Baby Storytime & Baby Art!

In my storytime sessions this week, I decided to add a new element. Check out what typical storytime looks like here. All the words to my songs and rhymes can be found here.

 

 Opening Song
Welcome Song
Opening Rhyme/Movement
Hands are Clapping

Book
Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfiels
This was definitely the crowd favorite. The babies who could walk, all came up to touch the pop-ups, and the parents thought it was very sweet. Pop-ups have always worked really well with my babies!

Rhyme/Movement
Itsy-Bitsy Spider

Rhyme/Movement
Giddy-Up, Giddy Up

Rhyme/Movement
Roly-Poly

Book
Hurry Hurry by Eve Bunting
I should have clipped more pages in this one. It was running a little long, so I began turning multiple pages at a time. However, this led into a literacy tip!

Literacy Tip
Make sure the time you spend reading to your little one is enjoyable. If they're not feeling the book- skip some pages or just stop reading that book. It's better to read in short 5 minutes segments during the day and have them really enjoy what is happening! If you are trying to force them to sit still and listen while you finish your book, you will both be unhappy by the time you're done. Reading should be fun and stress free! 

Rhyme/Movement
Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Rhyme/Movement
This is Big

Choral Reading
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.
Everyone loves this book. If your library has the money, buy enough board book copies for everyone to have one in their hands. It is so wonderful to see the families interact during the book!

Egg Shakers
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Baa, Baa, Black Sheep 

Rhyme/Movement
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

Playtime!
For a while I have been contemplating some sort of craft during baby storytime. What do you do with 15 babies in a room though? With my master google skills ('baby craft'), I found the Paint and Prozac blog which told me exactly what to do! There are tons of great ideas on there, so check it out. This craft was super easy and very cheap. Make sure you prep the bags right before storytime though. I found out the hard way that the paint will eventually make the cardstock too soggy if you don't squish it around within an hour.

At the end of storytime, I announced there was a small, mess-free, craft project for the babies if they wanted it. I explained the craft and spoke briefly about why it was so important to let babies start creating. The parents were all very wary, so I said, "It will be there very first art masterpiece!" For whatever reason, no parent can pass up a "baby first". By clean-up time, they were all playing with the bags and talking about colors, how it felt, etc. It was a beautiful thing.

I am a very visual person, especially when it comes to crafting. So, here is my step-by-step process of art in a bag.

Paint, tape, bags, cardstock

Insert cardstock into sandwich bag

Add tape to cover both sides of the
opening

Pick two colors that mix well

You're done!

My very own art masterpiece-
Yes, I will accept credit card
payments or cookies.

My Baby Storytime

For my new updated version of how I facilitate Baby & Infant Storytimes click here!

Everyone does infant and baby storytime their own way. For some great examples, look to Mel's Desk or Abby the Librarian. I thought I would share my general outline and set-up, so my future posts about baby storytime make sense. If you are new to baby storytime, you will figure out your own style! I've found a mash-up of the above librarians, and a little bit of my own stuff works best for me.

Make one for the parents too!

First--Nametags! I hand these out as the parents and babies are walking in. This is really for my benefit. I can memorize their names much faster when I hand them a nametag each week. Right before I start, I will put the nametags on a table by the door so any latecomers can grab their own. I also remind parents to stick the nametag on their little one's back. They can't reach them there!

For infant storytime, I always start each session with a welcome and by explaining what will be happening.

"Welcome to Infant Storytime! My name is Miss Brooke and today we are going to have lots of fun. We're going to read some great books and sing a lot. All of the words to my songs are on the wall, so please sing with me because your baby loves to hear your voice! Remember that if your little one is having a rough day feel free to step outside and come back if you can. If you can't and need to leave it's ok. I promise I won't be offended. Just come back next week and try again. Is everyone ready for fun?"

The song wall

My typical storytime outline is:

Opening Song

Opening Rhyme/Movement

Book

Rhyme/Movement

Rhyme/Movement

Rhyme/Movement

Book

Rhyme/Movement

Rhyme/Movement

Book/Choral Reading--Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Shaky Eggs/Scarves

Closing Song

Playtime/Bubbles

Of course, this outline doesn't always work. There are some days where we sing almost the whole time. There are other days where I can read 4 books. It really just depends on how the babies are feeling that day.

As far as room set up--Blankets and pillows really help contain the little ones and seem to make the parents more comfortable. The song sheets are directly behind me so no parent has to turn around to figure out the words to the songs. Also, I sing the same songs every week, so usually by week 2 or 3 they have them memorized. The first two sessions of storytime, I will briefly go over each rhyme/movement before we sing it and then we'll sing them 3 times each. After week 2, I go down to 2 times each, unless they are just really loving the rhyme that day.

"Tote bags of fun"

For the playtime portion, I leave the egg shakers and scarves out and throw some stuffed animals and books into the middle. There is also music playing at a reasonable volume. This helps with any uncomfortable silences you might have the first couple of storytimes. I also keep bubbles on a table in case any of the parents want to use them. Playtime is essential because it gives the babies an opportunity to interact with others, and it lets the parents socialize with other parents. I have had quite a few best friends happen because of baby storytime.

I always grab some books to display. Some days, it is easier to grab what is on the table and checkout, then to find books on the shelves with a cranky baby in your arms.

Above all, be flexible! There will be days when the babies are all perfect angels... but this is a rare occurrence. Sometimes they want the book you are reading in their hands--want to sit in your lap-- don't like bounce rhymes--are scared of peek-a-boo--- just roll with it. Eventually, you will figure out what works best for you and the group. I've found it is usually about 3 weeks before you really hit that groove where the parents and babies are comfortable with you, and everything seems to fall into place. Then, a baby will throw up on you just to prove that there is no such thing as a perfect storytime. It's fine. All of the above has happened to me, and it is still my favorite storytime age group.

Making Community Connections

Last week, I received a call from a local organization who finds housing for single or expecting mothers. The contact had just started working there and was going through all of the information they gave to their clients. She informed me that the library information was from the early 90's! Her exact words were "it's kind of yellowing". Needless to say, I knew this needed to be fixed.

My assembly line of information.

 
We sent them packets including a library card registration, 1000 books before Kindergarten information, a general library brochure, and a booklist for new or expecting mothers. Other than the booklist, everything already existed and simply needed to be printed. Even though the booklist was created, it only took about two hours and has a multitude of uses in the future.

The total time spent updating the information, printing things out, and making packets was around 4 hours. To renew a community connection and potentially reach 50+ new mothers, the time spent was well worth it. Plus, the groundwork is laid for any future outreach for new or expecting mothers.

Outreach is vital to libraries. If you are not promoting yourself in the community, you are doing both your library and your community a disservice. You will always have those families that come to the library no matter what. The families that went to the library as a child and are now continuing the tradition. However, there are so many adults that were not regular library users in their lives. By promoting the library and all of the services you offer, you have the potential to reach a patron base that never would have stepped in your doors.

As a library, you should be a destination in your community. If your budget is getting slashed, you need your community to support you and advocate for you. If your budget is still slashed, you might need your community to both advocate and donate. Don't wait until you are about to lose your staffing/hours/book budget to promote yourself in the community. If you are already a community staple,you will be much harder to lose in their eyes. So, what are you doing to promote your library in your community? Could you be doing more?

Also, read this by The Magpie Librarian and go write an email about NYC libraries. Five minutes of your day could make a difference to millions.

Sage Carrington Eighth-Grade Science Sleuth by Justin Scott Parr

This is a fabulous read for girls everywhere! This quick read follows Sage Carrington, as she explores Washington D.C. with her best friend Isabel Flores during summer break. The action starts immediately as the girls find a treasure map, make a rocket shoot into the air, and get bullied-all within the first three chapters.

There are so many amazing qualities this book presents. The main character, Sage, is an African-American and has braces. While this describes plenty of readers, very few main characters are represented this way. Sage's best friend is a Latina who teaches her Spanish throughout the book. They have a real relationship where there is a lot of love, but also some jealousy and fights. There is also a local bully, who I think is represented in a realistic way. My favorite thing about this book is that Sage loves science and she's not afraid of being a "nerd". Plus, about 100+ more things.

This book is a great way for younger readers to build vocabulary, including Spanish, while still reading an amazing story. While Sage is an almost 8th grader, I think girls as young as fourth grade would enjoy this book. It is a clean read content-wise, so this would be a great pick for those younger readers who are reading at a high grade level.


With this book, I also received the "Sage Carrington Book of Love Journal #1". This is a great supplement to the book. It has wonderful illustrations and writing prompts throughout. I would buy this set for my younger cousins in a heart beat. Everything about this book and journal just puts out good vibes. I'd recommend this book to any girl in the 9-13 age range. Also, any library that is looking to add some good girl-power books!

Sage Carrington: Eighth-Grade Science Sleuth is available now!

Review copy provided by the publisher.