Up on the Housetop Reindeer Paws! Spaces Still Available for Sunday, December 4th Reindeer Paws Family Funfest!

Reindeer will be prancing in our library's Meeting Room on Sunday, December 4th  from 2:30-3:30 pm when I will be holding my Reindeer Paws Family Funfest for children ages 2-5. This will be quite a merry holiday event filled with: 

• Games including a variation of the popular game Red Light Green Light and Pin the Carrot on the Snowman 
• Wintry tales
• A winter parade
• Holiday music
• A jingle bell dance
• A family sing-along to songs such as "Frosty the Snowman" 
• Coloring a smiling penguin coloring sheet that will decorate the library during the holidays
• And much, much more!

So come on down to this family-friendly extravaganza that will add a dash of sparkle and glitz to the beauty of the holiday season!

Spaces are still available for this event! Please call the Y.S. Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 to register for this program. 

Leaves are Falling! November 29th Baby Tales Storytime (Children 6-23 Months) Topic is Fall!

During our Tuesday, November 29th Baby Tales Storytime you will "fall" into quite a lot of fun! Our storytime topic this week is all about the crisp and clear beauty of an autumn day!

Your little ones will be "popping with excitement" during our Popcorn lap bounce, playing peekaboo with a variety of materials including scarves and paper, dancing to the "sunny" tune "You are my Sunshine", and listening to snappy fall stories.

Afterwards, your baby will love our playtime session where a bounty of  baby-friendly toys, art, and  reading materials will encourage social interaction and cognitive development.

Spots are still available for this storytime. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 to register. Limit 10 children per storytime. 

Toddling Twos November 28th Storytime Topic: Fall

The days are getting shorter and the beauty of the holiday season is upon us! Why not celebrate the loveliness of fall by listening to autumn-themed stories, welcoming a secret guest to our storytime in a Peek-a-boo Guess Who am I? game, and creating a grinning, pumpkin-headed scarecrow? We will do just that during our Toddling Twos Storytime on Monday, November 28th. See you there!

*This storytime is filled and closed to further registration. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 or check out out website www.oak-brook.lib.il.us to learn about our other youth programs.

Give Thanks for Each Day by Steve Metzger

Give Thanks for Each Day by Steve Metzger is a precious story that simply describes the true meaning of being thankful to the toddler,  preschool, and kindergarten set.


A few of the memorable "thankful"
antidotes depicted in the pages of the story include their crayons, a hug, and even snowflakes falling from the sky.


This book is a must read for the upcoming holiday. A true Thanksgiving classic!


Post Reading Activities

• Write down the phrase "What I Am Thankful For" and then vertically write your child's name on a piece of paper. Help your child try to think of words that he is thankful for that begin with each letter of his name such as D for ducks, A for astronauts,  and N for nuts for the name "Dan". They can then illustrate their name poem by drawing a picture next to each letter of their name such as a duck next to the letter "D" or use colorful stickers. (This project is best for Kindergartners and up).
• Make a "thankful quilt".  Paste pieces of multi-colored construction paper or scrapbook paper squares on a small piece of poster board. You or your child can take pictures of various things she is thankful for such as a beloved teddy bear using a digital camera. Print out the pictures and cut around the image. Glue the picture onto a "patchwork" square. Continue taking pictures of items that she is thankful for to fill up her quilt. Alternative ways to decorate her "thankful quilt": Use clip art, cut pictures from magazines, or draw items onto the patchwork squares.  (This project is for toddlers and up).
• Sing the following songs found below: 

Let's Be Thankful

(Sung To: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)
Let's be thankful for this day
For our friends and our play
Let's be thankful; let's be glad
For our food and the things we have
Let's give thanks for you and me
And our home and family.

Thank You Song

(Sung To: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star)
Thank you for the sun so bright,
Thank you for the moon at night,
Thank you for my family,
Thanks for friends who play with me,
Thanks for everything I see,
I am thankful, yes siree 

(Source of songs: http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/thanksgiving/songs.htm

• Go to the grocery store and buy canned foods to give to a local food pantry. Many people will be thankful for your generous and yummy donations during the holiday season!

I hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday!

Craft-tastic! Take a Look at Some of the Crafts that the Toddler and Preschool Storytime Children will Be Creating In Upcoming Sessions!

We may be taking a week off from programming due to the holiday, but Miss Jennifer has put on her thinking cap and already created her toddler and preschool crafts for upcoming sessions! Our storytime sessions will resume Monday, November 28th!

*Please note that the Toddler and Preschool Storytimes are filled for this session. Please call the Youth Services desk to learn about more of our exciting youth programs at 630-368-7734.

You Don't Scare Me, Scarecrow!

Chillin' with Penelope Penguin

Squeaky the Mouse

Gobble, Gobble! November 16th Terrific 3's and 4's Storytime Topic is Turkeys!

Our preschoolers will gobble up some tremendous turkey tales, find out who our very special Thanksgiving guest is during our Guess who? flannel board, and make their very own Tom Turkey craft!

*This storytime is filled and closed to further registration. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 or check out out website www.oak-brook.lib.il.us to learn about our other youth programs.

No Storytimes the Week of November 20th Due to Holiday

Due to the holiday, we will not be holding any storytimes from November 20th-26th. We will resume our storytimes the following week beginning Monday, November 28th.

Please note that there will be a few changes in the library's hours during this week. On Wednesday, November 23rd the library will be open until five o'clock. The library will be closed Thursday, November 24th and Friday, November 25th.

A Look Into What Miss Jennifer's November 8th Baby Tales Lapsit 6-23 Months Storytime Was Like!

I really enjoy performing my new weekly Baby Tales Lap-sit Storytime. I promise that when parents and their little ones (6-23 months) enter the Program Room they are going to get a sassy, silly, and entertaining storytime experience filled with movement, music, stories, and interactive play. 

Check out my November 8th Lap-sit storytime which captures the magic that books and babies encourage!

Books Read

Little Green by Keith Baker 

Zoo-Looking by Mem Fox 

My Heart Is Like A Zoo by Michael Hall 

Opening Song with Rattle 

"Hi, Hello, and How are You?" (Tune: London Bridge) 

Dancing with Scarves and Bubbles 

Song: "Under the Sea" from Disney's The Little Mermaid 

Song/Fingerplay before Books 

"These Are My Glasses" by Laurie Berkner (From her CD Whaddya Think of That?)

Lap Bounce

(Babies were bounced on their mothers lap and I held a mouse puppet as I recited the following poem)

Boing, Boing Squeak (Poem by Jack Prelutsky) (Use Only First Verse) 
Poem Source: https://sites.google.com/a/lfcsinc.org/mrsguthrie/poetry/week-4 

Game 
Musical Simon Says
(Mothers helped babies move to the  movements suggested by me as I played a variety of musical instruments)


Song
"Old McDonald Had a Farm" (With stuffed animals and puppets)
(Mothers swayed back and forth with their babies and made the animal sounds as I sang this song) 
Source of song: http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/macdonald/mlyrics.htm)

Closing Song with Bubbles
"Now It's Time to Say Goodbye" (Tune: London Bridge)


Playtime 

(Mothers and babies read, relaxed, and played with toys and board books) 

Spots are still available for this storytime. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 to register. Limit 10 children per storytime. 

Hickory Dickory Dock! November 15th Baby Tales Lapsit (6-23 Months) Storytime!

Hickory Dickory Dock a mouse ran up the clock!  On Tuesday, November 15th, the Baby Tales Lapsit Storytime is going to be all about our cute, little furry friends (mice). We'll be reading marvelous mice stories, searching for a little mouse who's hiding in his colorful house during our Little Mouse, Little Mouse flannel board game, find out what foods a famished mouse is craving when we take a peek in his lunch box, play Mouse, Mouse (a variation of the classic children's action rhyme Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear) and bounce to a giggly lap bounce rhyme that will have your baby smiling !  Not to mention that I'll be blowing beautiful bubbles like nobody's business!




*Registration is required for this storytime. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 to register. Limit 10 children per storytime. 

Reindeer Paws Sighting In the Library! Children ages 2-5 Can Join Us for Our Reindeer Paws Family Funfest Sunday, December 4th from 2:30-3:30 pm

Children ages 2-5 will snuggle up and listen to a blizzard of seasonal stories during Miss Jennifer's Reindeer Paws Family Funfest in the Meeting Room from 2:30-3:30 pm on December 4th (but, that's not all)!  We'll sing songs such as "Frosty the Snowman", Play a variation of the game Red Light, Green Light (Red Light, Yellow Light, Green  Light), dance the winter blues away in quite a festive way, and decorate the library with wintry coloring pages that we will color during this "holly" day event.

Registration is Required. Limit 30 children for this storytime/special event.  

Call the Youth Services Reference Desk  at 630-368-7734 to register for this seasonal storytime/special event.

Pretty as a Picture (Book) ! See our Picture Book Display That Celebrates the Beauty of Picture Books!

Picture books have given children and adults alike the immense pleasure of a beautiful visual medium which excites the senses, tells a descriptive and sweet tale, and makes the memories of childhood extra special. I have designed a picture perfect display showcasing some wonderful picture books for kids of all ages.

Remember, November is Picture Book Month!

It's Good to Be Corny! Here's a Sneak Peek at our Corn Husk Corn Craft for the Terrific 3's and 4's Preschool Storytime November 9th!

Who doesn't love corn? It's yummy as a delicious buttery treat during the summer, great to nosh on when you have a snack attack (popcorn) and even more fun when it's multi-colored (Indian Corn)!

The Preschool Storytime children will make a colorful corn husk corn craft on November 9th  that will put everyone in the fall spirit. Isn't it great to be corny?

Here's a sneak peek at this corn-rrific craft.

There are still spots available in this storytime! To register call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734.

Registration for the Toddling Twos Toddler Storytime is Closed to Further Registrants

There are so many toddlers toddling on down to the Toddling Twos Toddler Storytime that all our spots are filled! Thank you for your interest in this storytime and please see our website or stop in to the Youth Services Department to learn about more of our new and exciting programs for kids and teens of all ages.

November 7th Toddling Twos Toddler Storytime Topic: Farm

Your little pumpkins will be a-maized by the crop of activities that await them during our November 7th farm storytime. We'll read some fresh-picked stories about growing things and farm animals, create a corny craft using real corn husks, and learn about feelings through quite an emotional pumpkin faces flannel board.

*Registration is required to ensure a spot in this storytime. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 to register. Limit 10 children per storytime.

Oh Baby! Baby Tales Lap-sit Storytime Ages Extended to 6-23 Months from 6-18 Months

Every baby deserves a quality early literacy experience filled with enchanting songs, whimsical fingerplays/flannel boards, and playful books that will ignite their love of reading at an early age. That's why I've extended the ages of children who can enjoy this storytime from 6-18 months to 6-23 months. I wanted to make sure that the bouncy bubbles, dancing, swirling scarves and vibrant stories can be seen and heard by as many little eyes and ears as possible.


So, are you wondering what your  baby will be introduced to during their next storytime? Okay here it goes...


Tuesday, November 8th Storytime 


We'll dance under the sea with colorful scarves to Disney's "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid, Play an infant version of Musical Simon Says using a variety of instruments such as shakers and a drum, clap to the classic children's fingerplay rhyme Patty Cake, Patty Cake and read a "zoo" of animal themed books.


This storytime will end with a playtime session. Toys and board books will allow parents and caregivers to enjoy a relaxing and fun experience within the library.




There's still room to register for this creative and giggly storytime. So please register by calling the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734. Limit 10 children per storytime.