A is for Alligator

This week at the library.......Letter A Books!  

Check one out and get a mini letter A alligator print!

Glamourous Upcoming Events

Wear your finest for an evening out at the library. Mike Schuler will entertain children and adults with his delightful musical performance this Wednesday, October 27th at 7 pm.. Don't forget to register at http://www.swarthmorepubliclibrary.org/.
See you there!

Trash Town

We're building dreamy towns out of trash!
Inspired by 123 I Can Build! by Irene Luxbacher.

More Trashy Books:
The Dumpster Diver by Janet S. Wong
Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman & David Clemesha
Not a Box by Antoinette Portis

Favorite Baby Rhymes

Popcorn:
Popcorn, popcorn, (bounce baby on knee)
Put it in the pot!
Shake it! Shake it! (gently shake and tickle baby)
Pop, Pop, POP! (lift baby in the air)

Beehive:
Here is the beehive, (make a fist)
But where are all the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees,
Open it up and look inside,
1..2..3..4..5 (Open fist by counting on each finger)
Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! (Bees tickle baby)

Cheeky, Cheeky Chin:
(Point to baby's features while singing)
Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin!
Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin!
Eyes, nose, cheeky, cheeky, chin!
Cheeky, cheeky, chin, nose, eyes!

Apple Tree:
Way up high in an apple tree, (bounce baby on knee)
I saw a little baby smiling at me,
So I shook that tree as hard as I could, (tickle baby)
Down came the baby,
Mmmm, mmmm, good! (give baby hugs and kisses)

What Shall We Do With a Tiny Baby?:
What shall we do with a tiny baby? (bounce baby on knee)
What shall we do with a tiny baby?
What shall we do with a tiny baby,
Early in the morning.

Roll him around and tickle him all over. (tilt baby in a circular motion and tickle baby)
Roll him around and tickle him all over.
Roll him around and tickle him all over,
Early in the morning.

Heave ho! And up she rises, (lift baby in the air)
Heave ho! And up she rises,
Heave ho! And up she rises,
Early in the morning.

Mother and Father and Uncle John:
Mother and Father and Uncle John (bounce baby on knee)
Went to town one by one.
Mother fell off (tip baby to left)
And Father fell off (tip baby to right)
But Uncle John went on and on and on . . . (bounce baby quickly up and down)

The Dog Goes to Dover:
Leg over leg, (bounce baby on knee)
As the dog goes to Dover.
When he comes to a wall,
Jump! He goes over! (lift baby up)

This is the Way the Ladies Ride:
This is the way the ladies ride, (bounce baby on knee)
the ladies ride, the ladies ride.
This is the way the ladies ride,
so early in the morning.

This is the way the gentleman ride, (bounce baby quickly)
the gentleman ride, the gentleman ride.
This is the way the gentleman ride,
so early in the morning.

This is the way the farmers ride, (bumpy bounces)
the farmers ride, the farmers ride.
This is the way the farmers ride,
so early in the morning!

A Tastefully Prepared Storytime

Preschool

Opening Song:
Popcorn by Laurie Berkner

Books:
Cupcake by Charise Mericle Harper
If You Give a Mouse a Cupcake by Laura Numeroff
Fast Food by Paxton Freymann
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Picnic by Ruth Brown
Pie in the Sky by Lois Ehlert
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring

Acitivity:
Flannelboard Rhyme
5 Hungry Ants marching in a line,
Came upon a picnic where they could dine.
They marched into the salad,
they marched into the cake,
they marched into the pepper....Uhoh!
That was a mistake...AHHHH CHOOO! (Sneeze away an ant)

4 Hungry Ants...

Craft:
Cupcake with unusual toppings (inspired by Cupcake by Charise Mericle Harper)
(Baking Cups with fiberfill, sequin sprinkles and unusual objects on top)

Biology of Animals

Toddler Program

Opening Song:
Clap in Time by Makin' Music

Activity:
Small and Tall

Song:
There were green alligators and long necked geese,
Humpty-backed camel and the chimpanzees,
Cats and rats and elephants as sure as your born,
But the loveliest of all was the unicorn!

Fingerplay:
With our ears we will listen,
With our eyes we will look,
It's time to read a book! Shhh!
(with appropriate signs)

Book:
Lesson 1-Animal Body Parts
Heads by Matthew Van Fleet

Flannelboard Rhyme:
To the Tune of Here We Go Round' the Mulberry Bush
Here we go on an animal hunt, an animal hunt, an animal hunt.
Here we go on an animal hunt, let's listen carefully!
(5 Animals hiding behind rocks and trees on flannel board, make animals sounds and kids guess what's hiding)

Fingerplay:
I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my fingers...

Book:
Lesson 2-Animal Sounds
This Little Chick by John Lawrence

Shaker Song:
Walk Like the Animals by Makin' Music
Animal Sound Practice

Rhyme:
Shhh! Be quiet.....

Book:
Lesson 3-Animal Movement
What Animals Do from Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever
or
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle

Closing Song:
Skinnamarink

Craft:
Animal Field Guides

Afraid of the Dark

School-Age Program

Books:
The Pout-Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Diesen
Dark Night by Dorothee de Monfreid
Lights Out by Aurthur Geisert
The Dark, Dark Night by M. Christina Butler

Craft:
Deep Sea Scratch and Sequin Art

Chick Lit

Toddler Program

Opening Song:
Clap in Time by Makin' Music

Activity:
Small and Tall

Song:
There were green alligators and long necked geese,
Humpty-backed camel and the chimpanzees,
Cats and rats and elephants as sure as your born,
But the loveliest of all was the unicorn!

Fingerplay:
With our ears we will listen,
With our eyes we will look,
It's time to read a book! Shhh!
(with appropriate signs)

Book:
This Little Chick by John Lawrence

Flannelboard Rhyme:
Five little eggs in the chicken pen
Sitting on top is the mother hen.
Crackle, crackle, crackle; what do I see?
One little chick, as yellow as can be! 

4 Little Eggs....

Fingerplay:
I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my fingers...

Book:
Whose Chick Are You? by Nancy Tafuri

Shaker Song:
Quack, Quack by the Wiggles

Book:
The Odd Egg by Emily Gravett

Closing Song:
Skinnamarink

Craft:

Are You My Mommy?

Toddler Program

Opening Song:
Clap in Time by Makin' Music

Activity:
Small and Tall

Song:
There were green alligators and long necked geese,
Humpty-backed camel and the chimpanzees,
Cats and rats and elephants as sure as your born,
But the loveliest of all was the unicorn!

Fingerplay:
With our ears we will listen,
With our eyes we will look,
It's time to read a book! Shhh!
(with appropriate signs)

Book:
Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

Flannelboard Rhyme:
5 Little Ducks went out to play,
Over the hills and far away.
When the mama duck said Quack, quack, quack,
One Little Duck came running back!
Quack, quack, quack, quack....

4 Little Ducks.....

Fingerplay:
I wiggle, wiggle, wiggle my fingers...

Book:
Mama's Little Bears by Nancy Tafuri

Shaker Song:
Dance, Baby, Dance by Makin' Music

Closing Song:
Skinnamarink

Craft:
Mommy Alarms (Bell Bracelets)

That's a Lie!

School-Age Program

Books:
Tell the Truth BB Wolf by Judy Sierra
Doug Dennis and the Flyaway Fib by Darren Farrell
The Talking Mushroom by Leo Lionni

Activity:
Truth or Lie-Tell the truth or tell a story, the group guesses if it's true or if it's a lie.

Craft:
Fibs on a Stick

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Craft available in printable pdf. format

Monster Academy

A monster themed program and craft adapted for all ages. . .

Toddler Program

Books:

Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly

Monster Hug by David Ezra Stein

Can You Make a Scary Face by Jan Thomas

If You're a Monster and You Know It by Ed Emberly

Rhyme:

5 Little Monsters underneath the bed,

One jumped out and bumped his head!

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said....
No more monsters underneath the bed!

Shaker Song:

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner (followed by roaring practice)

Craft:

Monster Love Notes

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Preschool Program

Books:

Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly
Can You Make a Scary Face by Jan Thomas
If You're a Monster and You Know It by Ed Emberly

The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex

Opening Song:

Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner (followed by roaring practice)

Rhyme:

5 Little Monsters underneath the bed,
One jumped out and bumped his head!
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said....
No more monsters underneath the bed!

Craft:

Monster Love Notes
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School-Age Program

Books:

Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer (Crafts/Activities inspired by this book)

Goodnight Goon by Michael Rex

Furious George by Michael Rex

Selections from Monster Musuem by Marilyn Singer

Activities:

Monster Report Cards

Monster Academy Badges (from Mostly Monsterly by Tammi Sauer)

Craft:
Monster Love Notes

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Craft and activity art available in printable pdf. format