Explore! STEAM for preschoolers: Sensory

September 11 at 11:00 and September 12 @ 10:00 with 30 and 45 participants respectively


The program was very successful. It was the first meeting for me since this is the start of the new school year and many of the regular attendees have now started kindergarten.  A very interactive and interested group of children, and adults did a great job leading children through discovery.

I read the book Cats Are Cats by Valeri Gorbachev---it was a very loose tie in to the shredded paper activity as the children were looking for cats in the box.  Great for asking interactive questions while reading it.

Materials Used:

Flour, water, trays, dish, ½ cup measure, Tablespoon & spoons…The children measured ½ cup of flour into the dish that was on their tray.  This gave them the chance to feel & smell their own dish of flour. Water was added a tablespoon at a time.  This gave the child/adult pair the opportunity to talk about how the consistency changed with each addition and to feel the changes as they mixed the two items together.  Spoons were provided for children who have sensory issues.

Tactile items-sandpaper, contact paper, variety of fabric textures-this station gave them the opportunity to predict how the item might 

What worked and what didn't:

The flour/water station was by far the biggest hit.  The majority of children did not want to leave the station and after thoroughly drenching the dish with water they dumped it all out and started all over again.  The digging through the boxes of shredded paper to find the plastic cats was the second most popular.  They enjoyed the process of touching the shredded paper and digging through it.

The least successful was the “feely” box (not pictured)-it lacked appeal and excitement for them.

Set up:

Flour/water station

Flour/water station

Texture station

Balloon and item prediction

   

Shredded newspaper and buried plastic cats

Flour and water station:

 

When this child started he did not want to put his hands in the mix. Through careful guidance, Mom encouraged him to try and by the end  he was totally immersed in mixing and exploring.

Texture station:

This dad had the most awesome interactions with his son. The questions he asked were right on the mark!

Shredded Paper:

Painting with Spaghetti

What's that you say? Painting with noodles? It might seem a little weird but the preschool kids really enjoyed it as an after storytime activity.  All it took was some cooked spaghetti, water and finger paint. We thinned out the paint with some water and mixed in the cooked spaghetti. 

Since we don’t have a stove at the library we boiled water in an electric kettle and poured it over the spaghetti, letting it sit until it had softened. Then the kids used the spaghetti to paint.   

 

We used red, yellow and blue so the kids could experiment with doing color mixing as well. Next time we do this we might try using shaped pasta, so that we can experiment with the different patterns.

 

A Twist on Finger Painting

 

A few weeks ago our storytimes tried a fun alternative to traditional finger painting: finger painting on windows! Doing something that feels naughty is always fun, parents love a mess they don't have to clean up, and you can tie in color mixing conversations for some STEM cred.
How To:
Most of our sessions painted on contact paper applied to the windows beforehand, but some painted right on the windows. When wet, the paint wiped up easily from surfaces but we have yet to wash the windows (I'll post an update when we do letting you all know how clean up goes).
We used Colorations brand finger paint and did test the process out beforehand. We used craft sticks to dish paint into leftover microwave meal containers. Do be sure to put away your supplies or prepare to have families self-serving more paint and using the craft sticks instead of fingers. Some of us laid down paper on the floor in front of the painting to catch messes and some also offered aprons for the kids to wear.
Reflections:
As some of the more heavily painted spots dried, the paint flaked, but this is a case of process over product anyway. It doesn't look as nice from the outside as some of our window activities, but again, process. I think the preschool and family storytime staff weren't a huge fan because of the mess, but the baby and toddler storytime staff had a grand old time. A difference in expectations, perhaps?  The kids loved it almost universally. I had the mom of a toddler tell me her daughter usually hates messy play but couldn't get enough of this activity. Success!

Flannel Friday: On Mother's Lap

On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott and illustrated by Glo Coalson

I think I heard about this older title from Heather McNeil at an OLA/WLA storytime workshop (It was a fabulous workshop, by the way). I put it on hold and when it came in I loved that it was a bit of a quiet story with a nice refrain. A little boy adds more and more things to his mother's lap, but isn't sure there is room for everything he wants AND the baby - something a lot of families in my toddler storytime can relate to. It would make a great Mother's Day read, but it's also what my co-worker calls a "happens to be" story; the characters are Inuit but it isn't the focus of the story. A nice way to add some diversity to any given storytime.
I made flannel pieces of each of the things the little boy, Michael, adds to Mother's lap. I photocopied and enlarged images I thought would translate well to flannel, then used packing tape to tape them to their various colors. I cut out each piece using the lines of the illustration as a guide. The tape makes for clean lines but it doesn't seperate well from cheap flannel. Be warned. I added a bit of pink marker to the baby and doll, a couple french knots for eyes to the dog, used sharpie to give the blanket the look of fur, and viola!
I didn't include the rocking chair, Mother, or Michael, but obviously you could. Each time Michael added a new thing to Mother's lap I put it on the flannel board. When the book was over we revisited each item and noticed that there really is a lot of room on mother's lap. My group of twos was totally rapt and they were particularly rambunctious the day I tried it.

stupidly simple toddler play

After toddler storytimes at our branch we provide some kind of art, play or sensory experience. It doesn't typically include an end result one would want to take home but parents seem more than happy not the schlep or toss another thing. We recently put out a ton of shredded paper (originally created for this program and since used 5 separate times for a variety of events. Well worth the effort) on a tarp and let the kids have at it. While the janitorial staff was less than thrilled, the kids and their grown ups were ecstatic. Kendra opted not to use the tarp, but instead pulled out the large parachute for an added element of fun.

Another simple, well received activity was "painting" in salt. We have a set of plastic trays which I covered in a thin layer of salt. We have tons because we make playdough once a month for each storytime we present. I set out thin paintbrushes and asked kids to double up on trays, which wasn't a problem. Minimal spilling and only one kid tasted it (He was not impressed). In retrospect, I should have used a stiffer, fatter set of brushes we have. I suggested to parents that this is a great tool for building letter awareness or practicing shapes.

Flannel Friday: Which fish?

Here's a simple flannel to play during preschool storytimes or with early elementary school groups. Start with the entire school of fish displayed on a flannel board. Spend a moment talking about them. Then turn your flannel board around, secretly remove one fish, turn it back to the audience, and sing your rhyme:

So many fishies here today!

Which fish did I take away? 

OR to make it simpler, "Which color fish did I take away?"

If your crowd is very good at this game, trying taking away more than one fish. Repeat until no longer fun.

To make this flannel, I chose 7 fish from a huge set we already had and raided our supply closet to personalize each one using puff paint, googly eyes and sequins. Little prep, lots of fun.

Flannel Friday: 5 Little Ducks

Five Little Ducks is such a classic and after my son was born I found myself singing it A LOT. When I returned to work and storytimes, I wanted to create a special flannel to accompany it. Not wanting to spend the time to individually cut duckies and not having a suitable chick die, I used the adult duck die, painted them with fabric paint, and used some scrap felt to give them ducky feet. These mallard ducklings could be seen almost anywhere in the country come spring. Making them realistic lends itself well to adding a STEM moment to your storytime, which seems to be all the rage these days.

Flannel Friday: Down By the Bay

I recently re-discovered that old camp favorite, Down By the Bay. I checked out a copy of the Raffi version, illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott and thought, "Don't we have a flannel of this?" We did indeed, but it was all clip art and didn't move me. I set about creating my own based on Raffi's version of the lyrics. I cut these images from paper (with help from Google image searching and OpenClipart). I also added my own verse to inspire little rhymers:

 "Did you ever see a kiwi eating seaweed?"

I look forward to using this call and response "flannel" with preschoolers, tour groups, and perhaps accompanied on the ukele by KJ at an upcoming storytime featuring 2 storytellers!

PS I need to re-work that little fly in a tie. He's a bit....unrecognizable.

6/2 UPDATE By request, here is the "template." Okay, it's a scanned copy of the finished product, but it's the best I could do after the fact. Feel free to customize or use as is for non-commercial purposes. You can also email me at l.thackeratfvrl.org for the .pdf

Check These Books Out: Oldies but Goodies edition

Back again with more book recommendations. This time, with older titles you may have missed or never seen to begin with. These are favorites with staff at Vancouver Community Library, some with notes about ages to use them with.

Tuck Me In by Dean Hacohen

is great with toddlers.

published 2010

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

Use with babies and bounce to the beat or clap along with toddlers.

published 2008

Here Comes Henny by Charlotte Pomerantz

 is full of fun rhymes for preschoolers.

published 1994

One Mole Digging a Hole by Julia Donaldson 

for toddler and preschool storytimes.

published 2008

Just a Little Bit by Ann Tompert 

Use for preschool and early elementary.

published 1993

Do Like a Duck Does! by Judy Hindley
published 2002

 

Five Minutes' Peace

published 1986

Peace at Last

published 1980

by Jill Murphy

Watch Out! Big Bro's Coming! by Jez Alborough  

published 1997

I'd Really Like to Eat a Child by Sylviane Donnio

published 2007 

How Will We Get to the Beach? by Brigitte Luciani

published 2000

Shamoo: A whale of a Cow by Ros Hill

published 2005

Mooses Come Walking by Arlo Guthrie

published 1995

  

Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell 

published 1993

The Birdwatchers by Simon James

published 2002

Flannel Friday: Windblown

Windblown by Édouard Manceau screams to be made into a flannel. It would take 2 storytellers or (a) disciplined preschool assistant(s) to make it work seamlessly. You could read through the text and simply play with the shapes afterward. This might also be fun with smallish tour groups, like a boy scout troop or the like. I'm excited to try it out, but do wish the text had been translated a little more artfully.
To make this set I blew up a page with all the shapes to legal size, cut them out and pinned them to flannel, cut again, and was finished! If not a perfectionist, you could also eyeball it.

5/26 UPDATE: I belatedly realized if you haven't seen or read this newer title you might not be inspired to seek it out by what little I shared above. Here's a shot of the open book and one of the other creatures constructed of flannel pieces. Now do you see the possibilities?

Check These Books Out: Tours Edition

Tis the season of school visits and tours. I asked our staff to share their go-to titles, from books that will get preschoolers giggling on up to entertaining even the coolest 5th graders. If you haven't seen these titles, check them out! (And if you glean nothing else, almost ANY Jan Thomas is a hit with a crowd. If you haven't read much by her, go now and do it. I'll wait.) Any favorites to use in groups? Do share!

 

Is Everyone Ready for Fun? By Jan Thomas

I Spy with My Little Eye by Edward Gibbs

Huff & Puff by Claudia Rueda

What Color is Your Underwear? by Sam Lloyd works well for toddlers and preschool visits.

Shark in the Park! by Nick Sharratt

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles Bachelet

Sipping Spiders Through A Straw: campfire songs for monsters by Kelly Dipucchio. Sing a few of the funniest songs to jaded school-agers.

Life-Size Zoo by Teruyuki Komiya. This is a great book to pull out when waiting for classes to be seated and settle down.

Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show by Michael Buckley

Animal Soup by Todd H Doodler

 Whatever by William Bee. For middle to upper elementary students.

Parker Picks by Deb Levine. Great for 5 to 8 year olds.









 

The Bear on the Bed by Ruth Miller is another great one for early elementary students.

 My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman