a variety of things after storytime, depending on how many attend and their ages. Usually one simple craft or crayons/markers/paint and paper, and some sensory and building toys. For this storytime I had:

• "Getting Dressed" sticker sheets
  
• Color-Your-Own masks
• Dress-Up bin with costumes
• Foam building blocks
• Waffle builders
• Sensory tubes
  
  

Treat Bags
I generally give several non-edible treats, along with a few edible ones. This time, due to budgetary constraints I only gave one edible treat and used other giveaways we had on hand:

• Mini book
• 4-pack crayons
• Mini tub of Play-dough
• allergy-friendly lollipops (made with natural colors & flavorings)
• stickers
  
  

Additional books not used, but available for checkout:

Amazing Me! Dressing Up! Soy Sorprendente! Me disfazo! by Carol Thompson

Dress-Up Fun with Elmo  by Cat Reynolds & Allison Black

Maya Papaya and Amigos Play Dress-Up by Susan Middleton Elya & Maria Mola

Dress-Up Day by Blanca Gómez

How It Went

I work at a small library in a community where people generally don't bring their kids to the library, for a variety of reasons (both parents work, cultural differences, different values & priorities, worrying about more basic needs, not aware of what library offers, competing with larger nearby libraries...), so I am learning to adjust expectations and redefine success. I ended up with nine children and nine adults, which is a big turnout for this library, and everyone seemed to enjoy the program. Some did show up in costumes, some did not, and only one of those that didn't chose to put on one of the provided costumes, though others did choose to put on hats. I noticed there was little interest in doing either of the crafts.

All in all, I would say it was a successful program, but I do have to admit I missed doing my usual big Halloween "Boo Bash" and having 2-3 times as many kids. The energy is just different with such a small crowd and it sometimes feels awkward. But different communities have differing needs and require a different approach. I'm still adjusting and figuring things out here.

Paper Sculpture STEAM Program

 

On a shoestring budget? No time to plan and prep? Need a super simple, low-cost, low-effort-yet-high-quality program in a pinch? Looking for open-ended, process art that's easy and not messy? Then this one's for you!

I first saw this project about a year ago (sorry, I don't remember where or by whom), and thought it would be a great fit for the summer reading 2025 theme of "Color Our World". I loved how colorful and creative it was, and since it was abstract art there would be no "wrong" way of doing it and each person's piece would be unique. But I ended up leaving that library before summer reading, and the library I went to was doing a different theme and already had programs planned through August. This library unfortunately does not have a healthy programming budget, and I still really wanted to do this program, so it was a natural choice for my first school-age program this fall.

Time: 1 hour

Ages: 5-12 (actual ages of my participants were 4-10)

Budget: Nominal, basic stock supplies already on hand

Description: "Get creative and explore shapes, movement, and spatial relationships by twisting, folding, curling, and gluing strips of colored paper to create a one-of-a-kind sculpture."

Concepts & Skills:

• Colors
• Spatial relationships
• Fine-motor
• Socio-emotional
• Creativity

Materials & Supplies:

• assorted colors of paper, cut into strips of varying widths (I only had 9x12 construction and 8.5x11 printer papers, I wish I'd had the bigger construction paper to cut longer strips from)
• glue sticks (liquid glue will not work as it doesn't dry fast enough)
• cardboard bases (I used thin cardboard from cereal boxes)
• scissors, in case they want to cut strips shorter or thinner
• pencils, markers, and/or crayons, to use to wind strips around for curls & spirals, writing names, or embellishing paper strips

How To:

1. I cut all the strips ahead of time, and made an example, both to use for promotion and to give them an idea of what we were doing.
   
   
2. I emphasized that there was no wrong way to do it, and that each person's piece would be unique and different, just like we were each unique and different. I demonstrated how to do some of the basic shapes (bridge, circle, accordian-fold, spiral, freeform twist), but encouraged them to experiment.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Shape a strip, anchor one end with glue stick and hold 3-5 seconds, then anchor the other end.
   
   
4. Keep adding paper strips until you feel your sculpture is done!
   
   
5. Each participant created their own sculpture which they took home with them, and each participant also added strips to the collaborative piece below that was put on display at the library.
   
   

   

   Collaborative Sculpture

   
   

How It Went:

I am at a small neighborhood library that usually does not get very large attendance at programs, so I was thrilled to end up with 3 participants, along with their caregivers. They all seemed to really enjoy the project, and were proud and excited with their finished sculptures. It was interesting to see that each child tended to gravitate towards a particular shape, though they all used multiple shapes, and even came up with shapes that I had not thought of. One partipant had the idea to embellish the strip, writing his inital on each section of an accordion-folded strip.

I really like collaborative art, and was glad I thought of having everyone contribute to a collaborative piece to put on display in the library. The kids really seemed to like being able to both take their sculpture home, and have one on display at the library. I of course loved the low-prep aspect, which really was fortuitous as we were extremely short-staffed this week, which meant I was on the service desk pretty much all day, every day, with no built-in set-up time. 

This was a fun, easy, and successful program that I will definitely do again in the future. I highly recommend it, even if you have a very healthy program budget, adequate staffing, and tons of prep time 😉.

Happy Birthday to Me - Preschool Storytime

For the first time ever, my birthday fell on a storytime day and I decided that would make a fun theme for storytime and a fun way to celecbrate.

I began with our "Hello" song, introduced myself, greeted everyone, and went over expectations. Then we warmed up with a movement song, "Jump Down, Turn Around" by Greg and Steve:

We're gonna jump down, turn around, get your body moving.

Jump down, turn around, everybody dance.

Jump down, turn around, get your body moving.

Jump down turn around, everybody dance.

We've got dancing hands, we've got dancing hands.

And dancing feet, oh, we've got dancing feet.

And dancing hips, come on and move those hips.

And a dancing head, oh, we've got a dancing head.

(repeat chorus)

We've got dancing knees, oh, we've got dancing knees.

And dancing elbows, come on and move those elbows.

And dancing shoulders, hey, come on and move those shoulders.

Move those legs, yeah, we've got dancing legs.

(repeat chorus)

Dancing eyes, come on now, move those eyes.

And a dancing nose, hey, come on and move that nose.

Dancing fingers, can you move those fingers?

And dancing toes, come on and move those toes.

(repeat chorus)

After that we did our lead-in song, "If You're Ready for a Story", which starts from larger movements, moves to smaller movements, and ends with them sitting down and saying "shh".

For our first story I chose one that I've used in storytime a few times before, Don't Wake Up the Tiger by Britta Teckentrup. 

This is a really great interactive storytime book that features animals, balloons, bright illustrations, and a suprise ending. The animals are trying to sneak past a sleeping tiger blocking their path, and require help from the audience. All the animals pass safely until the very last one, the stork, accidentally pops a balloon and wakes the tiger. Fearing the worst, the audience discovers that the animals wanted the tiger to stay asleep because they were putting together a surprise birthday party for her! We counted the candles on the cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to Tiger.

After that I segued into a rhyme about blowing up (and popping) balloons, accompanied by my flannel board and felt balloons. This rhyme let kids identify colors and blow up pretend balloons.

Blowing Balloons

I had a   (color)  balloon,

And I blew (blow), and blew (blow), and blew (blow)!

My mother said I'd better stop, but (blow),

(CLAP) Oops, too late, it popped!

For our second book I chose Cupcake by Cherise Mericle Harper, partly because of the sparkly cover, partly because everyone loves cupcakes and we were going to have mini-cupcakes after storytime, and partly because it was funny with a twist ending. I introduced it by mentioning cupcakes as an alternative birthday cake that you might take to school to share with your friends.

The story begins with mixing flour, sugar, eggs, and baking powder, baking the batter in the oven, and thus Cupcake and his siblings were born. The other cupcakes had special flavors and decoration, while Cupcake was a plain vanilla cupcake. Cupcake was left feeling said because he was not as fancy as the other cupcakes, so Candle suggests several weird and ridiculous toppers. Just when you think they have finally realized the obvious solution, the story ends with Candle making yet another silly suggestion.

I followed that with a flannel board and counting rhyme about blowing out candles on a birthday cake:

Birthday Candles

Five candles on a birthday cake, next year there'll be one more!

Blow one candle out, and that leaves four.

Four candles on a birthday cake, pretty as can be!

Blow one candle out, and that leaves three.

Three candles on a birthday cake, hope my wish comes true!

Blow one candle out, and that leaves two.

Two candles on a birthday cake, birthdays are so fun!

Blow one candle out, and that leaves one.

One candle on a birthday cake, the party's almost done!

Blow the last candle out, and now there are none!

I squeezed in a third and final book, Where is Baby's Birthday Cake? by Karen Katz. 

This was a short and simple lift-a-flap board book, which worked for my small group. Kids always love guessing what will be behind the flap, and I liked how it showed lots of different elements of the birthday party - hats, balloons, presents, friends, ice cream, and finally the cake. It tied the whole birthday party theme together very nicely.

I followed that with the classic nursery rhyme:

Pat-a-Cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.
Bake us a cake as fast as you can!

Roll it, and pat it, mark it with a "B",

and put it in the oven, for Baby and me!

Then we ended with our "Goodbye" song, and moved on to a birthday crown craft and mini-cupcakes! I also had a display of other birthday-themed books, including some that reflected other cultural birthday treats.

Paper Plate Birthday Crown

1. Color back of plate as desired.
2. Fold plate in half, and cut through the center, leaving rim intact, then along the folds to make eight triangles. [You can also cut first, then color]
3. Fold each triangle back so they stand up straight.
   [Other embellishments like stick-on gems or sequins would be fun, too.]

Literacy Tip - Blowing exercises the small muscles in your/your child's lips, tongue, and cheeks, which are used for speech and eating. Some fun ways to practice are blowing out candles, blowing bubbles, and blowing through a straw to push small pieces of paper, feathers, or pom-poms across a table.
 

I also led them through the mindfulness excercise of taking deep breaths and slowly blowing out one "candle" (fingers) at a time.

How It Went

This turned out to be a super fun theme, even if it was a little self-indulgent. Birthdays are hard for me these days, and it nice to be able to enjoy it for once. The last time I had an actual birthday party was when I was 16!

The kids really had fun with the interactive elements of Don't Wake the Tiger, blowing up balloons, blowing out candles, and singing "Happy Birthday". One child was pretty shy and unsure about the whole thing, but when I brought out the cupcakes, he suddenly was all smiles! He licked the icing off, then shoved the whole cupcake in his mouth. [I did include a written heads-up about the cupcakes so caregivers could duck out before I brought them out if they had allergies or other dietary concerns/preferences .]

Shark Week 2025 - Preschool Storytime

I'm back! 

You might have noticed I haven't posted much the last few months. There's a long, complicated story, but the short version is that I left my previous position due to a toxic workplace and severe burnout. I took a few months off to recover and prioritize my physical and mental health. I took a few trips, hung out with my fur babies, visited my kids, worked in my flower beds, read, started eating better and exericising again, and spent a lot of time re-evaluating my career and re-prioritizing my life. I considered leaving libraries altogether, but decided I wasn't ready to give up yet, and when I was ready I found a new position as a children's librarian at a different library where I felt I could maintain a heathier work-life balance.

I was excited that my first time doing storytime at my new library fell during Shark Week, as that is always such a fun theme to do! I was a little nervous, even though I've done over 2000 storytimes in my career, it's always different in a new place with a new community, new challenges, and requires a new routine.

I followed my standard preschool storytime structure, with a couple of minor changes. First, I switched from paper programs to putting the song & rhyme lyrics up on the tv screen, as well as announcements and expectations. While I like the idea of parents having a paper copy to take home and extend the storytime, the reality is that most of them not only don't take them home, but don't even really look at them during the storytime, and it's just a lot of wasted paper. Now that I have a large wall-mounted screen out of the reach of little ones, it made sense to make the switch now. 

The second change is hopefully temporary, but I'm back to having to do more simple paper crafts and/or coloring with markers/crayons than I'd like because this library currently doesn't have a collection of developmentally appropriate toys and activities like I had built up at my last library. Unfortunately, this library also doesn't have much of a budget for programming or any storage space, so I won't ever be able to build up the collection I had before, but I hope to at least add one or two building sets and some sensory toys, plus additional basic craft supplies.

I started with a short "Hello" song and welcomed everyone, introduced myself, asked all the kids' names, and went over expectations. Then we warmed up with a movement song, then settled for our first story with a lead-in song:

The Creatures In the Sea

The fishes in the sea go swim, swim, swim;

swim, swim, swim; swim, swim, swim.

The fishes in the sea go swim, swim, swim;

all day long,

crabs go pinch....clams go open and shut...octopus goes wiggle....
jellyfish go sting....sharks go chomp....

(let kids suggest other animals and motions/sounds)

If You're Ready for a Story

If you're ready for a story, stomp your feet.

If you're ready for a story stomp your feet.

If you're ready for a story, if you're ready for a story,

If you're ready for a story, stomp your feet.

turn around, clap hands, pat knees, sit down, say "shh", etc.

I chose Chomp: A Shark Romp by Michael Paul for our first book. 

This is a great narrative non-fiction picturebook that introduces children to a wide variety of sharks and is perfect for storytime. It has short, simple text that still reads as a story, with illustrations that are realistic enough to show the diversity among sharks without being too scary for more sensitive children. The kids and grown-ups really seemed to enjoy learning about all the different kinds of sharks.

I followed that with one of my favorite activities: "Five Little Fishies" using a shark hand-puppet and little felt fish finger-puppets that I made specifically for this rhyme:

Five Little Fishies

Five little fishies swimming in the sea,

teasing Mr. Shark, "Well, you can't catch me!".
Along swims Mr. Shark, as quiet as can be,

and CHOMPED! one fishy right out of the sea!

Four little fishies....three....two....one....

No little fishies, swimming in the sea,

just Mr. Shark, as full as can be!

Before I do this rhyme, I show them the puppets that I'm going to use, and instruct them to hold up five fingers on one hand to be their little fishies, and use the other hand to be the shark. I try to be really dramatic with the first little fish, and often get squeals of surprise and delight from the kids, who often ask to repeat the rhyme.

For our second book, I chose my favorite shark book of all times, The Three Little Fish and the Big, Bad Shark by Ken Geist and Julia Gorton.

This re-telling of The Three Little Pigs is perfect for storytime. It is super fun as a read-aloud, has bright illustrations, and all the repeated lines that the audience can say along with the presenter. On a personal note, I like that it was sister Kim, rather than brothers Tim or Jim, that had the best house. I also use it as a lesson to illustrate how bad it is for your teeth to bite things that are not food.

I followed that with another song about ocean creatures and the food chain:

Slippery Fish

Slippery fish, slippery fish; swimming in the water.

Slippery fish, slippery fish; gulp, Gulp, GULP!

"Oh, no! He's been eaten by an octopus!"

Octopus, octopus; swimming in the water.

Octopus, octopus; gulp, Gulp, GULP!

"Oh, no! He's been eaten by a tuna fish!"

Tuna fish, tuna fish; swimming in the water.

Tuna fish, tuna fish; gulp, Gulp, GULP!

"Oh, no! He's been eaten by a great white shark!"

Great white shark, great white shark, swimming in the water.

Great white shark, great white shark; gulp, Gulp, GULP!

"Oh, no! He's been eaten by an orca whale!"

Orca whale, orca whale, swimming in the water.

Orca whale, orca whale; gulp, Gulp, GULP!

"BUURRP! Whoops, excuse me!"

I had a third book planned, the classic Shark in the Dark by Nick Sharratt, but since the other two books were on the longer side and we were short-staffed that day, meaning I needed to cover the desk for breaks, I decided to stop there. I gave the literacy tip for the day, upcoming storytimes and programs, and then we sang a "Good-bye" song and I got them started on the after-storytime activities.

Activities 

1. Walk the Plank - I printed out some shark fins on cardstock and taped them to the floor around a wooden board, and drew water with sidewalk chalk. This is a fun way to work on balance, gross motor skills, and proprioception.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Ocean Painting w/Cotton Balls - I put out paper plates with different shades of blue, green, and white tempera paint and had the kids use cotton balls to daub circles of paint all over their paper, then they could add a shark silhouette to their ocean. This activity allows color and sensory exploration as well as using the pincer grasp and eye-hand coordination.
   
   
   
   
   
3. Puppets - I had three shark puppets that the kids could play with, using imagination, expressive language, and socio-emotional skills.

How It Went

This was my first storytime in six months, and it was a bit bittersweet. It really felt good to be back at it. I'm normally a fairly shy person, but I do enjoy the performative aspect of storytime and I really enjoy the feedback from the kids and their caregivers, and having more meaningful interactions than just handing out computer guest passes. But it also made me miss all my regulars that I had built relationships with at my last job. 

The storytime went really well, everyone was engaged and seemed to enjoy it, and I got a lot of 'thank you's and compliments from caregivers, which was nice confidence boost and confirmation that this is what I should be doing. I had a smaller crowd than I'm used to, but this is a small library in a primarily working-class neighborhood with a growing immigrant/refugee population. I'm really hoping over time with more outreach, community partnerships, and word-of-mouth I can eventually build up library use and program attendance by kids and families.

I also really missed the collection of developmentally-appropriate toys and activities I had built at my previous library! It is frustrating not to have any of that available here. I'm even considering buying at least one building set and some sensory toys from Lakeshore myself, as much as I'm against teachers and librarians having to buy supplies out of their own pockets. But then they would be mine, and I would always have them no matter where I might end up in the future.