Imagination Station - Science Lab

 

This theme was inspired by a popular station from my very first Imagination Station program. As part of an overall “Veterinary Clinic” theme I had set up a “Laboratory” station with a toy microscope and a simple experiment with water, vinegar, and baking soda that proved to be a hit with the kids. I knew then that I wanted to do a whole laboratory-themed Imagination Station at some point.

Program: Imagination Station - Science Lab

Ages: 2-6 

Number: Up to 15-20 children

Budget: Around $30-50; some items purchased can be reused, others we already had on hand 

Skills & Concepts: Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional, early literacy, fine motor, cause-and-effect, observation, science vocabulary

Activities:

1. Read-Aloud
   
   
   
   I first gathered everyone in the children’s department for an introduction and read-aloud. I introduced myself and told them that before I became a librarian I used to be a scientist. Then I asked them what they thought a scientist is and does and discussed their answers, which led us to reading the book We Are All Scientists by Ellen Ochoa.
   
   This is a great little book that introduces the concept of science and scientists, using short and simple text and relatable illustrations that portray a few different types of scientist. We followed that with a discussion of a couple of other types of scientists that were not in the book such as Paleontologist, which led to a discussion differentiating paleontology from archaeology.
   
   I informed them that we were going to pretend to be scientists today and that there would be things for dress up and pretend play, as well as actual experiments to do. I explained one very important thing about science is safety and following instructions so that we stay safe and so that our experiments work right. I went over safety rules, including no eating, drinking, or putting anything in our mouths, keeping our hands away from our mouths, faces, and eyes; and washing hands afterward, then led them into the program room and explained the various stations. 
   
   [Print motivation, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
2. Dramatic Play  
   
   
   
   
   I set up the market stand as a laboratory supply station and stocked it with some Erlenmeyer flasks that my supervisor happened to have, graduated cylinders and beakers that I had, test tubes that I purchased, child-sized lab coats and safety glasses that I got from a programming kit from the main library, and a toy microscope that was my daughter's. I added a sign with pictures and names of some of the scientific equipment, and placed a small table nearby. 
   
   [Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional skills, functional print, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
3. Discovery Zone  
   
   
   
   
   I set a variety of materials on a table - bugs, seeds, leaves, flowers, fossils, wood chips, and geodes - along with magnifying glasses and discovery tubes from Lakeshore Learning that I also got from the science programming kit. The sign on the table prompted them to observe characteristics such as shape, size, color, texture, structure, and weight. 
   
   [Fine motor skills, observation skills, sensory exploration, background knowledge]
   
   
4. Oobleck  
   
   
   
   
   I made a large batch of oobleck, which is a super-thick slurry of cornstarch and water (approximately one cup of water per two cups of cornstarch) that forms a non-Newtonian fluid. This means that it behaves both as a solid and a liquid, depending on the forces acting on it. If a strong force acts on it, such as hitting it with your hand, it feels like a solid, but when under very weak forces it behaves as a liquid. You can peel it away from the bowl and pick up a chunk that initially seems dry and solid, but as it sits in your open hand, it becomes a liquid and starts oozing through your fingers. This is messy, but oh-so-fun and fascinating, and relatively easy to clean up.
   
   [Sensory exploration, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
5. Lava Lamp
   
   
   
   
   I have seen this done previously many times using Alka-Seltzer tablets, but I really didn’t want to use that due to expense and safety as they contain aspirin, which isn't even necessary for the experiment. I searched and discovered that you can get the same effect much cheaper and more safely using baking soda and vinegar.
   
   For the small cups, we were using it only needed one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda in the bottom, then fill about halfway with either mineral or vegetable oil. Then add food coloring to vinegar and use pipettes to drop the colored vinegar in slowly. The colored droplets of vinegar are more dense than the oil so they will sink to the bottom, where they then react with the vinegar and produce bubbles of carbon dioxide which bring the droplets back up to the surface, where they sink again as the CO2 dissapates.
   
   [Fine-motor skills, pincer grasp, colors, observation, cause & effect]
   
   
6. Color-Changing Cabbage Juice
   
   
   
   
   Purple cabbage contains pH-sensitive pigments called anthocyanins that are purple at neutral pH, but change to shades of magenta or pink when in an acidic environment, and turn blue or green in alkaline environments. I gave them sparkling water, lemon-lime soda, vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda to add to the cabbage juice to observe the color changes. (For more details on this and how to extract the pigments from the cabbage see my previous "Making a Natural pH Indicator" post.)
   
   [Fine-motor skills, pincer grasp, colors, observation, cause & effect]
   
   
7. Microscopy
   
   
   
   
   The science programming kit I borrowed from the main library also came with microscopes, so I set up one with a provided slide of the cross-section of a plant stem and the other with a slide of a honeybee wing.
   
   [Fine-motor, vocabulary, background knowledge] 
   
   

How It Went

I would say this one was a hit, and I was very pleased with the turnout and how it went. Kids and adults really got into the different experiments and did a great job following directions! For once it seemed like everyone was doing and using everything the way I had intended, and there was plenty of pretend play going on as well. I was very pleasantly surprised at how little mess there was overall; even with all the various liquids used in the two experiments there were no big spills, and though of course there was some mess with the oobleck, it was not nearly as bad as I had expected.

What I Would Do Differently

This went so well the only thing that I would really change would be to not bother putting the real microscopes out. These were very low quality microscopes, and even with good microscopes it’s very difficult for children to see anything or understand what they are looking at, and I don't think they got anything out of this station other than a little frustration. One would need to have a better quality microscope, and one capable of projecting to a screen so the kids can see easily (and you can be sure of what they are seeing), but for this age the toy microscopes that have “slides“ made with photographs are a much better choice. Next time I'll also try to have a little better selection of things for the discovery table, with a few more different types of rocks and crystals, feathers, live insects, shed reptile skin, etc.

Little Explorers - Music Exploration

 

In addition to the new "Imagination Station" program I started at the beginning of the year, I also started a second monthly early childhood program with a slightly different focus. I initially called it "STEM Storytime", thinking that if families weren't coming to regular storytime, maybe they would come to one that was a little different and that no other location was offering. "STEM" is an educational buzz-word most parents are familiar with, and my other area of expertise.

However, after four months it just wasn't really coming together - I was having trouble settling into a format and coming up with cohesive ideas, there was confusion as to what the program was and who it was for as our PR department didn't market it appropriately, and attendance wasn't great. I suspected that people just weren't interested in anything called storytime, because either they felt they could do that at home or they attended storytime at another branch. I decided to test the theory by re-naming the program "Little Explorers", which would also give me a little more wiggle-room in program design.

This week was my second program since the name change, and not only have I seen attendance increase, I was really happy with today's program. I decided to take advantage of the broader focus of "exploring" and take a break from STEM. I was initially thinking of "exploring the arts" and having activities to represent different art forms, including music, but ultimately decided to focus just on exploring music and save exploring art for another time.

I ended up following a similar format to storytime, alternating books with extension activities, with a craft and activity following. I started with a hello song, described what we would be exploring today, then read the first book, Music Is... by Brandon Stosuy and Amy Martin. 

This book is a great introduction to musical discussion. With sparse text and simple illustration, it presents various aspects of music - music can be loud or quiet, fast or slow, sad or happy - as well as introducing some musical terms such as a cappella, instrumental, and acoustic. A glossary is provided at the end as well. This is a boardbook, so would not work as well for a large audience.

After that I played a few clips of different pieces of music and we discussed how they made us feel, or what they made me think of. I didn't have time to put a great deal of thought into these, so it's a little random, but I did try to include a mix of classical and contemporary music. I've listed them below, followed by the answers the kids gave as to how it made them feel or what it made them think of, and anything else I added to the discussion in italics:

• Grieg's "Morning Mood" - spring, morning, sunrise
• Theme from Jaws - Baby Shark, scared, Jaws (from an older sibling), suspense
• "Happy" by Pharrell Williams - happy, dancing, fun
• Brahm's Lullaby - sleepy, bedtime, calm
• Beethoven's 5th Symphony - angry
• Baby Shark by Pink Fong - fun, silly
  
  

Next I read Music Is In Everything by Ziggy Marley and Ag Jatkowska (based on Ziggy Marley's song). Where the first book described different aspects of music, this book showed how music is bigger than the singing and instruments we typically thing of, and can be found everywhere - in the sound of the wind or rushing water, laughter, banging pots together, or homemade rice shakers (which tied in well with the craft at the end of the program).

This book is also great because it shows a multi-generational extended family coming together for food and music, with diverse ages, skin-tones, hair styles, clothing styles, and body types represented.

I followed this with a discussion of ways we could make music without using formal instruments: singing, whistling, clapping hand, slapping hands on thighs, smacking the floor, snapping fingers, patting tummies like a drum, stomping feet, clicking tongues... 

Our final book was one that I was familiar with from my time on the CLEL Bell Book Awards committee in 2021-2022. ROAR-chestra! A Wild Story of Musical Words by Robert Heidbreder and Duýan Petricic was a finalist that year as a high-quality children's book that provides excellent support of early literacy development in the "Sing" category of the five early literacy development practices (read, write, talk, sing, & play). Roar-chestra! is a very fun book that introduces several Italian musical words (allegro, adagio, staccato, glissando, dolce, fortissimo, and pianissimo) given by the conductor, and then explained with lyric text and demonstrated by a group of animals on the next spread. 

Prior to reading the book, I handed out instruments to all the kids, telling them that to save time I was going to hand them out and they had to just "take what you get and don't have a fit", but that they would have plenty of time to explore all the instruments afterward. I explained we were going to explore different musical terms with the books, and that I would first read the term and description, and then they would act it out with their instruments. They did surprisingly well at stopping after each and letting me read the next one. Needless to say, "Fortissimo!" was their favorite 😉.

After we finished the book, I explained how to make the simple instrument craft (below) and released them to craft and/or explore the instruments, which was followed by a lovely cacophony that only a group of enthusiastic, but untrained children with a random assortment of percussion instruments can make. We had drums, tambourines, cymbals, bells, hand-clappers, rhythm blocks, triangles, guiro/crow sounder/agogo blocks, maracas, and egg shakers. Which brings me to a question, just WHY are sets of musical instruments for children always ALL percussion?? I get not having any woodwinds for hygienic reasons, but why not some simple stringed instruments as well?

Craft Activity

I've done this simple noisemaker craft twice before for Noon Year's Eve parties, and it's always a hit. Simply put some dried beans or rice (a spoonful is enough) in the middle of a small paper plate, invert a second paper plate over it and staple, glue, or tape around the edges of the plates to seal them together. Kids can decorate with markers, crayons, or stickers as desired. Then, shake, shake, shake!

[I tried it with the stick handle the first time, but found it was more trouble that it was worth and omitted it this time.]

How It Went 

It started pouring rain about 15-20 minutes before the start of the program, which I thought would kill attendance. But I was very pleasantly surprised as families started trickling in, and a few more trickled in after I started. I ended up with a total of 14 kids and seven adults, which was the perfect amount. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, and participated and responded exactly as I'd hoped. It was loud and noisy as it always is when we get the instruments out, but the unbridled joy on their faces makes the temporary sensory overload worth it. Predictably, the drums, cymbals, and bells seemed to be the favorites.

What I Would Do Differently

I was really happy with how this program went, so I don't think I would really change much other than to put a little more thought into the playlist of music we sampled, though I think what I used was fine. For older kids, like elementary and up, I would have talked about different genres and played samples, but for preschool and under I think talking about how music made us feel or what it made us think of was more appropriate. One thing I would add is a simple rhythm exercise, where I would clap out a rhythm and they would repeat it back, either with clapping or with instruments. I meant to do that, and somehow completely forgot.

Imagination Station - Under the Sea

 

The library system I currently work for doesn't use either CSLP or iREAD and instead comes up with their own theme for summer reading. This summer it is "Wild About Reading", and each branch chose a different biome/habitat and branch mascot. My branch chose the "Deep, Dark Sea" with the Giant Squid as our mascot, so of course we had an "Under the Sea" theme for this month's Imagination Station.

Program: Imagination Station - Under the Sea

Ages: 2-6 (I have narrowed the target age range in order to fit better with the way programs are tagged in our calendar and the way stats are reported)

Number: Could accommodate up to 15 children, actual attendance was at least that many

Budget: Around $50, but items purchased can be reused, and some also served as decoration

Skills & Concepts: Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional, early literacy, motor 

Activities:

1. Read-Aloud
   
   
   
   I've started gathering everyone outside the program room to read a book first and explain the program and activities. [Since anything called "storytime" does not seem to appeal to people here, I've created alternative early childhood programs such as this one and "sneak" the early literacy and books into them.]
   
   I first talked about summer reading, our branch theme and mascot, then read I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry, featuring a giant squid (and other ocean creatures). Then I told them about the activities set up in the room, and led them in.
   
   
2. Dramatic Play
   
   
   
   
   I put blue bulletin board paper on the wall, then printed, cut out, and attached a snorkeler, scuba diver, and various deep sea creatures; including giant squid, anglerfish, lantern fish, coelacanth, glass squid, isopods, tube worms, clams, crabs, shrimp, starfish, and jellyfish to provide an ocean background.[I also hid a few familiar ocean characters they might know to see if anyone noticed, including Nemo, Dory, SpongeBob, Patrick, the Little Mermaid & Flounder, Sebastian, and Oona the mermaid.]
   
   I set up my trusty market stand as a swim & dive shop with snorkel and dive gear for rent, which included scuba tanks made from 2-liter bottles, cheap snorkel & masks (from DollarTree), fins cut from craft foam, a toy camera, and waterproof phone pouches (zip-lock bags with pictures of phones printed on cardstock, and yarn lanyards). I also put out an assortment of plush toys & puppets: giant squid, octopus, sharks, Pout-Pout fish, crab, seahorse, anglerfish, clown fish, and starfish.
   
   [Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional skills, functional print, vocabulary, background knowledge]
   
   
3. Fishing
   
   
   
   
   I put just a little bit of water, an inch or two deep, in our large sensory bin and added the fish and poles from the Lakeshore magnetic fishing set. They can identify the different kinds of fish and their colors. [I was very disappointed to discover the magnets in this new set are noticeable weaker than the sets I purchased 4 years age at my last library and some of the fish are simply impossible to catch :(]
   
   I spotted a couple of cute shark/lobster "grabbers" at DollarTree that came with several plastic fish to grab, and put them inside an inflatable ring taped to the floor to serve as a tidepool [didn't work, the kids would not leave the ring alone and pulled it right up immediately].
   
   [motor skills, eye-hand coordination, color identification]
   
   
4. Sensory Exploration
   
   
   
   
   I put kinetic sand in an "under the bed" storage bin and added some real seashells and a few plastic ocean/beach creatures, including turtles, crabs, and lobsters. 
   
   In another bin I put cut-up pieces of blue pool noodles to serve as water, and added plastic sharks, whales, dolphins, and octopus.
   
   [sensory exploration, fine motor skills, vocabulary]
   
   
5. Building 
   
   Interlocking fish-shaped building blocks from Lakeshore Learning
   
   [spatial awareness, problem-solving, motor skills, colors]
   
   
6. Magnetic Board & Letters
   
   I spelled out "Under the Sea" on the magnetic white board, and set the bin of magnetic letters beside it. [I wish I had thought to print out a list of ocean-related words for them to spell out on the board.]
   
   [letter recognition, phonological awareness, colors]
   
   
   
   
   

How It Went:

I don't think this went quite as well as I'd hoped, definitely not as I had imagined, but everyone seemed to still have fun. The magnetic fishing and the kinetic sand were definitely the big hits of the day, and children stayed engaged with them significantly longer than with other activities. Though they really got into all the sensory exploration, I didn't see as much dramatic play going on, nor did dramatic play get as complex or last as long as with previous set-ups. Perhaps they didn't have as much knowledge or experience of ocean activities to draw on, and maybe not enough props. I would see them put on the scuba tanks, masks, and fins, but then take them back off almost immediately; it just didn't seem to hold their interest or capture their imaginations like I'd hoped. 

The other thing I noticed is that although I had set things up as distinct, separate activity stations, by halfway through the program everything was all mixed together in one big, homogenous mess, which really hasn't happened before, at least not to that degree. People didn't linger as long as with previous set-ups, either. Usually I have to tell people when time is up and I have to start cleaning up; this time only one child was left when I started cleaning up.

What I Would Do Differently:

I think what this set up needed was more props for the dramatic play, and to cut out one or two of the other stations. I really would have liked to have had some kind of boat and/or submarine that they could actually get into, but unfortunately I did not have the time to construct something myself, nor the budget to purchase something already made. I saw cardboard pirate ships made from cardboard and designed for children to play in and color on that would've been perfect if I'd had the $40 or so to spend on it. A few more puppets would have been nice, too.

Junior Librarian Training Class - Kids' Program

I planned this program for Library Week and envisioned it as something along the lines of my previous "Spy School" program, with activities based on/loosely-inspired-by skills that librarians need and/or duties they perform as part of their jobs. I created a training manual (complete manual shown at end of article) with an explanation of what librarians do, how to become one, a Dewey Decimal table, the various activities, a checklist, and a bibliography with both fiction and non-fiction kids' books about librarians and libraries.

Program: Junior Librarian Training School

Description: "Celebrate Library Week by practicing skills every good librarian needs and earn your Junior Librarian badge. 'Find Your Joy' at the library!"

Number: Could accommodate up to 20, but realistically expected 10 at most

Age Range: 6-12

Budget: Negligible, used basic supplies already on hand

Basic Skills & Concepts: Alphabetizing, numerical order, reading, reading aloud, writing, fine-motor

Library Skills & Concepts: Dewey Decimal System, alphabetizing by author, graphic design, storytime, passive reader's advisory, using the OPAC, fiction vs non-fiction

Materials: 

• printer paper
• cardstock in assorted colors
• pencils
• markers 
• colored pencils
• button-making supplies
• button maker
• die cut press
• assorted bookmark dies
• assorted picture books appropriate for storytime

I started off with asking the group what they think librarians do everyday. At first they were a little hesitant, other than one saying the predictable "read lots of books", but then I prompted them to think about what they see us doing when they are here and they were able to come up with helping people find books, checking things in and out, shelving, and trying to wrangle the after-school crowd of 20-50 middle schoolers.

I then dispelled the "sit around reading all day" myth and talked more about what librarians actually do (and don't do), the skills needed, how to become a librarian, and some of the other jobs at the library, both front-line and behind the scenes. Then I went over the activities I had planned, including a brief, simplified explanation of how the library was organized and the Dewey Decimal System, then they were free to complete the activities at their own pace.

Activities 1 & 2 - Putting Books In Order 

I decided pulling actual books for them to put in order would (1) take up a lot of space, (2) create a lot of extra shelving, and (3) be too limiting due to our relatively small collection. So I created a graphic of book spines with titles, authors, and spine labels that I printed on cardstock. [The order of books in the above graphics is somewhat random, so don't try to make sense of it. 😂]

This way, it was easier to design three difficulty levels to fit the broad age range of the program (6-12y). I used a mix of real and fictitious book titles. For each difficulty level I had 10 non-fiction books to put in order by DDS and 10 fiction books to put in alphabetical order by author. After printing on cardstock, I cut them out so they could physically arrange them in order. (I did end up pulling an assortment of actual books for the oldest participant who had expressed serious interest in being a librarian and needed a bit more of a challenge.)

In addition to the verbal explanation of how the library was organized and the DDS, their manuals included a brief written explanation and simplified table. 

Activity #3 - Library Challenge Scavenger Hunt

I created a short scavenger hunt, reminiscent of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein, that would encourage participants to explore different sections of the youth department using their knowledge of library organization, Dewey Decimal, alphanumeric order, and the catalog to answer each challenge question. The final challenge was to go to the front desk and ask a staff member to sign their sheet and tell them about a book they read when they were their age in encourage kids to become comfortable talking to library staff, and give staff practice interacting with kids.

Activity #4 - Bookmark-Making

I had previously explained how librarians often do graphic design to create flyers to advertise programs & services, informational and directional signs, things for programs like the manual for this program, and fun and/or informational bookmarks for patrons.

We had just inherited an Ellison die-cut press and a half-dozen different bookmark dies (among others) from another branch, so I put out the press, dies, assorted colors of cardstock, and markers so they could make their own bookmarks.

Activity #5 - Reader's Advisory

I had explained another part of a librarian's job is recommending and suggesting books to people, called "reader's advisory", and that this can be done several ways: in a direct one-to-one conversation making suggestions tailored for a specific patron, or in more passive ways such as bibliographies and displays. 

I told them that we were going to create a display with books they had selected, and instructed them to each select 2-3 books. I explained they could be from any part of the youth collections, and could be a personal favorite or just something they saw that looked interesting and they thought other kids might like. I elaborated that librarians couldn't possibly read every book and often suggested books they haven't personally read based on reviews, summaries, recommendations from other readers, book lists, and yes, even by the covers.

I would have liked to have had them each write a little blurb about the books they selected, but I was afraid it would feel too much like homework and there really wasn't time.

[Sadly, I totally forget to take a picture of the finished display 🙁]

Activity #6 - Storytime Practice

Since a huge part of most public librarian jobs is programming and a staple of children's programming is storytime, I set up a little storytime corner for them to practice their reading aloud to an audience of stuffed animals. I provided a selection of classic storytime books that had short, simple text and some wordless picture books for those who might not be reading independently yet. I demonstrated how to hold the book so the audience can see the pictures, and that with the wordless picturebooks they could make up their own story to go with the pictures. 

[I also told them if the corner was occupied, or if they wanted more privacy, they could also read to their grown-up or siblings in a quiet corner of the library or in the study room. I did make this activity optional-but-encouraged because I knew some kids would not be comfortable reading aloud in public and I wanted this to be fun, not anxiety-inducing!]

Activity #7 - Button-Making

Once they had completed the other activities, they had earned their official junior librarian "badge"! I asked our graphics department to design the graphic in multiple colors, and I sized them to fit our button-maker. The participants got to choose their color and make their own button. In hindsight, I wish I had also had various pro-library and pro-reading graphics available for them to make as well.

How It Went

I knew this was more of a niche program that wouldn't have as wide appeal as other programs I've done, but I had naively thought it would get some publicity from our PR department as a Library Week program. Unfortunately, that did not happen, so the turnout was fairly low. I ended up with four kids aged 6, 9, 11, & 12 years old, so it was definitely a good thing I put in the extra time and effort to develop book-sorting activities at different levels of difficulty! It was nice to have a couple of kids at the older end of the age range for a change.

Though the turnout was low, those that did show up seemed to really enjoy it, and didn't seem either too bored or too frustrated. They each did all the activities except for the storytime practice, which I believe two opted out of, and that was okay. I really enjoyed watching them tackle the library challenge scavenger hunt and seeing what books they selected for the display. However, I'm not sure the one kid who had expressed interest in being a librarian was still interested after he found out that we do not get to sit around and read all day 😂

What I Would Do Differently

The main thing I would do differently if I do this program again is to make sure it would get publicized. This is a constant source of frustration for me and my co-workers as our programs almost never get publicized. [We are at a small branch in a low-income neighborhood and the larger branches get all the support; I've never really seen this kind of inequity among branches in other systems, and it's really unfortunate for us and the community we serve.]

I would also consider changing out some of the activities just to try something different, but I think these all worked fine. (If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments!) If there was a larger crowd, say more than 10 kids, it would be nice to have someone assisting with the bookmark- and button-making, while you are checking book orders, assisting kids with the challenge, and checking answers.

Imagination Station - Pizzeria

 

Program: Imagination Station – Pizzeria

Ages: 2-8 (most participants ranged in age from 2-8 this month, plus a couple of older siblings around 9 or 10)

Number: Could accommodate up to 15 children; actual attendance was 14 children & 12 adults

Budget: About $5-10, as most items used were non-consumables that we already had or could borrow

Skills & Concepts: Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional, fine motor, functional print, early literacy, family literacy, math & science literacy

Introductory Activity: Since I just can't get people interested in checking out any of the displayed books related to theme that I set up each month and also can't get regular storytime attendance, I decided to start reading a book at the beginning of each Imagination Station session. For this one, I read Pizza at Sally's by Monica Wellington, then explained the different activities.

Stations:

1. Dramatic Play 
   
   
   
   
   I once again used my trusty, versatile market stand, this time set up as the counter of the pizzeria, where customers could place and pick up their orders. I created a menu, stocked dishes and trays behind the counter, and placed scrap paper and pencils on the counter for writing orders. I also provided play money for the counter and for customers.
   
   Behind the counter I put our play kitchen and a table with our pizza oven playset, and a stack of aprons. In front of the counter, I set a few chairs and a small, round child's table and chairs. This time I tried something new, and created cards on lanyards with various roles on them - customer, counter attendant, chef, server, delivery person - to help give them some ideas of different roles they could play. [Imagination, creativity, expressive language, socio-emotional skills, functional print]
   
   
2. Dough-Making
   
   
   
   
   I simulated making pizza dough with salt dough. I put out two big bowls of flour, a pitcher of warm water, two cartons of salt, two mixing bowls and spoons, measuring cups, and a sign with the recipe and directions (1 C flour, 1/2 C salt, 1/2 C warm water; mix until well combined. If sticky, knead in a spoonful of flour at a time until no longer sticky). I showed them how to properly measure and emphasized the importance of accurate measuring to achieve the desired result. [Math & science skills, sensory exploration, measuring skills]
   
   
3. Dough Shaping
   
   
   
   
   Once they had made their dough and gotten it to the proper consistency, they moved to the next table to work it. I put out rolling pins, rotary cutters, cookie cutters, extruders, knives, and forks. I suggested they roll it out to make a pizza crust, then mold/cut toppings, roll "snakes" for bread sticks, tie the "snakes" into knots for garlic knots, and see what else they could come up with. I gave each participant a zip-lock bag to take their dough home, with instructions to keep it in the refrigerator when not playing with it, and to discard after several days. [Fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination, pre-writing, imagination, creativity, sensory exploration]
   
   
4. Shapes Pizza Craft
   
   
   
   
   I provided small paper plates I had painted light brown/dark beige, glue, and various "toppings" cut from construction paper: red triangles of sauce, skinny rectangles of shredded cheese, circles of pepperoni, semi-circle tomato slices, and green squares of peppers. I encouraged caregivers to discuss the shapes and colors as their child made their pizza, and pointed out this was a pre-math and -science activity as well as a craft. [Shapes, colors, fine-motor skills, spatial relations, vocabulary]
   
   
5. Magnetic Board 
   
   
   
   
   I got out the magnetic letter's to spell out "Luigi's Pizzeria" and left the rest for the kids to use, as well as my magnetic "P-I-Z-Z-A" set along with the lyrics. [Letter recognition, phonological awareness]
   
   
6. Book Display
   
   
   
   
   I pulled several books with a pizza theme, as well as a pizza cookbook, and displayed on a table in the room. [Print motivation, early literacy]

How It Went

It was very messy, but worth it! The kids loved making their own dough, and their caregivers loved that they got to do it away from home and leave the mess at the library. One child had a big smile on his face and happily exclaimed, "This is fun!" Yes, there were bits of dough and flour all over the tables and floor at the end, and I had to get my ice scraper from my car to scrape up the bits of dried dough, but I enjoy providing the opportunity for some good, messy, fun. I had the largest crowd I've gotten for any early childhood program I've done at the this library so far.

Though the dough was definitely the hit of the program, they also loved the dramatic play, and I saw many orders placed, and many pizzas made and delivered to waiting customers. Not everyone did the craft because they came late and didn't have time to do everything, or just couldn't tear themselves away from the dough and dramatic play. No one interacted with the magnet board and letters or the "P-I-Z-Z-A" song, and once again, no one checked out any of the books I had on display. I think they are just too focused on the fun activities to take time out to look at the books. 

What I Would Do Differently 

In the future when practicing measuring skill I will label the measuring cups clearly as to what ingredient they are for, as many caregivers didn't pay attention and some didn't know the difference between cups for measuring dry ingredients and one for liquids. We went through about 8 pounds of flour and a little over 2 pounds of salt! If I had an even larger crowd, I'd cut the recipe in half. I'd also like to have at least one other pizza play set, either purchased or I may make a couple with cardboard and felt and ask a local pizza place to donate a couple of small pizza boxes.

This time I tried having the little "name tags" with various roles to play, but no one really used them, so I won't bother with that again. Next time I'm going to try putting related books on display *outside* of the program room in the children's department. I think they are too busy having fun with the activities to take time out to look at books, but several families do end up staying in the library for a while after the program is over while.

Up next month at Imagination Station.....the Kentucky Derby! 🐎👒🏆

Picture Book Mini-Reviews

I haven't done any sort of book reviews in a very long time! Life just got too busy, and lately I've lost touch with what's new because the little branch were I work has low circulation and doesn't get lot of new books; when we do they frequently end up going to fill a hold at one of the larger branches and we never see them again due to having a floating collection. I'd love to get rid of the floating collection, which I find to be very inequitable for communities that are already at a disadvantage, but that decision is far above my pay grade.

Fortunately, we are implementing a new procedure that will allow staff a couple of days to review new books before they go out, so now I'm getting more opportunity to see the new books and make note of them for future use. There were several books in this last shipment that caught my interest, though they may not all be brand new, but new to me and at least fairly recent.

My Tiger 
Written by Joy Crowley
Illustrated by David Barrow
Gecko Press
March 2026

A young boy has pet tiger, which shocks and frightens others, but he assures them his tiger won't hurt them because he "only eats cake". Unfortunately, as one might expect, the tiger's sweet-tooth leads to a toothache and a trip to the dentist to have the cavity filled. The dentist lectures the tiger and the boy about the tiger's inappropriate sugary diet and tells them he should eat what other tigers eat. So he does. 😉

I love dark humor so this one was right up my alley! This would be great for a slightly older crowd who would get the humor and be familiar with the dentist, so I would recommend it for ages 5 and up. It would be a humorous addition to a tooth or dental-health month themed program. 

The Zoo Inside Me

by Ruth Doyle & Yessica Baeten

Andersen Press

2022 (GB), 2024 (USA)

A child tries to describe the jumble of emotions inside of him that he is not always able to contain by comparing them to different animals. Sometimes a dragon erupts, roaring and full of fire; sometimes a mischievous monkey acting out to get attention. Sometimes he's an awkward llama, standing too close and staring with wide eyes, trying to connect. Sometimes he feels like he has to hide his true colors and blend in like a chameleon, which makes him feel small and sad. He may be a little different, but there could be a half-hidden zoo inside of you, too!

I think this book would be very relatable for kids, and perhaps make it easier for them to recognize and express their emotions, while also letting them know that everyone looses control sometimes. It would be a great jumping off point for a discussion about emotions, coping mechanisms, etc. I think it would also be a really fun read-aloud, acting out all the different animals.

Take a Breath, Big Red Monster!

by Ed Emberley

LB Kids

2025

The sequel I never expected or knew I needed, but definitely love! 

While Go Away, Big Green Monster let children take charge of their fears, Take a Breath, Big Red Monster! helps them take charge of their anger, and guides them through taking deep breaths and calming down. 

This is not only a fun book, but great for modeling self-regulation. I was so excited to see this, and shocked no one had already reserved it.

All the Dogs

by Nicola Kent

Andersen Press

2022 (GB), March, 2025 (USA)

This is a delightfully simple book with sparse text using descriptive terms, sometimes opposites or contrasting terms, but not always. While the text is sparse, it has a great rhyme and rhythm when read aloud - "Big dog, small dog, hardly there at all dog. Coming dog, going dog, always to and froing dog...." 

The illustrations, which appear to be watercolor collage, are adorable and show a wide array of different types of dogs. What I really love is the incorporation of fingerprints for ears and facial features, as I had just purchased washable ink palettes specifically for doing fingerprint art. I think this would be a great storytime book for toddlers or preschoolers. I will caution that there is one page that some caregivers might have issue with, but I'm sure children would find hysterical, that shows dogs that "really need a pee..." and doing so on the nearest tree. Many wouldn't object, but know your audience. 

A Seed in the Universe

by Elyon Liu

Post Wave Children's Books

April, 2025

Starting with a seed growing inside an apple, which is eaten by a caterpillar, this book explores how nature and people relate to each other and how we all part of the same universe. The sturdy pages feature simple, bold illustrations with a limited color palette and dark outlines and engaging die-cut shapes. 

This would also be a great storytime book for toddlers or preschoolers. The text is simple, and while it doesn't rhyme, still has a pleasant rhythm when read aloud, and the illustrations are perfect for younger kids.

I Can Count! Everyday Things from 1 to 10

Written by Pippa Goodhart, Illustrated by Emily Rand

Macmillan Children's Books

February, 2026

This boardbook features lots of familiar objects for little ones to count on each page, with short simple text naming selected items, and a countdown to a rocket launch at the end. Each spread also features a prompt for further exploration and investigation. What I really love is the back matter, with tips and benefits of reading together and suggested talking points and questions to extend and deepen the exploration of the book.

While this could certainly work as storytime book for toddlers, it really shines as a lap-sit read one-on-one with a child and caregiver, and would be a great baby shower or first birthday gift.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: POP-UP Book 

Written & Illustrated by Eric Carle

Pop-up by Threefold UK

Paper engineering by Keith Finch

World of Eric Carle

Penguin Random House

November, 2025

I spotted this at my neighborhood grocery store just the other day, and of course had to have it. It is a smaller and simplified version of the 40th Anniversary Pop-Up edition from 2009, but those are very hard to come by, especially in good condition. I was able to find a used copy, but it had a fair amount of damage, some of which I was able to repair, but not all. I'm really glad to have another pop-up version, even if it isn't as big or detailed. 

This version measures about 9"x7", and doesn't have as many or as impressive pop-ups as the 40th Anniversary. On the flip side, I think this version would hold up a little better. When I use my 40th anniversary edition, I feel like I have to guard it with my life! I'd recommend buying two of these, one to keep for yourself and one to use with children. It's a perfect size for a lap read, but also not too small to use in storytime for a smaller group. 

Know of any great new picturebooks? Especially books good for storytime? Please leave your suggestions in the comments!

Family Steam - Leprechaun Traps II

I first did this program three years ago, and it went so well and was so much fun, I knew I would do it again some time.

Title: Family STEAM Challenge - Leprechaun Traps

Ages: All ages (I had kids aged 4 to 9)

Time: 1-1/4 hours

Budget: $35 for specially purchased items, some optional. Most materials were found items or from our general craft supply stock. 

# of Participants: 10 kids and 8 adults participated, along with 3 younger & older siblings that accompanied but did not really participate

Skills/Concepts: Imagination, creativity, folklore, problem-solving, motor skills, expressive language, public speaking

Materials:  

• variety of small boxes
• large pieces of flat cardboard (cut from large boxes)
• green spray paint, $7
• cardboard tubes from paper towels
• green construction paper in two shades
• colored craft sticks 
• string
• crayons
• markers
• glitter glue
• glitter shamrock foam stickers, $10
• "gold" coins, $7
• Lucky Charms cereal (both for bait and snacking afterward), $5
• Dixie cups
• glue sticks
• liquid glue
• tacky craft glue
• tape
• scissors, both kid and adult

Prep:  

1. I collected boxes over a period of 3-4 weeks, and cut up a few large boxes to have flat pieces to build on top of. 
2. Spray-painted boxes green. 
3. I found a few examples of leprechaun traps to give them some inspiration.
4. Put all the boxes and assorted craft supplies on tables at the side of the room. 

Program: 

1. First, we briefly went over a little bit of Leprechaun lore and legend.
2. Next, I read How to Catch a Leprechaun by Adam Wallace. I really like how it ends with saying maybe someday some clever child will build a trap good enough to catch the clever leprechaun, maybe one of them.
3. We discussed strategies and considerations for designing traps. 
4. I pointed out where everything was, and encouraged them to look over things and think about it for a bit before they started, and to decide if they were doing one trap as a family, working in pairs, or if each child was doing their own. I also told them if they thought of something they needed/wanted that wasn't out, to let me know and if we had it, I'd be happy to get it out for them.
5. Build!
6. As they were finishing, I began clearing remaining supplies from the supply tables and asked them as they finished to put their trap on the tables so we could line them all up for photos, then they could wash hands and have some Lucky Charms to eat. 
7. Once they were all done, I had them stand behind their traps for group and individual photos, then they each took a turn telling the group about how their trap worked, if they were comfortable doing so. [I did make sure they knew it was optional and if they weren't comfortable speaking in front of everyone they didn't have to.]

How It Went

I had an even better turnout than the first time I did this program, and it went just as well. Since the program had run over last time, I decided to save time by spray painting the boxes green ahead of time, rather than having the kids cover them with paper like the last time (I also didn't have a roll of green bulletin board paper this time). Even though this did save some time, we still ran over by about 15 minutes past the scheduled hour. 

I was happy most of the kids were willing to present their traps, though there was one child who had to leave and one who said they didn't want to talk in front of people, or even give his name, which was fine. There were also two little ones who were a little shy and couldn't speak loudly enough for everyone to hear, so they told me, then I repeated to the crowd. I think this is my favorite part of the program.

The kids really seemed to have a great time, and caregivers were appropriately involved without taking over. I was really happy with how things turned out.

What I Would Do Differently 

The only thing I would do differently is schedule more time, since it ran over both times I've done it, and allow more time for set-up and clean-up; thirty minutes is just not enough. It took 45 minutes to clean up, and I really needed at least 45 minutes for set-up. I really prefer to set up early when possible, then take a few minutes to sit somewhere quiet and gather my thoughts.

☘ Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘