Stop and Go -- January 20, 2015

Let's look at OPPOSITES!  We'll begin with stop and go...

Get Up and Go! by Nancy Carlson
Let's get up and play a sport, or an active game, or trying skating or dancing! Moving makes us feel good.

The Bus Stop by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Kindergartners gather for their first exciting ride on the school bus!

We made our very own TRAFFIC LIGHTS at Craft Time!

Bear With Me -- January 13, 2015

We enjoyed a bear-y special storytime today!

Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.
A bear cub meets a red fox, a blue heron and many other animals as he looks for his mother.

Bear Sees Colors by Karma Wilson
While taking a walk with Mouse, Bear meets many other friends and sees colors everywhere.

We made bear bookmarks for the craft today!
He hugs your spot so you can pick up where you left off.

Para los Ninos: Self-Esteem -- January 6, 2015

We're so happy Miss Tiffany brought the Children's Museum of Houston Para los Ninos program to us today! She spoke briefly with our caregivers regarding strategies to improve a child's confidence:

• Watch what you say
• Be a positive role model
• Identify and redirect your child's inaccurate beliefs
• Be spontaneous and affectionate with your child
• Give positive, accurate feedback
• Create a safe, nurturing home environment

We read...

Thank You Bear by Greg Foley

Despite the criticism of others, a bear finds the perfect gift for his mouse friend.

I Like Me by Nancy Carlson

By admiring her finer points and show that she can take care of herself and have fun even when there's no one else around, a charming pig proves the best friend you can have is yourself.








Miss Tiffany shared some really neat activities with us too!

First we tried...  FACE PAINTING!

Then it was off to make FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS!

And we finished up with these CONFIDENCE BAGS!
On the outside, we wrote things we like about ourselves physically...
Then on the inside, we listed our good qualities that you can't see, like patience and creativity!

Countdown to 2015 -- December 30, 2014

The Turning of the Year by Bill Martin, Jr.
Let's learn the characteristics of each month of the year!

Calendar by Myra Cohn Livingston
Take a trip through the months with this beautiful poem about the activities of the seasons.

Get ready for New Year's Eve with these fabulous party hats!

Reindeer Games -- December 23, 2014

Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Rambunctious Froggy hops out into the snow for a winter frolic but is called back by his mother to put on some necessary articles of clothing.

"I'm Not Santa!" by Jonathan Allen
When Baby Hare mistakes Baby Owl for Santa Claus, it takes a visit from St. Nick himself to straighten things out.

Craft Time was all about this guy...  Rudolph!

Opera To Go! -- December 16, 2014

We had a very special guest at storytime today:  Houston Grand Opera's Miss Sandy joined us as a part of the library's Seasons Readings series!  And we SANG the following books...

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson
One by one, Bear's friends come to his lair to enjoy snacks and tea.  Through it all, Bear remains asleep... Until a little pepper wakes him up with an ACHOOOOOO!  Will he be sorry he missed the party?

Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! by Candace Fleming
After planting the garden he has dreamed of for years, Mr. McGreely tries to find a way to keep some persistent bunnies from eating all his vegetables.









What a treat to have such a talented presenter with us today!

Para los Ninos: How Children Learn -- December 9, 2014

We love having Miss Tiffany visit from the Children's Museum!  She discussed strategies for helping your child learn based on his/her strengths:

Picture Smart is the ability to perceive the visual and spacial world accurately.
Music Smart means your child is sensitive to rhythm, pitch, melody and tone.
Nature Smart involves an understanding of the natural world of plants and animals, noticing their characteristics and categorizing them.
Self Smart includes having an accurate picture of one's own strengths and limitations, feelings, needs, desires and a capacity for self-discipline.
People Smart is the capacity to perceive and distinguish differences in the moods, intentions, motivations and feelings of others.
Number Smart means your child has an awareness of logical patterns, functions and cause and effect.
Word Smart involves the ability to manipulate the structure, sounds and practical uses of language.
Body Smart includes skills such as coordination, balance, dexterity, strength, flexibility and speed.

Then we read:

Don't Worry Bear by Greg Foley
A caterpillar reassures a worried bear that they will see each other again when the caterpillar emerges from its cocoon.

Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews
A counting book which shows what can be done with ten black dots -- one can make a sun, two a fox's eyes, or eight the wheels of a train!








After our books, it was time for some accompanying activities:

We made these wheels to show how an egg becomes a caterpillar
who builds a cocoon where it transforms into a butterfly!

Let's practice counting and estimation by predicting
how many seeds it will take to outline our hands!