1000 Books Week Eight

We're getting close to the end of summer - has everyone been enjoying their holiday?
We've had a few more people register for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program, and more and more kids are winning prizes for reading. Congratulations to Penelope, who was the first child to make it to 150 books! Good job! Keep up the good reading!
Last week's book of the week was "Zoom!", by Robert Munsch, a humorous tale about the little hero in all of us.

This week's book of the week (can you believe we're already at eight weeks?) is "Farmyard Beat", by Lindsey Craig.

"As soon as the sun goes down, the animals are up! ("Sheep can't sleep. Sheep can't sleep. Sheep can't sleep 'cause they got that beat!") Before long, there's a giant farmyard dance party, complete with funny animal sounds. But what happens when all the racket wakes up Farmer Sue? Here's a colorful bedtime story that begs to be read aloud."

 With the end of summer approaching, we're getting closer to our 1000 Books Party. Everyone registered in this program is invited to attend. Come listen to fun, interesting stories read by our Director Shannan, library staff, and a few locals you may have met before. There will be snacks, and a fun craft the kids can take home!

  Be sure to mark Saturday, August 18th, from 1:00 - 2:00 pm on your calendars!



Imagine! Summer Reading Club: 2-6s Week 2

For week 2, our theme was Monsters and Crazy Creatures. These are the activities that were played in the 2-3 and 4-6 groups.

 

Song: If You Ever Meet a Monster (Sung to: Did you Ever See A Lassie)

If you ever meet a monster, a monster, a monster,

If you ever meet a monster go this way or that (make two different scary faces; running motions)

Song: Horns and Fangs (Sung to: "Head and Shoulders")

Horns and fangs,
knees and toes,
knees and toes.
Horns and fangs,
knees and toes.
Eyes and ears and tail and claws.

Stories: The Monster atthe End of this Book by Jon Stone

Monster Cake by Rebecca Dickinson

Whena Monster is Born by Sean Taylor & Nick Sharratt

Frank was a Monster Who Wanted ToDance by Keith Graves

Laura Numeroff’s Ten-Steph Guide To Living With Your Monster by Laura Numeroff

Activity: Sleeping Monsters - Walk around like monsters. The monster keeper calls “sleeping monsters” and the children drop to the floor and pretend to sleep. When the monster keeper is looking away, the “monsters” make funny faces without being caught.

Song: If You’re a Monster and You Know It (Sung to "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you’re a monster and you know it wave your claws.

If you're a monster and you know it wave your claws.

If you're a monster and you know it and you really want to show it.

If you're a monster and you know it wave your claws.

If you’re a monster and you know it stomp your feet...

If you’re a monster and you know it wave your tail...

If you’re a monster and you know it give a roar...

Game: Musical Monsters – When the music plays, the children walk in a circle. When the music stops each child stands under a monster picture or picks up a stuffed animal.

Activity: Follow the Monster - Pick someone to be the monster and follow what they do.

Craft: Mouthy Monster - Create and decorate a colorful paper monster with paper shapes, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, feathers, and pompoms.

Imagine! Summer Reading Club: 7-12s Week 2

For week 2, our theme was Monsters and Crazy Creatures. These are the activities that were played in the 7-8 and 9-12 groups.

Activity: Pass the Portrait – Each person gets a paper folded in three. Draw the head & pass it on. Draw the body and pass it on. Draw the legs. Show everyone the monster.

Game: Monster Catch - One person will throw an underhand pass to someone else. If the person catches it, he/she will throw it to another person. If you drop it, you go down on one knee, then two knees, one elbow, two elbows, chin, and then he/she is out. The winner is the person who is on the least body parts.

Game: Monster Eyeball Battle - Players stand and hold a blanket on opposite ends. A ping pong ball is placed onto the sheet. The sheet is then raised or lowered. The object of the game is to get the ping pong ball to fall off the other team's side of the sheet.

Activity: Balancing Brains - Need a bean bag, pencil, eraser -- or similar object to place on head. Play music as each child walks around balancing the object on their head. If the object falls off the child is frozen until another comes and places the object back on the head. Everyone stops and pauses when the music stops. Game starts over when the music again starts.

Craft: Mouthy Monster – Create and decorate a colorful paper monster with paper shapes, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, feathers, and pompoms.

Imagine! Summer Reading Club: 2-6s Week 1

The summer reading club started last week on July 10! During Week 1, our theme was Robots and Inventions. Here are the activities we tried in the 2-3 and 4-6 reading clubs.

Song: I'm A Little Robot (Sung to: "I'm A Little Teapot")

I'm a little robot, short and strong.
Here are my handles, just turn me on.
When I get all warmed up, watch me go,
Sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

Song: If You’re a Robot and You Know It (Sung to: “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

If you’re a robot and you know it swing your arms.

If you’re a robot and you know it swing your arms.

If you’re a robot and you know it and you really want to show it,

If you’re a robot and you know it swing your arms.

If you’re a robot and you know it stomp your feet…

If you’re a robot and you know it beep your nose…

Stories: Mechanimals by Chris Tougas

IfI Had a Robot by Dan Yaccarino

          Cookiebot!A Harry and Horsie Adventure by Katie Van Camp

WodneyWat’s Wobot by Helen Lester

Activity: Robot Dance Freeze - Dance like a robot when the music plays. When the music stops, freeze.

Activity: Follow the Robot - Pick someone to be the robot and follow what they do.

Fingerplay: I Am A Robot

I am a robot big and strong (show arm muscles)

Watch me as I walk along (walk with stiff arms and legs)

My head turns left (turn left)

My head turns right (turn right)

Both my eyes shine big and bright! (point to eyes)

Push this button, I will say (push belly)

“How are all my friends today?” (Bend over at waist)

Push this button, I will say (push nose)

“I am doing very well!” (stand up again)

Activity: What time is it, Mr. Robot?

Game: Sleeping Robots – Walk around like robots. The robot keeper calls “sleeping robots” and the children drop to the floor and pretend to sleep. When the robot keeper is looking away, the “robots” make funny faces without being caught.

Crafts: Make Your Own Shapes Robot – Cut out different shapes and glue them on construction paper as a collage to form a robot.

Film Canister Robot – Decorate a film canister with paper, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and feathers to create a robot.

Imagine! Summer Reading Club: 7-12's Week 1

The summer reading club started last week on July 10! During Week 1, our theme was Robots and Inventions. Here are the activities we tried in the 7-8 and 9-12 reading clubs.

 

Activity: Mad Libs – Create your own story by filling in the blanks.

              Printable Mad Libs 1 2 3

Activity: Scrambled Robot Brain – Each person holds 2 different people’s hands. The goal is to untangle the wires in the robot’s brain. Arrange everyone in a circle, standing shoulder to shoulder. Tell everyone to put their right hand up in the air, and then grab the hand of someone across the circle from them. Everyone then puts their left hand up in the air and grabs the hand of a different person. Check to make sure that everyone is holding the hands of two different people and that they are not holding hands with someone directly next to them. Tell group members to untangle themselves to make a circle without breaking the chain of hands. If group members break the chain they need to start over.

Game: Electricity Game - Two teams join hands and close eyes. Leader tosses coin. When heads are up, the first people in each line are signaled to squeeze their partner’s hands. The squeezing travels down the line. Last person reaches for object at end.

Activity: Fax – Give everyone a booklet of small papers (the same amount of pages as there are people). Decide on a topic (ex. Phrases, movies, songs, TV shows, books). Each person is to write an example of the topic on the cover of the booklet.  Next, each person passes their booklet to the person to their right. Each person will read the phrase on the cover of their new booklet, flip the cover page, and draw a picture of their interpretation on the right side of the booklet. Then each person passes their booklet to the person to their right, with their picture open and visible. Next, the person will look only at the picture that the person to their left has drawn. In their new booklet, tell them to flip the page, and draw a short phrase that interprets the picture (on the right side of the booklet). Continue this pattern of drawing pictures and writing phrases until each person receives their own booklet back. Then, have each person go through their own booklets and showcase each page in front of the group.

Activity: Build a Bridge – Each group receives a building kit (2 paperclips, 6 popsicle sticks, sticky tack, string, tape, etc.) Each group has 30 minutes to build a bridge to span across a bowl of water.  Each group has to demonstrate their bridge.  You then test it for strength by adding pebbles/pennies one at a time, until the bridge collapses.  The team with the strongest bridge wins!

Craft: Marshmallow Robot – Create a robot using marshmallows and toothpicks. Decorate it with icing and small candies.

1000 Books Week Seven

Is everyone enjoying this heat wave? (I'm certainly not.) Thankfully, the library has air conditioning! Come down to the library this summer to get out of the heat!

Last week's Book of the Week was "Dinotrux" by Chris Gall, an interesting tale about part-truck, part-dinosaur creatures.

Our seventh Book of the Week is "Zoom!" by Robert Munsch.

"Finally it's time for Lauretta to get a new wheelchair. But she isn't satisfied with a regular 5- or 10- speed model. Nothing will do but the 92-speed, black, silver and red, dirt bike wheelchair! When Lauretta gets a speeding ticket during her one-day tryout of the super wheels, her parents tell her the wheelchair has to go back. But when her brother has an accident, only Lauretta and her 92-speed, black, silver and red, dirt-bike wheelchair can get him to the hospital in time!"

More and more kids are winning prizes by reading! If you haven't already signed up for this program, do so now! 



1000 Books Week Six

Did everyone have a good long weekend? I know I did. The fireworks in Sylvan Lake were particularly good this year. We took the kids down to see the parade, had some Canada Day Birthday Cake (yummy).

The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program is going well. More and more kids are winning prizes by reading books! Lots of fun!

Last week's book of the week was "Our Canadian Flag", by Maxine Trottier and Brain Deines.

Do we have any dinosaur fans out there? Our sixth book of the Week is "Dinotrux", by Chris Gall.

Millions of years ago, DINOTRUX ruled the earth! These mighty part-truck, part-dino creatures   rumbled, plowed and bulldozed their way through the centuries, demolishing anything in their path.
From the nosy Craneosauraus and the mega-hungry Garbageadon to the bully of the jungle,          Tyrannosaurus Trux, Chris Gall guides you on a safari through the wild world of these mechanical monsters of prehistoric times. So buckle up for the ride--you'll never look at Dad's rusty old pickup the same way again!

 Keep up the good reading, everyone! Every book you read is another step up the literacy ladder!