Showing posts with label holiday programs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holiday programs. Show all posts
Saturday, November 23, 2013
American Indians and Thanksgiving
I always like to see what Debbie Reese has to say about resources about American Indians. I want to share one of her recent blog posts as we are headed into Thanksgiving week: http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2013/11/taylor-5th-grader-do-you-mean-all-those.html
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Merry Grinch-mas Family Program
Well ... I did do a Christmas-y family program this year. A co-worker originally wanted to do a "Forgetful Santa" puppet show together, but being short-staffed, the program was altered to a one woman show. I offered to keep with the Christmas theme. It was advertised as such and in this way:
Family Night Capades: Merry Grinchmas - Whobalation!
It's a How the Grinch Stole Christmas Celebration. Come for the story! Come for the noise! Come dressed in jammies OR as Who-girls and boys! Come for a craft, a treat, and a game. During Family Night Capades -- no one week is the same. Children under age 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
The movement activities had to be really young-child friendly, and indeed, I had three not-quite-two-year-olds who came to the program! The Learning about the Heart station was really loosely based on the cut and tell -- just a lot of questions (Where is the heart? What does it look like? What does it do?) and movements (Make a fist -- that's the size of your heart. Find your pulse. Let's run in place and see if we can change our heartbeat.)
I let them do the stations as they please. Take them or leave them ... I use to ring a bell after every 10-15 min to let them know when to switch stations, but I haven't really had a problem with overflow, so now I just explain the stations and let them stay or leave and wander as they please. It works well, and they usually stay 45 minutes after the initial together activity, in this case the Grinch accompanied by music and a few computer projections. I always do stations at my family programs. It's my sneaky way of getting families to interact together ... and with the age ranges they can adapt what they need, etc.
Family Night Capades: Merry Grinchmas - Whobalation!
It's a How the Grinch Stole Christmas Celebration. Come for the story! Come for the noise! Come dressed in jammies OR as Who-girls and boys! Come for a craft, a treat, and a game. During Family Night Capades -- no one week is the same. Children under age 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
The movement activities had to be really young-child friendly, and indeed, I had three not-quite-two-year-olds who came to the program! The Learning about the Heart station was really loosely based on the cut and tell -- just a lot of questions (Where is the heart? What does it look like? What does it do?) and movements (Make a fist -- that's the size of your heart. Find your pulse. Let's run in place and see if we can change our heartbeat.)
I let them do the stations as they please. Take them or leave them ... I use to ring a bell after every 10-15 min to let them know when to switch stations, but I haven't really had a problem with overflow, so now I just explain the stations and let them stay or leave and wander as they please. It works well, and they usually stay 45 minutes after the initial together activity, in this case the Grinch accompanied by music and a few computer projections. I always do stations at my family programs. It's my sneaky way of getting families to interact together ... and with the age ranges they can adapt what they need, etc.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Holiday Library Programs
How do you feel about holiday programs in a public library setting?
I think most of us can agree that one has to examine the needs and wants of the community that the public library serves.
I'm not against the occasional, holiday program, so long as it is advertised and you still work to meet the needs of the patrons who are not your majority or consistent audience.
For example ...
I was talking with a fellow children's librarian who is new to the Mahoning County library system, but who is a former preschool teacher with many years of experience. I asked her to plan for and present a toddler and a preschool program on November 23.
(Why we planned a program the day before Thanksgiving, I'll never know ...)
Not only did we advertise a program on November 23, we didn't advertise it as a Thanksgiving program. Because of the advertising issue, I suggested to my colleague that she steer away from books and activities that mention Thanksgiving. I am aware of at least one little boy and his family who don't celebrate national holidays, and I'd hate for him to come to a program, only to feel left out.
How do you approach holiday programming in your communities?
I think most of us can agree that one has to examine the needs and wants of the community that the public library serves.
I'm not against the occasional, holiday program, so long as it is advertised and you still work to meet the needs of the patrons who are not your majority or consistent audience.
For example ...
I was talking with a fellow children's librarian who is new to the Mahoning County library system, but who is a former preschool teacher with many years of experience. I asked her to plan for and present a toddler and a preschool program on November 23.
(Why we planned a program the day before Thanksgiving, I'll never know ...)
Not only did we advertise a program on November 23, we didn't advertise it as a Thanksgiving program. Because of the advertising issue, I suggested to my colleague that she steer away from books and activities that mention Thanksgiving. I am aware of at least one little boy and his family who don't celebrate national holidays, and I'd hate for him to come to a program, only to feel left out.
How do you approach holiday programming in your communities?
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