spiders and such

October 23, 2017October 28, 2017 ~ Ms. P. ~ Leave a comment

In October spooky subjects go well with the mood (and you don’t even have to mention the H word if you can’t). We read Time for Dinner on epic which featured a spider and then followed up with a nonfiction spider selection to discuss their body parts, parts of a food chain, and more. A google slide with predator and prey relationships for students to analyze was a quick wrap before we moved on.

Literary pursuits completed, we turned to singing songs and making finger print art. Because the library visit is not complete without music and MESS. If you’re going to sing a spider song, it’s fun to add different adjectives and change itsy bitsy up! Kids love singing about a giant, hairy spider instead, and then making one.

Screen Shot 2017-10-27 at 9.55.41 PM — google slide, click to make a copy

take your bear to the library (or work, less fun)

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 ~ Ms. P. ~ Leave a comment

Every year we celebrate the not well known but certainly well loved holiday, take your bear to work day. We think bears prefer the library to most work spaces, especially since we have a cave built right in the library. Your bear day works best if you plan ahead with the beary important components of the day; fuzzy friends, food, and comfy seating for a snuggle. Maybe you should…

Have students create their own invitations to take home! Yes, they should invite their friend to come in their backpack for the day. Writing, illustrating, and helping to organize the day gets students ready for your star activities!

Create a cave somewhere so everyone can get cozy and read! We have a LOT of black paper wrapped around our library story corner and it’s the perfect cave space.
Ask for teachers to bring a few extra bears in case someone forgets one.
Make fun bear snacks! We used fruit bears would actually eat, but dressed it up with marshmallows and a little bit of trail mix ins.
Read bear books, bear books, and more bear books… We have some great fiction and non fiction to choose from so that everyone has a choice. We have to start with We’re Going on a Bear Hunt of course!
Make something! Bear crafts are fun all year, but with a fuzzy friend beside you they are the best.

readlearn

Upcycling old book illustrations

June 14, 2016July 31, 2017 ~ Ms. P. ~ Leave a comment

Cutting up old books seems almost a crime, but if they’ve been really well worn out and you can escape the guilt, they make some lovely decorations. We have quite a few things planned for some vintage books I’ve collected lately, but I chose some of the boys’ favorites for the blocks we had painted in fun colors already. I decoupaged some of the most colorful characters or favorite bits of two different books so far…now we are looking for the right book for the next few blocks. These came from a 1980’s edition of Dumbo and Danny and the Dinosaur. I used a mix of school glue and water to affix the pictures, then used a matte clear sealant spray for longer wear.