What a fun Saturday! Last of Sessions are always bittersweet :) We have stories and puppets and theater and projects and snacks...suhweet! But saying goodbye to Family Storytime for a month and and half...oh, I'll miss you all! There's only one remedy for that, and that is come on back in to the library for the rest of the winter fun we offer*, or if you can't come in, stay on the blog, post a comment, and share what you and your kids are up to :) I would LOVE to hear from you!
Here are the books we used for puppets and theater:

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Winter Lullaby by Barbara Seuling; Ills. by Greg Newbold

Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep by Jane Yolen & Heidi E. Y. Stemple; Ills. by Brooke Dyer

Ooh, three wonderful books about winter - and all of them favorites! The Mitten is a classic that I like to pull out every few years. Thanks to the Finger Lakes Library System, we have a lovely, stretchy mitten that we can borrow to use finger puppets with for this story. If you haven't read The Mitten yet, take a copy home sometime and revel in Jan Brett's lively and humorous illustrations!

 

 

Winter Lullaby is in the top 10 of my favorite books for winter. I love nature and love to share nature themes with your children. A book like this might otherwise be a bit slow for a storytime, but the puppets to help tell the story in the storytime setting :) I personally find the book to be one of those that help me to accept and enjoy winter. I need that this time of year!

 

Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep is another perennial favorite. Jane Yolen's wonderful, poetic version of the old lullaby "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" (or the German, "Schlaf, Kindlein, Schlaf") takes us all for an adorably sleepy ride to hibernation with many animals from our black bear to snakes to beavers and mice, with many other animals in between! If you like to sing, you can fit the melody in nicely with just a little tweaking as you enjoy the book together :)

Let's explore winter with a snowflake song!

 

Watch the Snowflakes

 

Watch the snowflakes, watch the snowflakes

 

 

 

 

Floating down, floating down,
 

 

They are falling softly, oh, so very softly,

 

 

 

To the ground, to the ground.

 

 

 

Use that song to encourage movement at home! Pretend you are dancers and see how slowly and gracefully you can dance! (It's OK if you tip over, it happens to me all the time ; ) Hey, is this the time of year for your family to spend more time indoors baking? Let's bake some gingerbread people together!

 

Stir a Bowl of Gingerbread

 

Stir a bowl of gingerbread

Smooth and spicy-brown.

Roll it with a rolling pin

Up and down.

With a cookie cutter

make some little men

Put them in the oven

until half-past ten!

 

OK, remember how I mentioned the end of session for Family Storytime being bittersweet? Here's some more "sweet" to counteract the "bitter": Lego at the Library most Saturday afternoons; Families Learning Science Together, Saturday, January 13th; Children's STEAM Crafternoon, Wednesday, December 13th; Children's Poetry Writing Workshop, Friday, January 12th; Sit! Stay! Read! Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:00; Preschool Art with Stiller Zusman Saturday, December 16th and whatever you do DON'T FORGET to join the Winter Reading Program!! Whether you have babies, toddlers or elementary school-aged kids, there will be something for you :) Earn a free book and a chance to win more prizes by picking up a fun bingo sheet, reading, and visiting the library with your kids! Please check our website or grab a flyer for specific times and other details :)

 

And when you do come in, be sure to say hello, and tell us about what you're reading and doing (think winter things!) with your winter time!

I hope to see you around!

Miss Kelly