Ooh La La! It's a Fancy Nancy story time soiree!

 Good Morning! I'm taking a deep breath and feeling the inside of my nose freeze as it was a *brisk* -14 this morning!I'm also breathing easy because my marathon of youth events for February is over! I was trying out running a bunch of events in a concentrated chunk, then taking a break and then resuming with another chunk of events. After Pigeon story time, movie night, Lego night, candy science night, I was ready for the girls to have their turn to shine at the Fancy Nancy story time Soiree! I will admit that I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to girls. I have two boys at home. I grew up having one brother, the majority of my life experience has been in male heavy environments. Now, professionally, being a librarian and a teacher, I have TONS of experience in working with women and it's great! However, I was still nervous about how this would go over. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.




I decided to break up the event into two sections.
1.) The story time section
2.) The tea party/activities section

 As the guests arrived, I took special care to greet them all in french and give them a deep bow. I had on my brown suit, matching shoes, and my brightest purple shirt and a wild tie! The ladies at the circulation desk also hooked me up with some yellow and purple flowers for my pocket and I wore my thick rimmed glasses, complete with blue and green jewel stickers on the ear pieces. Anyway, the girls take this event very seriously! The hair was adorable, the dresses were exquisite, and the fancy attitude was off the charts!

 So, I started with a fancy word match. I had the girls match the fancy word to the picture on the magnet board.
Pere = dad
Mere = mom
Plume = feather
Tome = book
Soeur = sister
parfait = sundae

That was lots of fun. I read through Fancy Nancy and the Fabulous Fashion Boutique and Bonjour Butterfly first. I think, for those not in the know, Nancy comes off as kind of spoiled and a little bit annoying. I also think she might get a bad rap as stereotyping young girls or encouraging a standard for little girls. DON'T BE DECEIVED! Nancy is a great character with real emotional depth. Each book teaches many wonderful lessons for kids such as putting others before yourself or overcoming jealousy when a friend gets something that you want.

After the first two books, we had our first group activity. Before the evening, I built a playlist of music that I felt would be appropriate for this type of event. We had Chopin, Liszt, and Debussy accompanying us on our posture walk. To do this, I first put down some plastic circles on the floor in a path that wound around and through the rooms of the upstairs at our library. I pulled a bunch of larger books (I used How-To Draw books) for the girls to balance on their heads. I explained that to have exquisite posture we needed to keep our heads high, look straight ahead and walk slowly. I carried the library ipod and portable speaker and once the girls were lined up with books on their heads, we elegantly sauntered through the library. It was lots of fun! There were lots of giggles and lots of falling books!

I then read Fancy Nancy and The Mermaid Ballet to finish up the story time section of the event.

I have found a lot of success in using an open format for the activity portion of events for kids. After the stories, I tell all of the kids all the options they have, I tell them where I'm going to be and then I let them go and choose the order in which they want to do the activities. So for last night we had the following activities that I won't be going into a nauseating amount of detail over.

1.) A Bonjour Butterlfy scavenger hunt- I printed colored butterflies, labeled them by number, laminated them, and stuck them around the upper floor of the library. There were ten in all. The kids had a checklist to fill out and each girl got a goodie bag when they finished. The bag had a Candy Necklace, a Candy Bracelet with a tiara charm, two Jolly Ranchers, and two plastic jewel rings. All prizes came from Oriental Trading.

2.) Foam Tiara/Jewel sticker craft- I ordered the foam tiaras and stickers from Oriental Trading. I just set them out at a table and the girls knew what to do.

3.) From the Fancy Nancy event kit I printed out some coloring pages and word searches.

4.) Our clerk, Deb baked some custom Fancy Nancy Cookies in the shape of sunglasses, nail polish, tiaras, etc...So I had some place settings with plates, napkins, and other things from Dollar General. I served the cookies and Pink lemonade. The cups were a group effort. I bought the plastic cups from Dollar General, Avalon, our cataloging librarian, came up with the curling ribbon, and then our clerk, Deb suggested I use the foam flower stickers. The girls loved the cups. Most of them took them home as souvenirs. Cheap and effective. A big hit!

Letter G Storytime! Gorillas! Big Green Monsters! Gumballs! Gardens! Bully Goats!

I wasn't feeling so well this morning after a bad flu had me sleeping for nearly 17 hours yesterday. I did my best to keep the energy up, but it sure was difficult! Anyway, today we continued our exploration of the alphabet with letter G! We started our story time with the Heidisongs ABC action song and dance. It's so great to see the kids really getting into learning this way. Now that we've done the song and dance a few times, they are really getting it and remembering all the steps! So Fun!

Well, I have to say that letter G was the most difficult for me so far in regards to finding good books to choose from. I thought I would be able to find a ton of Gorilla books, but honestly, there weren't that many that I thought were very good. I ended up Choosing Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathman, and luckily our copy was returned about two days before I needed it. I reached out a little and found My Garden by Kevin Henkes, and Llama Llama and The Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney. I suppose It wouldn't be so difficult to find good books if I wasn't running with the whole Magic Hat theme (how do you pull a garden out of a hat?) So I changed things up a bit and I brought some felt vegetables from a Melissa and Doug sandwich kit from home and talked about how you grow vegetables in a garden. I also used the Go Away Big Green Monster! Flannelboard from Story time Katie. I pulled the individual pieces out of the hat as I read it.


After ABC action, I brought the Ukulele out and sang We're All Here (Skip to My Lou)
Here, Here, We're all here!
Here, Here, We're all here!
Here, Here, We're all here!
We're here at story time!

Hello _____________.How are you?
Hello _____________.How are you?
Hello _____________. How are you?
I'm glad you're here today!
The kids sang along with me today! That doesn't usually happen with this group! I was totally excited!

We first read My Garden by Kevin Henkes. I wasn't sure what they thought of the book at first, but once the girl started to tell about the silly things that would happen in her garden, the kids started laughing and saying things like "That's so silly!" and "You can't do that!" Henkes's book is great as you would expect.

After that, we got the kids back up to dance with Heidisong's letter G song! It is loosely based on Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush!

It's big and round with a line inside, a line inside, a line inside. (circle arms around and move them back and forth when you sing a line inside
It's big and round with a line inside, and that's a great big G!

A circle, stick, and a smile below, a smile below, a smile below (trace the letter in the air)
A circle, stick, and a smile below, and that's the little g!

g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-G!
g-g-G! g-g-G
g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-G!
And that's the sound of G!

I then, read Llama Llama and the Bully Goat. This went over pretty well, the kids all listened well and seemed to enjoy the story. Dewdney's prose is very sing-song and has a great rhyme scheme. She never seems to stretch or overreach for her rhymes and this story about a not-so-nice preschool friend is one that most kids can relate to.

Next, I pulled the pieces of the Big, Green Monster out of the Magic hat and performed the book as a flannel board story and the kids all gleefully joined me in telling the monster to go away!

Finally, I read Goodnight Gorilla. The kids really liked telling me about what the gorilla was going to do and really enjoyed how silly and naughty the gorilla was in the story.


For our last activity, we sang Sticky, Sticky Bubblegum!  Fun for everyone! The kids laughed and clapped along.
We then sang our goodbye song We Wave Goodbye Like This (The Farmer in the Dell)
We wave goodbye like this.
We wave goodbye like this.
We clap our hands for all our friends
We wave goodbye like this.
I usually sing the song 3 or 4 times and switch up the waving as we go.

Our craft was to turn the letter G into a gumball machine with construction paper, colored dot stickers, glue, and...well, the letter G!

 Even sick, this was still a very fun and creative story time! Thanks for checking this out! See ya next time!

Pixelbeard (Mr. Mike)

They Blinded Me with Science!

I did something unexpected last night at the library. I don't think anyone has done anything like this previously. I am proud of myself for boldly venturing into uncharted territory for youth programming!

We had candy.

And Science.

Candy and Science together!

I ended up with 16 kids and about 9 adults. For 25 people to squeeze into one room upstairs at the library takes some maneuvering. I had picked out 6 science experiments that could be done with simple ingredients and of course, candy! I got the ideas from the book Candy Experiments by Loralee Leavitt. I won this book at the Lakeland Cooperative Summer Reading Program workshop back in November and my sweet tooth has been ACHING for a chance to try these experiments with some kiddos. Now that I know what to expect, I will also expect to try more of these experiments over the summer during Fizz Boom Read!

The first thing we did was test for secret ingredients. Anytime you mention to a kiddo that there might be a secret about something common, they are instantly drawn in. The test was to see what secret ingredient is in soft candies like Laffy Taffy and Starbursts. The secret ingredient that makes them chewy, of course, is simply air. But the kids get excited when you tell them that the ingredient isn't even listed on the package. To perform this experiment, you need a bowl, water, and one Starburst per child. It takes 30 minutes to finish. First you fill the bowl with water, and drop the starburst in. Make sure the Starburst is completely submerged. Then all you need to do is wait and observe every five minutes or so, so you can witness the changes occuring.

In the interim, we performed all the other experiments I had lined up. The second one was another secret ingredient experiment to find out what makes Pop Rocks Pop! I found a stash of two-pack pop rock candies at the Dollar General. So I got 24 packs of Pop Rocks for only twelve dollars. That's a pretty good deal considering that they're getting harder to find since they've been known to be used to flavor Methamphetamine, but I digress. I began this with a demonstration of pouring Pop Rocks into a 20 oz. Diet Pepsi, then covering the top with a balloon. I then told the famous Urban Legend of the boy who ate Pop Rocks and Coke and exploded. Most of them thought that was pretty funny. The experiment simply involves a clear cup, a pack of Pop Rocks, and water. I explained to the kids that there was a secret ingredient trapped inside the candy and the only way to discover it is to dissolve the sugar in water. So we did. The kids were fascinated by the fact that not only could you hear the popping, you can see the bubbles being released and floating to the top, much like soda pop. So while it was popping, I explained the scientific concept of Carbon Dioxide gas and the pop it makes when it is released.

Next, we shifted a little bit into two experiments on Density. The first one involved colored skittles, but you can also use M&M's. The concept is that if you mix colors, you often get another color, but what happens when the colored shells on candy dissolve? All you need to perform this is 2-4 candies, water, and a clear or white bowl. Put the water in first, then put the candies on the bottom. Then, watch and see that the answer is surprising. It is VERY important that you do not stir the water. That will cause the colors to blend instantly. That's not what we want to see. Because the density of the colored water is the same, neither color can mix with the other right away. Instead, they push against each other and form some wild patterns. You can do this with many colors and some kids had patterns of up to four colors pushing into one another. Then I talked about how water molecules are always moving around and how they always change their shape. Because of that, your colors will eventually mix together.

EDIT: You can also do a version of this with Candy Canes or Peppermint candies.

The next density experiment we performed was how to make a Starburst float. Because a Starburst is more dense than the water, it sinks right to the bottom? But if heavy tankers and cruise ships can float, we can make candy float. So the kids all experimented with forming the Starbursts with their hands into shapes that could float on top of the water. It was all about changing the shape and density of the candy to make it do what you wanted it to. Lots of fun for the kids.

Afterwards, we checked on our Starbursts from the beginning of the night and found something amazing. The starbursts that had been submerged for 30 minutes had shrunk and grown very hard as well. One of my regulars, (quite the smarty), deduced that if there were bubbles on the top of the water, there must have been air inside the candy and that air was the secret ingredient.









As a take home experiment I talked to the kids about how Marshmallows could be vampires as well. See, the corn starch in the Marshmallow will, over a period of a few days, absorb moisture from another object in a sealed environment, much like a Vampire drains blood from a victim. Our victim was a half slice of bread. To do this experiment, you simply need one marshmallow, a Ziplock sandwich bag, and a half slice of bread. Put the bread and Marshmallow in the bag and seal the bag. Over a few days, the starch in the Marshmallow with absorb the moisture from the bread causing the Marshmallow to grow and the bread to become thin and brittle! Creepy, eh?

I wouldn't have been able to do this by myself. I had some wonderful parent volunteers who did not shy away from the call of duty when I needed them. They helped pour water, pass out marshmallows, bags, and bread. I will definitely be doing experiments like this again. Thankfully, the Summer Reading Program theme is science based, so I can predict I will run an event like this again!

Thanks for checking this out! I will talk to you again next week!

Pixelbeard
(Mr. Mike)

Letter F Storytime!

Good morning! Welcome to another Storytime Wednesday. This week we danced, sang, and read all about things that begin with the letter F. The books I chose for today were The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister, Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor, and Farm Flu by Teresa Bateman. This took some creative thinking in deciding what to pull out of the Magic Hat. I don't want to just pick out a plain stuffed animal every time and I had no idea how to pull Fancy out of a hat so I made up some more creative ways to do so. Instead of a stuffed or toy fist, I pulled a fish shaped cookie cutter and play-doh out of the hat. I act puzzled when something weird comes out of the hat, so today the hat whispered to me to use the play-doh with the cookie cutter. The kids were so rapt with attention that they ALL crowded around to see what would happen. They were delighted to see a fish take shape when the play-doh was cleared away. To pull out fancy, I went to my stash of glittery, fun shaped sunglasses (or FUNglasses as one mom pointed out). And pulled a pair of those out of the hat. For farm flu, I had to resort to a teaching trick I used in 2012. I pulled a spray bottle out from underneath the easel/magnet board. In Farm Flu, all the animals "get sick" and all sneeze with a Ka-Choo! When they sneeze, I give a spray from the bottle into the air. This really gets the kids giggling and smiling. It always makes me so happy. They aren't sure what to do with themselves at first, but they quickly realize that something fun is going on and really enjoy it!

I always start our story times with the ABC action Dance from Heidisongs. I've been teaching and entertaining with Hedisongs for so long now, it just feels natural to fire up the DVD and groove to the alphabet. I love connecting music and movement to learning. All the little ones connect their bodies and brains so perfectly! Afterwards, I greet all the kids with a quick song on my Ukulele.
We're all here! (Skip to my Lou)
Here, Here, We're all here!
Here, Here, We're all here!
Here, Here, We're all here!
We're here at story time!
Hello _________. How are you?
Hello _________. How are you?
Hello _________. How are you?
I'm glad your here today!

(insert child's name in the blank. Repeat for all children.)

The Magic Hat gave us both letter F magnets and we went over the sound letter F makes and the Zoophonics motion for Francy Fish! I made the play-doh fish as I stated above and we read through The Rainbow Fish. I chose this one first because it's a little bit longer and more involved than some stories I usually do at story time. The kids all listened with complete attention and seemed absorbed by the story. It was quite a good read and I will absolutely use it again.

Afterwards, we needed a brain break, and what better way than to Learn the letter F song and dance from Heidisongs. It goes to the "Dinah won't you blow your horn part of I've been working on the railroad.





One line going down (trace line in the air)
Two across next (Put both arms out to one side)
That is how you make big F-F-F
One line going down (trace line in the air)
Two across next (Put both arms out to one side)
That is how you make big F.
Candy cane across for small f. (trace lines in the air)
Candy cane across I know-oh-oh-oh. (Circle arms up and around)
Candy cane across for small f. (trace lines in the air)
Strummin on my old banjo. (play air guitar)
And it goes Fee-Fi-Fiddly-I-oh
Fee-Fi Fiddly-I-oh-oh-oh-oh (circle arms up and around)
Fee-Fi-Fiddly-I-oh!
Strummin on my old banjo!

 Our Next items were the Fancy FUNglasses I mentioned above. And I read Fancy Nancy. Honestly, I don't think I would pass out the fancy sunglasses to all the kids again. We had a few tears when some didn't get the pair they wanted, and they were more interested in playing with the sunglasses than they were in listening to the story. Perhaps next time, if I do pass the FUNglasses again, We'll do something active first like a fashion walk or something to reduce the novelty before trying a story. Either way, I love Fancy Nancy and the message that there is no better way or fancier way to say I love you.

 Our final story was Farm Flu and as usual, it was a ton of fun. It's really everything I want in a preschool story. It's silly as all get out, the twist at the end makes all the moms laugh, and it's rhythmic and rhyming! Farm Flu is always a win-win. And when you add the sensory component of spritzing the air, and drizzling the kids with water, they get even more involved and start laughing. Before you know it, you really have a hit on your hands.

 Before long, it was time to say goodbye, and we always say goodbye the same way.
We wave goodbye like this! (The Farmer in the Dell)
We wave goodbye like this!
We wave goodbye like this!
We clap our hands for all our friends!
We wave goodbye like this!
(I always repeat this three times with fun, silly waves)

Craft!
Our craft today was take from pinterest and it was pretty involved. I'd find a way to simplify the number of items necessary for this before using it again. The kids all seemed very pleased with their creations, but they couldn't have done it without lots of help from moms (and a dad today!)
Materials:
Construction paper for letter F and for background
Yarn
Green Bingo Dot Stickers
Black paint
Glue sticks
Eye stickers or googly eyes.

The kids glue the letter F to the background. Then they place their dot stickers and their eyes. They then glue the yarn to the F to act as a tongue. Finally, they make a fingerprint painting on the background and stick the other end of the tongue in the paint. When the paint dries, the yarn will stick! How fun!
The best part about these frogs is that EVERYONE'S WAS DIFFERENT! That warms my heart and makes my day. Preschool art should be unique, special, and different from everyone else's! Even with mom and dad's help, they still manage a way to put their own unique flair on the project. That makes me happier than any uniform project ever could!

Thanks for checking out the blog! See you next week for Letter G!

Pixelbeard (Mr. Mike)