Columbus Day Pumpkin Patch Parade Toddler Story Time Topic: All About Me/My Body

You're very special! Today, we will celebrate the characteristics that make each child special from their hair to their eye color. During our Columbus Day Pumpkin Patch Parade Toddler Story Time, we will gleefully dance to the classic children's song, If You're Happy and You Know It, read books about the hair and body, and  learn about our five senses through a bright, cheerful and sense-sational flannel board, and make a very "handy" hand print flowerpot craft.

Happy Columbus Day!


*Further registration for the Pumpkin Patch Parade Toddler Story Time is closed. 

What a Scare!: Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft

It's fall! The days are getting shorter, the winds are beginning to blow, and the crisp, bright colors of autumn are going to begin their showy parade. Why not create an adorable scarecrow paper bag craft that I have found and use it as a centerpiece on your table or near your entry way to welcome the many bounties of fall? See the link below for directions.

Paper Bag Scarecrow Craft

Hallopalooza Halloween Party Is Closed to Further Registrants Due to Popular Demand

Boo-hoo! We're sorry, but because of popular demand, openings for our Hallopalooza Halloween Party are filled. Please see our brochure for more upcoming ghoulishly spook-tacular programs!

Fireman Bob Robertson Helped Make the Lil' Sparks Preschool Fireman Story Time a Four-Alarm Event!

I would like to thank Bob Robertson of the Oak Brook Fire Department for helping me create such an amazing story time. Without his help, humor, and kindness I would not have been able to make my fireman story time such a success.

The children were so engaged and the giggles from the crowd as he read Firebears: The Rescue Team by Rhonda Gowler Greene were contagious. He had such an easygoing manner and you could tell he felt very comfortable working with young children. Fireman Robertson made the book come alive with his dramatic reading and humorous commentary.

Since we had time, he even effortlessly taught the children the important steps of the stop, drop, and roll procedure. He made sure each child understood the process by having them demonstrate the procedure.

Bob Robertson was such a pleasure to work with and the Youth Services Department was grateful to have such a warm and caring individual read to the children.

Thank You!


Miss Jennifer 

Baby Tales: Baby's First Steps into Reading for Babies 6-18 Months Starting November 1st

Miss Jennifer is proud to introduce a brand-new storytime to the library on Tuesdays at 10 am for babies between the ages of 6-18 months.

Remember that it is never too early to start reading and bringing your child to story time! Your child's brain development is constantly increasing with complexity and a rich language, cognitive, and sensory environment such as story time helps develop children's burgeoning skills. Story time is also an enjoyable experience which facilitates interaction between parents, caregivers, and their children. 

See the fascinating facts below which show how children's brain development is rapidly changing during specific stages of development.

Early Milestones in Brain Growth

4 months: The infant's brain responds to every sound produced in all the languages of the world.
 
8 to 9 months: Babies can form specific memories from their experiences, such as how to push a ball to make it roll.
 
10 months: Babies can now distinguish and even produce the sounds of their own language (such as "da-da") and no longer pay attention to the sounds of language that are foreign.
 
12 months: Babies whose parents say, for example, "Lookeee at the doggiee," will go to the
appropriate picture of a dog in a picture book more often than those babies who are talked to in normal, flatter voices.

12 to 18 months: Babies can keep in memory something that has been hidden and find it again, even if it has been completely covered up.  They can also hold memory sequences of simple activities, such as winding up a Jack-in-the-box until the figure pops up.

Source: http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/brain-growth.htm


To learn more about this storytime see the description below.

Baby Tales: Baby's First Steps Into Reading for Babies 6-18 Months (A Lap sit Program)
Tuesdays at 10 am Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29, Dec. 6 and 13

Our littlest patrons will be mesmerized by the magical experience of their first story time. The sounds of bubbly music will fill the air, bold and bright illustrations will come alive through picture books, and wiggly dances will get little ones toes a tapping. Flannel boards and floating bubbles will excite your baby's senses and add wonder to the joy of reading. *This story time does not offer a craft activity.

*Limit 10 Children Per Story time. Please sign-up early in order to ensure a spot in all of our story times.

Online Fire Prevention Games From the Home Safety Council

Preschoolers can join Safety Rangers Wiggle and Giggle in learning about fire safety through these informative and interactive games which include Dress the Firefighter and Visit the Fire Station from the Home Safety Council. See the link below to start playing.

Fire Safety and Burn Prevention Games For Preschoolers From the Home Safety Council

Pumpkin Patch Corner Toddler Story Time October 3rd Story Time Topic: Firefighters

Your toddlers will be all fired up during our October 3rd Pumpkin Patch Parade Toddler Story Time when we dance to a blazing fire truck tune, listen to an inferno of firefighter stories, play with a firefighter dress-up flannel board, and make a fire truck headband. Little firefighters will cheer for this four alarm story time!


*Further registration for the Pumpkin Patch Parade Toddler Story Time is closed. 

Registration For Lil' Sparks Preschool Fireman Story Time is Closed to Further Registrants

The Lil' Sparks Preschool Fireman Story Time is closed to any further registrants due to popularity. We would like to thank everyone for their interest in this and all of our upcoming programs.

Candy Apple Corner Preschool Story time September 28th Story time Topic: Apples

Let's sit down criss cross applesauce to listen to a peck of perky apple tales,  enjoy an app-solutely funky numbered apple flannel board, and create a scrumptious green, red and yellow apple wreath craft during our September 28th Candy Apple Corner Preschool Story time Apple Extravaganza!

Registration is required for this story time program. Please call the Youth Services Reference Desk at 630-368-7734 to register. 

Apple of My Eye: Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!

Johnny Appleseed left an indelible mark on American history with his pioneer spirit, strength, and agricultural know-how which shaped the landscape of the nation. Hundreds of beautiful apple trees were planted  to feed weary settlers by this remarkable patriot who was born John Chapman in Leominster, Massachusetts on September 26, 1774. He is best known for the cooking pot that he wore as his chapeau, seed sack,  and his bare feet which helped carry him on his planting travels.

He operated many tree nurseries in the Midwest and Northeast. The states where his nurseries were located included Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky.

Johnny Appleseed died in 1845 and is buried in a cemetery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

The following is a picture of the grave site of Johnny Appleseed.

Picture Source: http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=21560 (This is also a great site for more information about Johnny Appleseed).

Things to do to celebrate Johnny Appleseed's Birthday:

1. Go to the library and read books about Johnny Appleseed and apples.
2. Cook up some delicious applesauce or apple muffins. Check out allrecipes.com for some of the yummiest apple recipes ever.
3. Make a fantastic Johnny Appleseed character craft from  Janice's Daycare Johnny Appleseed Character and Coloring Sheets (See third row for Johnny Appleseed stand-up character)
4. Cut apple shapes out of paper and scatter them around the room and have an apple hunt!
5. Design your own Johnny Appleseed pot hat crafts from craft foam. Make A Foam Johnny Appleseed Hat
6. Cut an apple in half and dip in red, yellow or green paint to make apple prints on a piece of white or light-colored construction paper.
7. Retell the story The Little Red House with No Doors or Windows and a Star Inside using an apple. The Little Red House with No Doors or Windows and a Star Inside