Colors -- 8/18/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

I Dream of an Elephant by Ami Rubinger
Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold

Books:
Bear Sees Color by Karma Wilson
Magic Colors by Patrick George
Mix It Up by Herve Tullet
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
The Rainbow Snail by Karin Akesson
Warthogs Paint: A Messy Color Book by Pamela Duncan Edwards


Craft: House
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper
- Cut out pieces (house, door, windows, chimney)
- Color pieces
- Glue pieces together


Extension Activities
- Go on a Color Scavenger Hunt.  How many objects can you find for each color?
- Have fun with Bleeding Colors.  Set up two glasses or bowls of water with a couple drops of food coloring in each bowl (can use same or different colors).  Then place a ribbon of paper towels between the bowls making sure an end is in the water of each bowl.  Watch the color bleed across the paper towels to meet in the middle.


Template --

Numbers & Counting -- 8/11/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Mister Kitty Is Lost! by Greg Pizzoli
One Sheep, Two Sheep by Tammi Sauer

Books:
Bear Counts by Karma Wilson
Counting Chickens by Harriet Ziefert
Counting Our Blessings by Emma Dodd
Let's Count Goats! by Mem Fox
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
My Little Sister Ate One Hare by Bill Grossman


Craft: Counting Sheep Sheet
- Print templates onto cardstock or heavy paper.
- Cut templates into half sheets.
- Color sheet.
- Add number of sticker dots to each sheep as indicated by its number.


Extension Activities:
- As you go through the day practice counting different things such as number of commercials during a watched television show, number of chips eaten during lunch, number of buttons on shirt, etc.
- Using Legos or blocks, makes stacks using a set number of bricks.


Template --

Alphabet -- 8/4/6

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Animal ABC by Marcus Pfister
C is for Clown by Stan & Jan Berenstain

Books:
ABC Dream by Kim Krans

The Alphabet of Alphabets by Allan Sanders
B is for Bedtime Bananas by Carrie Tillotson

The Invisible Alphabet by Joshua David Stein
Owls Are Good at Keeping Secrets: An Unusual Alphabet by Sara O'Leary

Sign Language ABC by Lora Heller


Craft: Alphabet Dominoes

- Print template (below) onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color dominoes

- Cut along lines to get domino cards

Extension Activities:

- Practice letter recognition by asking your child(ren) to point out all of a particular letter from the page you are reading.

- Play the Alphabet Game while in the car by asking your child to find the letters of the alphabet in order on license plates or road signs.

Template --

Virtual Story Time: Learning Concepts -- August 2026

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming

Books:
Bear in a Square by Stella Blackstone
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
Dog's Colorful Day by Emma Dodd
Magic Opposites by Patrick George
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin





Extension Activities:
- Practice letter recognition by asking your child to find all of a particular letter on a book page.
- Play a game of I Spy looking for items of particular colors or shapes.
- Have fun with counting.  Count various things throughout the day such as number of chips eaten with your lunch, number of dogs or cats seen on a walk in the neighborhood, and number of trucks that pass by.

Dinosaurs (Go to School) -- 7/28/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Dinosaur vs. School by Bob Shea
We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Books:
Can I Bring My Pteradactyl to School, Miss Johnson? by Lois Grambling
Dino-School by Lisa Wheeler
How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? by Jane Yolen
My Teacher Is a Dinosaur! by Bill Canterbury
Tiny T.Rex and the First Day Oopsies by Jonathan Stutzman
What the Dinosaurs Did at School by Refe Tuma

Craft: Pteradactyl

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, wings)

- Color pieces

- Fold wings at line and glue to either side of body

Extension Activities:

- Start preparing your child for the start of school.  Talk about the activities they will be doing as well as their expected behavior.  If possible, see if you can take a tour of the school they will be attending in the fall.

- We have been reading dinosaur books for two months.  See how many of the books they remember reading.  Which one was their favorite?  Which ones did they not care for?

Template --

Dinosaurs -- 7/14/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Refe & Amy Tuma

Books:
Chill Chomp Chill by Chris Ayala-Kronos
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen
The Stompysaurus by Rachel Bright

T Is For Terrible by Peter McCarty
We Don't Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins

Craft: Standing Dinosaur

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (body, legs)

- Color pieces

- Fold legs in half and then cut along dotted line

- Slide body into slit in legs to stand

Extension Activities:

- Have fun with building and wrecking.  Build a block tower as tall as you can before wrecking it.

- Design a Dinosaur Trap that would be able to keep dinosaurs from making trouble.

Template --

Virtual Story Time: America 250 -- July 2026

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith

Books:
America the Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates
Fireworks by Matthew Burgess

Liberty's Journey by Kelly DiPucchio

My America by Karen Katz
On the Fourth of July by Maggie Rudd

The Scrambled States of America by Laurie Keller

Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant

You're a Grand Old Flag by George M. Cohan

Extension Activities:

- Learn more about American history.  Pick a time frame of American history and check out related books from the library.  There are a lot of great children's information history books at the library.

- Visit the St. Louis Arch and the Museum Under the Gateway Arch to learn more about American history.

- Learn about the history of the American flag before having your child(ren) design their own American flag using the same colors and symbols. 

Dinosaurs (Are Extinct) -- 6/30/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems
Dig Those Dinosaurs by Lori Haskins Houran

Books:
The Dinosaur in the Garden by Deb Pilutti
Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones by Susan Lendroth
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman
Penny & Pip by Candace Fleming
T.Rex by Vivian French

Craft: Dinosaur Skeleton

- Draw a simple dinosaur outline onto colored cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out dinosaur

- Glue whole and cut Q-tips to dinosaur as its skeleton

Extension Activities:

- Make a dinosaur fossil by making imprints in playdough.

- Visit a science museum to look at dinosaur skeletons.

Dinosaurs (and Goldilocks) -- 6/23/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems

Books:
#Goldilocks by Jeanne Willis
Goatilocks and the Three Bears by Eric S. Perl
Goldie and the Three Hares by  Margie Palatini
Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson
Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jim Aylesworth

Craft: Triceratops Crown
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (head, strips)

- Color pieces

- Glue pieces together into crown

Extension Activities:

- Have fun changing up the Goldilocks story.  Replace the characters, food, furniture and see how it would change the story.
- Click HERE for a link to several activities from Harper Collins to go along with Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.

Template --

Dinosaurs (and Food) -- 6/16/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

I'm Hungry! Tengo Hambre! by Angela Dominguez
Cookiesaurus Rex by Amy Fellner Dominy

Books:
Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs by Eric Litwin
How Do Dinosaurs Their Food? by Jane Yolen
Regina Is Not a Little Dinosaur by Andrea Zuill
T. Rex Time Machine by Jared Chapman
Tea Rex by Molly Idle
When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth by Sean Taylor

Craft: Folded Dinosaur Puppet

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (dinosaur, tongue)

- Color pieces

- Glue tongue inside mouth

- Fold mouth in half

- Fold back above dinosaur's top teeth

- Fold back below dinosaur's bottom teeth

Extension Activities:

- Make and decorate dinosaur cookies.  What is the perfect decoration for dinosaurs in cookie form?

- Discuss the difference between herbivore and carnivore dinosaurs and what they eat.  Ask your child to plan a menu for both types of dinosaurs.

Template --

Dinosaurs (In the Library) -- 6/9/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Dinosaur vs. the Library by Bob Shea
Chicken Story Time by Sandy Asher

Books (Library):
Book! Book! Book! by Deborah Bruss 
The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli
How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? by Jane Yolen
The Library Dragon by Carmen Agra Deedy
Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen
Stanley's Library by William Bee

Craft: Dinosaur Magnetic Bookmark

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out bookmark

- Color bookmark

- Fold bookmark in half

- Place two magnets onto bottom inside of bookmark

Extension Activities:

- Talk about expected behavior in a library -- inside voices, no running, etc.

- Ask your child to lead a story time for the family.  Let them pick the books to read and an activity to go along with it.

Template --

Dinosaurs (Week 1) -- 6/2/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Dinosaur Countdown by Nicholas Oldland
How Many Dinosaurs Is Too Many? by Lou Peacock

Books:
Rex by Simon James
Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald
Some Dinosaurs Are Small by Charlotte Voake
T Is for Terrible by Peter McCarty

Craft: Name Dinosaur

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (dinosaur, spikes)

- Color pieces

- Write name on spike -- one letter on each spike

- Glue spikes to dinosaur's back so spells out name

Extension Activities:

- Practice counting at the library.  Visit the Arnold Branch and count the number of dinosaurs hanging up in the Kids Area.  For extra practice, count how many of each type of dinosaur or color of dinosaur.

- Practice letter recognition by asking your child to find the letters of their name in the book you are reading.

Template --

Virtual Story Time: Unearth a Story -- June 2026

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon
Tadpole Rex by Kurt Cyrus

Books:
Crunch, the Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap
Dinosaurs Are Extinct: Real Facts About Real Dinosaurs by Drew Sheneman
Lizard from the Park by Mark Pett
Surprise Dinosaur! by Lucas Klauss
That's What Dinosaurs Do by Jory John
Three Little Dinosaurs by Charles Fuge


Extension Activities:

- Learn about the different sizes of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures.  Compare them to see which was the tallest?  Shortest?  Which ones were your size?

- Make some invisible dinosaur chalk art (either on paper or outside on the sidewalk).  Print and cut out various dinosaur templates.  Then place the template onto paper/sidewalk.  Then color over the template making sure to go past the sides with chalk.  Remove the template to see your invisible dinosaur.

- Go on a dinosaur hunt.  Hide a stuffed dinosaur or picture of a dinosaur and ask your child(ren) to find it.

Mr. Pumpkin's Tea Party -- 5/26/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Mr. Pumpkin's Tea Party by Erin Barker
The Nuts: Sing and Dance in Your Polka-Dot Pants by Eric Litwin

Books:
A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats
Never Let a Unicorn Crash a Party! by Diane Alber
PAR-TAY! Dance of the Veggies (and Their Friends) by Eloise Greenfield
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail
Secret Pizza Party by Adam Rubin
Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman

Craft: Paper Tea Cup

- Print template at Krokotak.com onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (saucer, spoon, cup, handle)

- Color pieces

- Glue cup into cylinder 

- Fold down and glue bottom strips to make cup

- Fold and glue handle to side of cup

Extension Activities:

- Plan and hold a tea party with your child(ren).  Let them help with preparing the food and decorations.

- Play some party games such as Pin the Tail, Hot Potato, etc.

Dance Party Countdown -- 5/19/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin
Cake by Sue Hendra

Books:
Bear Can't Wait by Karma Wilson
Duck, Duck, Moose! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Froggy's Sleepover by Jonathan London
Hippos Go Berserk! by Sandra Boynton
Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore by David McPhail
Tea Party Rules by Ame Dyckman

Craft: Birthday Cake

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (cake layers, candles)

- Color pieces

- Glue layers on top of each other from largest at bottom to smallest at top

- Glue candles to top of cake

- Optional: Glue on sequence for sprinkles

Extension Activities:

- Have a dance party.  Learn different types of dances (ex - twist, polka, line, etc.).

- Make a cake with your child(ren).  Let them help with the measuring, mixing, and decorating.

Template --

Do I Have to Go to a Party? -- 5/12/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

Do I Have to Go to a Party? by Jonathan Fenske
No Pants! by Jacob Grant

Books:
How Do You Wokka-Wokka? by Elizabeth Bluemle
How to Party Like a Snail by Nassem Hrab
If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff
Maisy's Surprise Birthday Party by Lucy Cousins
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Jane Cabrera
She'll Be Comin' 'Round the Mountain by Philemon Sturges

Craft: Puffer Fish
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (top half of fish, mouth, fins)

- Color pieces

- Glue top half of fish to a recycled cd-rom

- Glue mouth to center of cd-rom covering the point on the top half of the fish

- Glue fins to sides of cd-rom

Extension Activities:

- Ask your child to pick out the perfect party outfit.  Does it change depending on the type of party you are attending?

- Try coming up with additional "ways" to wear pants other than those listed in "No Pants!".

Template --

I Am Invited to a Party! -- 5/5/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

I Am Invited to a Party! by Mo Willems
Wolf's Coming! by Joe Kulka

Books:
Ant Party by Ross Montgomery
Dragon Noodle Party by Ying Chang Compestine
Knock Knock! by Tammi Sauer
Party for Everyone by Francesca Pirrone
Party Pigs! by Eric Seltzer
Party Rex by Molly Idle

Craft: Party Crown
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color and cut out PARTY image

- Glue paper strips to sides to make into crown

- Optional: Glue on sequins for extra bling

Extension Activities:

- Talk about different types of parties.  Ask your child to come up with the perfect outfit for the different types of parties.
- Have your child "plan" their perfect party.  What activities would there be?  What food would be served?  Where would it be held?  Try to do some of the party activities/foods if possible.

Template --

Virtual Story Time: The Duck Never Blinks -- May 2026

Each month, Miss Amy records a virtual Story Time that goes along with the monthly theme.  It will be posted monthly in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month.  (The video is available to watch for one month before a new one is uploaded.)

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

The Duck Never Blinks by Alex Latimer

Books:

5 Little Ducks by Denise Fleming 

Ducks by Deborah Underwood

Ducks Don't Wear Socks by John Nedwidek

Duck's Vacation by Gilad Soffer

Grumpy Duck by Joyce Dunbar

Truck Full of Ducks by Ross Burach

Extension Activities:

- Hold a Staring/Blink Contest. Who can go the longest without blinking?

- Play a game of Duck, Duck, Goose.

- Decorate a Rubber Duck.  Let your child(ren) color with markers or paint the duck.  Glue on sequins, feathers, pompoms, etc.

Mermaids -- 4/28/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

How to Catch a Mermaid by Adam Wallace
Five Little Mermaids by Sunny Scribens

Books:
The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime by Eija Sumner
How to Spot a Mermaid by Jane Yolen
Mermaid Lullaby by Kenneth Kraegel
Mermaids Are the Worst by Alex Willan
Mermaids' Song to the Sea by Dianna Hutts Aston

Craft: Mermaid

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (person, tail, hair)

- Color pieces

- Glue tail over legs

- Glue hair to top of head

- Optional:  Glue on sparkles if you like

Extension Activities:

- Mermaids love sparkly jems and jewelry.  Make a mermaid crown and add sequins to it for extra sparkle.

- Watch one of the movie versions of The Little Mermaid.

Template --

Ocean Animals -- 4/14/26 & 4/21/26

Story Times are held weekly on Monday and Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am. A monthly virtual Story Time is posted the first Tuesday of the month on the library's Facebook page.  It is available to view for one month before the next video is posted.

Click HERE for this month's virtual Story Time.

(There are so many great Ocean Animal books that we did two weeks of this theme.)

I Spy Under the Sea by Edward Gibbs
Secret Seahorse by Stella Blackstone
Plankton Is Pushy by Jonathan Fenske

Books:
Chomp: A Shark Romp by Michael Paul
Don't Worry, Little Crab by Chris Haughton
How to Put an Octopus to Bed by Sherri Dusky Rinker
I Need Pants! by Susan Sweet
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Milo Is Missing Something by Vern Kousky
Ocean Animals from Head to Tail by Stacey Roderick
Sharky McShark by Alison Murray
Tropical Terry by Jarvis

Craft: Squid
- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out squid's head

- Color squid's head

- Cut 5 strips of crepe paper (about 4-5" long)

- cut each crepe paper strip in half longways

- Glue strips to bottom of squid's head

Craft: Shark

- Color paper plate and fold in half

- Draw on mouth and eye

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Color and cut out pieces (fin, tail)

- Glue fin to top of shark along fold

- Glue tail to back of shark


Extension Activities:

- Go on an ocean animal scavenger hunt.  Hide ocean animal stuffies or print out pictures of various ocean animals to hide.

- Have fun with a parachute or a sheet as the ocean creating waves.  Alternate between gentle, soft waves and stormy, crashing waves.  Add ocean animal stuffies or a toy boat to the top of the "ocean" if you have them.

Squid Template --

Shark Template --