On the prowl

One thing I do on an ongoing basis is seek out resources to glean ideas from, in order to enrich my programs.  When I'm on the reference desk and it's a bit slow (like the hour before closing on a Wednesday night), I check the library's catalog for any newly published titles that might have some good ideas to try out.  The correct subject headings, I've learned, are "Children's libraries -- Activity programs,"  or "Early childhood education -- Activity programs,"  or "Young adults' libraries -- Activity programs." The key words (literally) are "Activity programs."  I reserve the books and wait in anticipation for them to arrive so that I can skim through them and find activities (action rhymes, flannel boards, games, songs, etc.) that I think will work well in a program.  If I glean  just one new, solid idea, I'm stoked, and can't wait to put it into action.  Sometimes I find activities that can be modified to match a different theme or age group than suggested.  It's much like I do when I skim cookbooks.  I'm not actually looking for a perfect recipe to follow to the letter, I'm looking for ingredient combinations or new techniques to adapt in my own kitchen.  Sometimes I photocopy good ideas and create a folder for them until I can figure out a program to use them in.  Sometimes, as in the case of Twinkie sushi, I create a program around a really fun and unique idea.  I'm always on the prowl for program ideas.  The quest keeps me engaged in my work and with my audiences. 

Monster Puppets

This coming week's program theme is "Monster Mash."  I've never been especially thrilled about doing monster stories with little ones.   I've used only one monster book more than a couple of times at my Bedtime story times, and it's Emberley's Big Green Monster.  I let the kids shout out, "Go away, big green monster!" each time I turn to page, and that helps the monster go away.  It it empowers them.  Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are kinda scared me as a kid, so I've shied away from monster-themed storytimes as an adult librarian.  I don't want anyone to go away frightened from my programs!  But my box arrived with some pretty cute titles (including Emberley's book), and I decided to embrace the theme (for once)  and see if I can pull it off  without scaring anybody.  Of course, it's only with the preschoolers, not the babies or toddlers.  The flannel boards that were included in the program box didn't grab me.  So I even  made some very unthreatening monster puppets from two car duster mitts I picked up on sale months ago.  Usually I have my own back-up materials in case I'm underwhelmed with what's available in the program box.  But this time, since I've never really done the monster thing, I had none of my own materials to fall back on.  Making the puppets was fun.  And trying out a new theme after more than twenty years of doing storytimes will be too.  But mostly, I hope the kids have fun and are not fearful.  We'll see...

LOL

My storytime theme today was "Sillies."  The early literacy skill was print motivation.  The books I used were Audrey Wood's Silly Sally and Marc Brown's out-of-print (personal copy) Pickle Things, among others.  The first-timer little guy's name was Ryan.  And he was laughing out loud by the end of the program.  Afterwards I locked up the program room with a happy sense of accomplishment.  The most important one of the day.