Baby Bear's Chairs -- 5/13/25

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.

Baby Bear's Chairs by Jane Yolen
There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins

Books:
Bears on Chairs by Shirley Parenteau
A Couch for Llama by Leah Gilbert
Down the Back of the Chair by Margaret Mahy
Frog on a Log? by Kes Gray
He Came with the Couch by David Slonim
I Am NOT a Chair by Ross Burach

Craft: Sitting Bear

- Print template onto cardstock or heavy paper

- Cut out pieces (bear, strip) making sure to cut along the slits in bear's legs

- Color bear and write name/saying on strip

- Fold bear's arms and legs

- Slide paper strip into slits in legs to make bear sit up

Extension Activities:

- Play a game of musical chairs.

- Frog on a Log involves animals only being able to sit on things they rhyme with.  Have your child(ren) come up with what objects different family and friends can sit on.

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Virtual Story Time: Merry Christmas! -- December 2024

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 year's Christmas online Story Time.

We Disagree About This Tree by Ross Collins
Relish the Season by Katie Vernon

Books:
The Christmassy Cactus by Beth Ferry
Decorate the Tree by Amanda Jane Jones
Is This . . . Winter? by Helen Yoon
Red & Green by Lois Ehlert
Santa's First Christmas by Mac Barnett
We're Going on a Present Hunt by Goldie Hawk


Extension Activities:
- Let your child help you decorate a Christmas tree.  Don't have a tree for them?  Make a simple tree out of construction paper taped to the wall and let them make paper ornaments to decorate it.
- Make holiday cards for family and friends.
- As you read through Relish the Season have your child give their reasons for the ways they would choose to celebrate.

The Alpahbet: "A" -- 1/7/21

Join us weekly on Tuesdays for an online Story Time featuring books read by Miss Amy.  The video will be available to view for a week before a new online is uploaded.

Click HERE for this week's Story Time video.

Snip Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman
What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

Books:

Airplanes: Soaring! Diving! Turning! by Patricia Hubbell

Alligator Boy by Cynthia Rylant

Astronaut Handbook by Meghan McCarthy

Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat by Alice Low

One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes

Ten Apples Up on Top! by Dr. Seuss

Your Alien by Tammi Sauer

Craft: A Is for Astronaut

- Print template on heavy paper or cardstock

- Cut out pieces (A, arms, shoes, helmet)

- Color pieces and add facial features to helmet's face

- Glue shoes to bottom legs of A

- Glue helmet to top point of A

- Glue arms to sides

Extension Activites:

- Practice letter recognition.  Ask your child to point out all the letter "A"s on a page.

- Make "Ants on a Log" for a snack.  Fill a piece of celery with peanut butter or other spread.  Add raisins on top of spread for ants.

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Virtual Story Time: Building Block Nominees, Part 4 -- 11/24/20

Join us weekly for an online story time featuring a book read by Miss Amy on Tuesdays at 10:00 am.  The video is available to watch for one week before a new one is uploaded.

Click HERE to view the latest video. 


Dandy by Ame Dyckman
Everybody Says Meow by Constance Lombardo
What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

Books:  (2020 Building Block Award Nominees)

Dandy by Ame Dyckman

Duck! by Meg McKinlay

Everybody Says Meow by Constance Lombardo

Fear the Bunny by Richard T. Morris

I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt

Octopants by Suzy Senior

Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas by Aaron Blabey

Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe

Shake the Tree! by Chiara Vignocchi

What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins

Craft:  Dandy-Lion
- Print and cut out template of lion head
- Color lion head

- Glue orange and yellow strips to back of head for lion's mane

- Glue finished head to craft stick

- (Optional) Curl paper strips of mane if desire





Extension Activities:

- Go over various animal sounds with your child.  Ask them to make the sounds of the animals you name.
- You can vote for your choice for the Building Block Award after reading/listening to five of the nominees.  Click HERE to vote.

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Our Favorite Books of 2019: December 9-10, 2019

Books:
I Can Only Draw Worms by Will Mabbitt *
Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman *
What Does an Anteater Eat? by Ross Collins *

Craft: Llama
The kids colored a cutout llama and a rectangle that was folded and glued onto the llama's back for a blanket.  They could then decorate the llama with sequins.  They could also turn it into a holiday ornament if they liked.


Extension Activities:
- After reading What Does an Anteater Eat?, learn true information about anteaters including what they really eat.
- After reading a book, see if your child can illustrate it drawing only worms like in I Can Only Draw Worms.


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Building Block Award Nominees Story Time - Week 3: September 18-19, 2017

Books:
10 Little Ninjas by Miranda Paul *
Marta! Big and Small by Jen Arena *
There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins *
There's a Giraffe in My Soup by Ross Burach *

Craft: Bear Headband
The children were given a bear head to color before gluing strips to it to make into a headband.

Literacy Extensions:
- Marta! Big and Small is a great way to introduce the Spanish language to children.  Check out a Spanish/English picture dictionary and see if your child can guess the meaning of the Spanish words.
- Ask your child to stretch their imagination by coming up with new verses to 10 Little Ninjas.

Notes:
There's a Giraffe in My Soup was only read on Monday as the Tuesday story time group heard the book earlier this month.


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Best of 2016: December 12-13, 2016

Books:
Alan's Big, Scary Teeth by Jarvis *
President Squid by Aaron Reynolds
Rex by Simon James
Still a Gorilla! by Kim Norman *
There's a Bear on My Chair by Ross Collins *
When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes

Craft: Gorilla
This week's craft is pictured above.  Kids colored the parts of a gorilla - body, head, arms and feet - before gluing them together.

Literacy Extensions:
- Reading Alan's Big, Scary Teeth would be a great lead-in to a talk about tooth brushing and dental hygiene.
- Have your child act out the various animals while reading Still a Gorilla.  See if your child can come up with additional animals to extend the story.