Z is for . . .

Zoo!

This post is about what to do if your storytime is a ZOO!

Sometimes there are days when the kids attending storytime are wild. There are days when the kids are screaming and running around and it always seems that once one kid acts up, they all follow. Sometimes there are things that we can do to help, but other times it seems like it just be the weather!

Fellow So-Cal Library Connection blogger, Kirby recently asked Facebook friends what to do after a particularly wild storytime at a Homeless Shelter where several fights broke out between the kids. These were some of the responses:

Read "Hands are Not For Hitting".
Lots of movement activities
Carpet Spaces to define each child's space

Other things to consider are:

Set rules before the storytime.

This is what I say to remind my attendees of behavioral expectations before every storytime. "If you want to make noise or walk around, have your mom or dad or grandma or grandpa take you for a walk and when you are ready to listen come back. But if mom or dad or grandma or grandpa are being really noisy you can ask them to go for a walk." This of course gets a laugh from the parents, but it also gives the parents permission to leave the storytime if they need to.

My one big rule during storytime is not touching my flannel board. I also remind parents of this.

I ask parents during toddler storytime for kids who want to stand or wiggle during the stories to stand in the back. This allows the kids that are developmentally ready to sit still to do so in the front without the distraction of the wigglers, but allows the wiggly toddlers to participate in the storytime. Also, the wiggly kids will see the sitting behavior modeled by the other kids and will one day be able to sit themselves.

Reading shorter stories, especially with younger crowds. If the story is longer, ask questions about the pictures or story to draw the kids into the book.

Reading fewer stories. I read 3 books at preschool storytime and 2 books at toddler storytime. For my storytime these have been the perfect number. Find your perfect number!

More action activities between stories. Using songs, rhymes, and other activities engages the kids. Even if you are not reading stories, the kids are getting the literacy benefits of the rhymes, songs, and activities.

Stop reading the story. There have been times when the story I picked out just was not engaging the kids, even though I thought it would. Cut your losses and put the story down. I know it is hard, but sometimes that is the best thing to do.

Talk to the parents of the kids who are disrupting the storytime. Often they know that their child is being disruptive and are open to suggestions. Work with these parents so that everyone can have a good storytime experience.

Learn the names of the kids. It is much easier to get a child to sit down or listen if you call them by name. Of course you will not know the names of all the kids, but learn as many as you can.

I learned at a presentation that if you give kids who have attention problem or wiggly a squishy ball to squeeze, their are able to focus better on the storytime. I have tried this with some of my kids, whose parents I trust not to let the squishy ball be used as a toy with success.

If nothing works, finish storytime. Sing your closing song and call it a day. Know that next week's storytime will be better and have a cup of hot chocolate!

Hopefully these tips will help. Maybe some of our readers have other suggestions that they would like to share.

Posted by Anna

Y is for . . .

YAY!

Congratulations go out to our very own Kirby McCurtis for becoming an ALA Councilor-At-Large. Her term will begin at the 2011 ALA Conference in New Orleans this summer. I am sure that she will have new experiences to post about as she goes on the 3 year journey of being an ALA Council Member. Way to go Kirby!

Posted by Anna

X is for ...

eXtended Family!

I present an infant storytime to a crowd of over 80 people including children and adults. Most people imagine a room filled with mothers with babies on their laps, but this is not always the case. Although most parents are the primary caregivers, we have many extended family members that bring children to storytime. Grandparents and childcare providers sit and listen and sing. They point to the books and ask questions of the children. They move their hands during the fingerplays and raise their voices in song. Their encouragement and enthusiasm instills a lifelong love of reading at this crucial stage of early literacy development.

As I was writing this I was struck with the thought that as Youth Services Librarians we become extended members of the family. In my short tenure, I have seen kids move out of storytime and on to preschool. The families come back and I get to ask the kids how they are enjoying school. I was told the other day that I was a young girl’s favorite uncle. I have some afterschool middle school kids who are now dedicated Teen Volunteers. I have some kids who have moved from the Child/Parent Book Club to the Teen Book Club. We watch them grow. We watch them change. They enjoy telling us about their lives. We become part of the family. The family librarian.

W is for . . .

Water!

Water at the library you ask? Yes, water at the library. The theme of the Summer Reading Program last year was Make a Splash . . . Read and what better way to celebrate than have a Water Carnival. While, this was an event that was specific to that Summer Reading Program, everyone had so much fun I plan to do it again. It is a perfect event for hot summer days!

To set the scene, I held this event outside in a smallish space behind the library (between City Hall and the Library) on cement. This is where I have all of my big Summer Reading Program events. I put up canopies to protect everyone from the sun. I had 5 stations staffed by student volunteers and told parents to dress their children to get wet.

While it seems intimidating to have all of this going on, and I was nervous how it would work, it really worked well. Plus, as library budgets dwindle and there is still an expectation to have fun events at the library, this is a fairly inexpensive way to put on an event that everyone can participate in and enjoy.

Station 1
Water Balloons Toss
This is the typical water balloon toss, where you have partners stand together and toss the ball back and forth. After each successful catch, they step back a step. I was surprised that we didn't have a water balloon fight break out, but I think the kids were having fun trying to not get wet tossing the ball.

Prep
Starting several days before the event, I had students filling water balloons. I stored them in a plastic container, which was good because some did pop before they were used.

Station 2
Kool-Aide Popsicle Drawing
Drawing yummy smelling pictures using popsicles made out of kool-aide. They actually work better when they are a little melted so that the color and smell come out on the page.

Prep
Making lots and lots of popsicles. Several days before, I mixed kool-aide and froze it in ice cube trays with a popsicle stick. When the cubes are ready, store them in the freezer with like colors, since the colors do merge when they are stored all together.

Station 3
Sponge Toss
Kids toss water laden sponges at goals on the ground. I was fortunate that my library system had a bean bag game that I adapted for the sponges. If I had not had that, I would have put tape on the ground to mark the spots for the kids to throw the sponge.

Prep
Get sponges, lay out goals.

Station 4
Spoon Race
Kids race back and forth between a container of water and a cup moving water with a spoon. The goal is to fill water to the line before anyone else. While this was the goal, kids were just as happy running back and forth and eventually there was no race, just kids filling the water up in the cup.

Prep
Draw a line on the cup as the water fill line.

Station 5
Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles
Blowing bubbles sounds pretty easy, but part of the fun was making wands out of pipe cleaners. This was supposed to be an easy activity for younger kids, however all ages enjoyed it.

Prep
Make Bubble Mix. I mixed water and dish soap until it made a good bubble. Not scientific, I realize, but easy for the volunteer who was in charge of the station to make more in the middle of the event. There are many recipes online that are more exact.

Posted by Anna