Sensory programs at libraries, children's museums and the like

 I am the parent of a child with sensory processing disorder (SPD). In a nutshell this means that he has trouble processing stimuli in order to respond appropriately to the demands of the environment. Over the years my wife and I have worked with his school in order to help his teachers find ways to ease the sensory burden (he has sensory chews, fidgets etc.)

Here are some of the questions that are always going through my mind as a parent of a child with SPD.

How do we help our child self regulate?
How do we make our kiddo comfortable in a noisy program or when kids are too noisy for him?
How do we help other parents know that his body can't control itself sometimes and he goes straight to "lizard brain" bypassing "wizard brain" completely?

What are some simple ways that libraries, museums and other places can help make things less stressful for children with sensory issues and their parents and caregivers. Programs that cater to the needs of this growing segment are becoming more popular.

I have seen:
*Programs where kiddos make sensory play things, fidgets, eye spy rice jars and the like
*Storytimes that have a visual schedule and with books that are interactive. Here is a how-tosensory storytime blog that ALSC did several years ago

Below are some other crafts that can be made simply and relatively inexpensively

Some parents and caregivers are not attentive, as a library professional who has worked in three different library systems in a large urban area I can attest to this. So, there may be times where staff may have to gently redirect kiddos. This guide I received a few weeks ago from one of my lists provides some tips to help refocus tired, hyper or restless students.

Transitions are always rough- in the classroom and in storytime...Some ways to help sensory kids are to have a few phrases that let them know that one activity is about to end and another is about to begin:
-5 more minutes Timmy
-We will finish this activity in a few minutes and then move on to something else
-Sing: "Clean up, clean up, everybody clean up"

Be patient, it is not an easy fix and there is no one size fits all solution. Parents will appreciate your efforts to help their kiddos!

Music for kids from Africa and the African diaspora

I love to do the standard American favorites, Head, shouders, knees and toes, Five little monkeys etc. etc. Sometimes depending on my audience, the event or my mood I may switch up a song, use a different beat or sing a song a different way. It is always good to try new songs, listen to different cds and explore what's out there. I think that kids especially need to be exposed to different cultures to develop an appreciation for them.

I remember when I discovered Asheba. Not only was I surprised that there was a dreadlocked dude doing Caribbean versions of classic children's rhymes but he is also from my homeland of Trinidad. Here is his version of Five little monkeys. Be warned that this version is very upbeat!  If you are looking for an African-themed call and response song though, try this song from South Africa. Featuring instructions such as to the left", "to the right" and "wiggle your tail in the moonlight" this song is sure to make it onto your playlist.

I frequently refer to the now defunct Noggin tv station. The more I think about it, that station was aimed directly at Gen X parents who had grown up on certain types of music and may have wanted to share it with their offspring. Bob Marley for example is perhaps everyone's favorite reggae singer. And in this video the animation truly gives the song a different dimension. Gee, I wish Peter Tosh, Jacob Miller and others had more children's songs.

When Noggin became Nick Jr they introduced many children's shows featuring diverse casts. One of them was Gullah Gullah island a terrific little that show featured a ton of good songs such as the West African influenced Fungal Alafia shown below. The version below is a little less percussion heavy but I found another version of the song as performed by this  group and it is fantastic. It is a great intro to a Black History Month or Kwanzaa program.

If you never knew Kermit was cool, know that he once did a sing/rap of the alphabet together with with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Check it out, it is mellow and catchy at the same time. I used to watch it growing up and can still remember it after all these years.

Finally what's better than a song that's catchy, has simple lyrics and incorporates simple movements to keep the kids engaged. I present to you the Zimbole song. The video shows kids from all over the world performing it and I must say that it gives me hope for the future. Enjoy!  Bye!

Some cool library blogs and websites

A good rule about blogging is that you should read other blogs both to see how people structure their posts but also to see what other professionals in the field are thinking and doing. So today I will highlight some blogs that I ether follow or check from time to time .

I am very pleased to call this lady a colleague. Not only is Mary extremely passionate about early literacy but she is also an accomplished ukulele player and her blog has great tips for parents and caregivers of little ones, several story time staples as well as videos of cool activities you can use in a story time or read aloud. Check her out!

Abby the librarian is another wonderful (and very pink) blog that I found online.   She gives tidbits about her life as a librarian, provides highlights of conferences she attends and I really dig how she does book talks and she also includes some read alikes, something I will try doing myself on this blog in the future.

STEM and STEAM are all the rage now and this librarianś blog is devoted to exploring all things science. This is a good site to get programming ideas, see what's going on in the STEM world or get ideas for things you can do at home with your own children. I confess that I have done all three with this site. Ms Koester also provides many other resources for more information about STEM, books to use etc. Excellent resource.

I can't ever remember talking to librarians when I was in library school (apart from my darling wife) and I wish that I had done so some more. The name of this blog drew me in and whilst on the site I was amazed by the many and varied posts she has about a variety of topics. Of particular interest to me was a post directed at prospective children's librarians,  a post about mentoring and one about burn out . It is good to see people reflect on things and it is also great to see that there are other people with the same issues, questions and thoughts about the profession as yourself.

The library where I work is in a residential neighborhood and there are at least ten schools (and more under construction) within a five mile radius. I interact with a lot of teachers and students and I think it is good to see what school librarians are up to. I found this blog and as you would expect it has a large amount of book reviews that are listed by reading level and interest. I like that there are lots of HILO books (high interest low reading level) and many diverse books as well. I firmly believe that people across the spectrum need to see themselves represented in literature.The author also includes some tips on how not to plagiarize material as well as a link to the school's catalog and links to databases.

Finally this isn't a blog at all but rather two magnificent librarians uploading dozens of songs-some with props and some without. The Jbrary ladies have saved me on on many occasions when I have to do read alouds at nearby schools and have run out of songs to sing. Check them out, it is well worth it!

Father's Day crafts

Father's Day is around the corner so here are some of the cool crafts I found that I plan to add to my craft session this year at my library.


This one uses a paper plate and some cut outs that can be made with construction paper. Both cutting the cutout saw and writing the message may be a little difficult for young ones so I would advise grown ups to handle those portions of the craft.


Another paper plate craft that I like is this one which uses the outside of the plate to write a heartfelt message to dad. Some colored or construction paper can be used to make the design piece at the bottom.



This tie is a cool craft as well. I am thinking that 8 1/2" X 14" paper might be good for this due to the length of the tie. I found a template here that can be adjusted as need be. I am also thinking that most baby and little kid hands would fit on there.  This tie is after all a decorative thing that most (all) dads will hang proudly in the office.



For the father whose little ones(s) are good with words, this card is a nice way to tell him how much he means to them. A simple construction paper folder in a card shape and then decorated as needed.



This last craft I found on this site and I like it a lot because it is perfect for the modern connected dad. You can use a recycled drink tray or similar sturdy recycled material. Some craftiness is required to paint and decorate it but I am thinking once it says "dad" on there most dads will be pretty pleased.



Happy Father's Day!

Superhero kids songs

I posted last week about books that could accompany this summer's superhero reading theme. So today I wanted to select some songs that could be used for programs or story times that went along with that theme.

This song is a good one for story time because it has lots of actions that change in each (short) verse. The video has Ms Shukla singing the lyrics and some exuberant kids doing the actions she describes. The song also emphasizes the message of friendship so I like that especially. I would definitely use this one in a story time or program.

This song is not the fastest, the lyrics aren't particularly giggle-inducing and the graphics are very low tech BUT the words are displayed and can be used for karaoke style sing alongs. Words on a screen solve a problem of having to have kids learn words, printing words on story sheets (that half the parents won't read anyway). So for this reason I will include it on this list.

This song can be used in school and in other programs because it incorporates numbers. It is catchy enough and the graphics are attractive enough that they won't turn off younger ones.

I found Pancake Manor when I was searching for some songs for my own children and I like their style (it's vaguely reminiscent of the Imagination Moviers or the Aquabats). The video features quirly puppets and cute kids in diy costumes

Here are some cool superhero theme songs from yesteryear. Spiderman, Batman are absolute classics (and make cool ringtones also) and although I am not sure if they are superheros per se the Ghostbusters theme is a classic and very catchy also.

Fall crafts

I have focused a lot on the books part of the blog of late so let me try to highlight some cool ideas that I intend to submit to my library's craft committee and/or use in my own weekly storytimes.

 Paper plates are so handy, easy to manipulate and cheap and these cute crafts are simple to create with some glue, felt, paint, markers and googly eyes.


This owl uses a few paper plates as well as some paint. This may be a bit too much for a story time craft but looks ideal for a day care craft for toddlers, for an after school program or even for a rainy/snowy day outside.



I found a  website called Classy Clutter that has a host of crafts for the little ones using a variety of materials such as popsicle sticks, paper and leaves.  I noticed that they had a few crafts on there where the kids traced their hands. That is a well worn craft but they also had a craft where the kids made a handprint turkey hat. I have not seen many of those done and it should be well worth a try for those tired of the same old. Here are the directions and this is what the finished product looks like:

For the Thanksgiving season many people like to have the little ones make things to show how thankful they are. Hand crafts are always in vogue and on this site they give directions to make a nifty hand print wreath full of precious little hands.



Another thankful craft I found on Learn Create Love's site had the kids trace and cut out their hands, write something thankful on them and stick them on a tree template. An excellent way to celebrate the thankful season.



Finally, for someone looking for a craft that could be done at home and would be big enough to decorate a wall, this craft is fantastic for that.  Using construction paper, leaves, string, marshmallows and other materials, you can make a sign that says just how you feel about this time of year.

Octopus paper plate craft

  Some folks don't like to do crafts in their story time but I do. I find that it helps the children to , the parents or myself can use it as an added incentive to pay attention during story time and the manipulation of the small parts helps kids develop good motor skills.

  I am always amazed at the things that can be done with paper plates, they are so versatile and with a little paint, thread glue and some odds and ends you can really make some amazing things. These are the materials we will need for this craft:

-paper plates
-chenille sticks
-glue
-googly eyes
-pom poms

1. I punch holes in the plate. I didn't want to do too many because it would get too difficult to manage.

2. I inserted the chenille sticks into the holes. I decided to cut the sticks in half so the tentacles wouldn't look too long

3.  Next I add the googly eyes

4. Last, I put the pom poms on the plate and voila! An octopus!  This is a great supplementary craft to a story like Kevin Sherry's I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean.

This one made by a story time attendee came out really nice.

Storytime songs pt. 2

     So I got word yesterday that I will soon start doing story times at a pre school close to my library here in NE Denver.  I have a few tricks up my sleeve but you can never be too prepared especially when it comes to dealing with the little ones. The story time songs I posted last week are great for getting the little ones moving but I thought I would look for songs that would involve more arm movement and/or could be used with a flannel board or magnet. Here's what I found:

    "Slippery fish" is a cute little song with a variety of arm movements. In this video the presenter is also using some laminated sheets that provide a good visual to accompany the song and movements.  This song is a favorite at story times but I have found that I can only do it once as it is so long.

    The ladies at jbrary are an excellent resource and I like that they always seem to be having fun in their vids. I chose this song because it is not one that I had heard much of before. This song is called "Roly, poly" and uses lots of arm movements to teach direction (up, down, out, in, fast, slow) and of course the tune is familiar to little ones as it is done to the tune of "Frere Jacques".

     Fall is around the corner and soon the leaves will start changing colors. "Ten little leaves" done by littlestorybug is a cool flannel board song for little ones. I like how she goes slowly at first so that the little ones can follow along. This song could also be extended by asking kids what colors are the leaves or how many of a certain color leaf there are. Lots of possibilities from this flannel activity.

    This is another cool rhyme that I found on a site called storyblocks.org. It is called "Big, big, big" and it incorporates a lot of hand movement. I can't wait to try this one out with the little ones. http://www.storyblocks.org/videos/big-big-big/
Oh, before I forget,  Storyblocks is a project of Colorado Libraries for Early Lieracy (of which I am a member) working in partnership with Rocky Mountain PBS. It is a collection of 30-60 second videos designed to teach songs, rhymes and fingerplays appropriate for early childhood. Each video clip includes helpful early literacy tips to increase caregivers' understanding of child development and pre-literacy needs.

    This is a song that I learned recently and it has become a staple of my story times en español. It is called  "Viajar en tren" and it is fantastic. I like the fact that it is open-ended so you can do different animals every week or you can even do professions if you so desire.  For some reason this video would not insert so I put the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6in-MyJJ2i8&list=PL0T1x8nQ0NjijucEdjp6FR6hZRe1lx5qF&index=16

    Finally, "Baby fish" is a cool hand movement song that also teaches family members. I like this video because it features the kids doing the song and you can see how much fun they are having.  There is also another part of the song that I saw on another site where the performer added another part called grandma fish and put their knuckles together :)

Storytime songs pt. 1

Many new librarians will soon have to face one of the most stressful things they will have to do- story time! A good song can get the parents or babies/toddlers moving but a great song will get them all moving. Over the last year I have had to do story times for both English and Spanish speakers.  Through trial and error I have come upon some guaranteed songs to get the crowd grooving.  This is not an exhaustive list, I will post new ones every few weeks or so.

Raffi has been around for ages and for good reason, his voice is so mellow and soothing and hissongs have just the right tempo. The song The More We Get Together is a must for both book babies and toddler story times as it helps set the routine and captures their attention.

In terms of getting the kids up and out of their seats Raffi's Shake Your Sillies Out is another proven winner. This song is good for the wiggly little ones who don't necessarily sit still for the duration of a storytime. In the video below, he does a good segue in that he asks the crowd to stand up and do some shaking. That is exactly the way in which I introduce the song during story time. Both these songs  are on the cd Singable songs for the very young.

Some of us like to use props such as bean bags in story time as it helps the little ones with developing hand eye coordination and balance. There are a fair few songs  out there but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that after I did Beanie Bag Dance a few weeks ago it was as if we had just partied, the energy was just so good. Greg and Steve have many good songs and they even have another beanie bag song but Beanie Bag Dance has the magic that you are looking for in a story time song. It is catchy, it incorporates directions that the kids have to pay attention to and it has a chant for the kids to get say out loud. This song is on the cd Kids in Action.

Finally I used to watch Laurie Berkner on Nick Jr (back when they were Noggin) when my kids were younger and I was always left in awe. Besides being very telegenic she is a fantastic songwriter, my kids are older now but if I put in a Laurie cd when we are in the car I know they will enjoy the songs. We Are The Dinosaurs is perfect for a themed storytime or for when you want the kids to get up and move around. Children love to pretend and dinosaurs are such fun to mimic because you get to stomp and march around. This song also has peaks and valleys which I like. Just a fun song all around.

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