Setting the Scene Program Guide
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Program Guide Patti Sinclair Join the fun! It’s a way for libraries to interest to families—on parenting; kid-friendly crafts welcome and encourage families to become regular and projects; parental concerns, such as saving for col- library users by celebrating and showing what they have lege, autism, and home schooling; etc. Here are some to offer. Connecticut librarians Nadine Lipman and other things you can do: Caitlin Augusta initiated the first Take Your Child to the • Create a Welcome poster in several different languages, Library Day on February 4, 2012. This annual celebra- including those spoken by residents in your communi- tion will take place on the first Saturday in February. ty. You can find several examples online when search- Read on for engaging ways to celebrate this day in your ing “welcome poster in different languages.” library. For more information on the program, visit the Take Your Child to the Library homepage at http://www. • Post photos of all library staff around the library. ctlibrarians.org/?page=Take. You can also visit our Pinter- • Decorate a table or the circulation desk where patrons est page at https://www.pinterest.com/upstart/take-your- apply for library cards. If you expect large crowds, child-to-the-library-day/ for additional programming and consider a costumed character or barker to proclaim activity ideas. “Get Your Library Cards Here.” • Invite participants to write their names on die-cut rab- Setting the Scene bit shapes. Hang them from the ceiling. • Provide bookmarks (available from Upstart at Make sure your library is in tip-top shape—clean www.demco.com/goto?BLS188994&ALL0000& and tidy with attractive book and media displays, es=20151214125933138157) as well as handouts, etc. updated bulletin board, and plenty of staff on duty for parents on Early Literacy. If your library or state to welcome families. Decorate with the Take Your doesn’t have materials, you can easily get handouts Child to the Library poster (available from Upstart online (one good source is www.earlylit.net/booklists/ index.shtml). at www.demco.com/goto?BLS188992&ALL0000& es=20151214125933138157), and make a special dis- • Provide a Spanish (or other language) speaker/ play of seasonal books (Black History Month, Ground- interpreter if needed. hog Day, presidents, winter weather, sports and activi- ties, Valentine’s Day, Susan B. Anthony Day, National • Celebrate February children’s book creators with displays of their books and a birthday cake to share. Girls and Women in Sports Day). Also display books of 1 February author/illustrator birthdays include: Trivia. Reproduce the trivia sheets, “Children’s Book Trivia” and “Know Your Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes,” ű Feb.1 Jerry Spinelli on pages 8–9, and distribute them. Or, play a trivia ű Feb. 2 Judith Viorst, Eve Rice, Mary Casanova, Rebecca Caudill game using the questions. These are very easy trivia ű Feb. 3 Joan Lowery Nixon games and would be easy to update in future years. ű Feb. 4 Russell Hoban ű Feb. 5 David Wiesner Library Bingo. See pages 10-11. You can make up ű Feb. 7 Laura Ingalls Wilder, Shonto Begay several cards in advance and play the game when you ű Feb. 8 Anne Rockwell ű Feb. 9 Dick Gackenbach have enough families present. Cut out a set of BINGO ű Feb. 10 Mark Teague, Lucy Cousins, images/words to use for calling out. Play several rounds, E.L. Konigsburg, Stephen Gammell and offer a small prize to winners. ű Feb. 11 Jane Yolen ű Feb. 12 Judy Blume, Chris Conover, David Small Book Memory Game. Make copies on ű Feb. 13 Eleanor Farjeon, Simms Taback, Janet Taylor Lisle cardstock of the memory game on page 12. Place them at a table with scissors for ű Feb. 14 Paul O. Zelinsky, Brian Lies, Jamake HOP Highwater parents and young children. ű Feb. 15 Doris Orgel ű Feb. 16 Nancy Ekholm Burkert Library Game. Reproduce The Library ű Feb. 17 Robert Newton Peck, Sarah Beth Pfeffer, Hop Andre Norton Game on page 13. Give to attendees to ű Feb. 18 Barbara Joosse complete. Families who complete the sheet ű Feb. 19 Louis Slobodkin may get a small prize or put their name in for ű Feb. 21 Jim Aylesworth, Patricia Hermes a drawing. ű Feb. 23 C.S. Adler, Walter Wick, Laura Geringer ű Feb. 24 Wilhelm Carl Grimm ű Feb. 25 Cynthia Voigt Hare and Tortoise Relay Race. You will need a large ű Feb. 26 Sharon Bell Mathis, Colby Rodowski space for this game. Make pairs of construction paper ű Feb. 27 Uri Shulevitz hares and tortoises, one hare or tortoise per player. On ű Feb. 28 Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), each pair (one hare and one tortoise), write an activity: Megan McDonald, John Tenniel, walk, hop, skip, jump, walk sideways, backwards, crawl, Donna Jo Napoli etc. You will have two identical sets. Mix up each set. Treats Form two teams of players. Place a long piece of string • Rabbit-shaped cookies on the floor. Line up each team behind the string and • Sheet cakes to celebrate authors’ February birthdays put a stack of hares across the room from one team and • Coffee, hot chocolate a stack of tortoises across from the other team. On “Go,” the first player on each team runs up to a pile and takes a Shelf Talkers hare or a tortoise. Each player then returns to the end of Print and cut out the rabbit-themed shelf talkers on page the line while doing exactly what the paper says. When 7. Fill in with brief comments for books you want to the first players get back to their teams, the next players highlight and have them peeking out of books. go. The team that finishes first wins. Games Activities & Special Events How many books in the bag? Fill a clear trash bag or Track Library Visits. Reproduce the tracking sheet on large box with books, and have attendees guess the num- page 21 and give one to each participant. Put a sticker ber of books. Offer a small prize, and post the winners at or draw a picture on the sheet each time the child visits the end of the day. the library. (Stickers featuring the rabbit art are available from Demco at www.demco.com/goto?BLS310391&ALL0 How many books in the library? Have participants 000&es=20151217131008528185.) guess how many books the library owns. 2 Find the Bunny. Hide a picture of a rabbit somewhere in features or an interesting backstory? Does your library sight in the library, and challenge visitors to locate it. Give offer any new services or materials, such as lending out a bookmark or other small reward to those who find it. eReaders? Share with families. Have your picture taken with the librarian. Set up a Teen Volunteers. Do you have a teen advisory board spot in the children’s section for kids or families to have or teen volunteers who can help? Ask them to assist their pictures taken with the children’s librarian. Print at a craft table, perform a skit or puppet show, serve them out, and send them home with families. refreshments, or direct families to activities or areas of the library. Invite them to brainstorm ways they might Photo Shoot Set up a photo shoot spot with patrons help out. standing below a sign that says “I love my library.” If you can, locate some wings and a toy bow (and an oversize Dads & Dinosaurs. Have a special program for dads pair of boxer shorts decorated with hearts for more dar- and kids with a dinosaur-themed storytime (page 6). ing patrons) to wear and hold while having their picture Make dinosaur shoes (page 15). taken. Perhaps your library director or other staff can have pictures of themselves taken in advance and post Truck on in. Arrange with the city, county, or a them by the photo shoot. construction company for a large fire truck or farm or construction vehicle to come to the library, allowing Or, set up a photo shoot corner with the Take Your patrons to tour/touch the truck. Add a truck-themed Child to the Library poster. Add a special chair or storytime with a guest construction worker to read library- themed props (books, magazines, earphones) a story. or just fun props (crowns, clown nose, funny glasses, etc.). Post the photos after the program. Of course, you Fun Zone. Create a section for crafts, Legos, games, and can simply have a roving photographer take photos of puzzles. Provide construction paper and other materials families involved in activities at the library on this day. for making bookmarks and other crafts. Children’s Performer. Invite a singer, a magician, Reading Zone. Create a comfortable area for students puppeteers, a storyteller, or other family-friendly and parents to read books silently or to each other. performers to do a performance during the day. Scavenger Hunt. There are lots of ways to do library Special Guests. Invite the mayor, the head of the board scavenger hunts. One suggestion: Fill a decorated box or of education, the library director, local authors, and/or large container with questions. Each attendee or fam- other community leaders to read stories to families. ily reaches in and selects a slip of paper with a question or instruction to follow. Examples include: Where is Storybook Character Costumes. Welcome families the cookbook section in the library? Find the storytime while in costume—your own or a rented storybook room. Find out the library’s policy on lost library books.