Tune Cube

Howdy
When I was unemployed I spent a lot of time wistfully reading library blogs and pinning  storytime ideas on Pinterest.  I now have a job and the time to create the wonderful things I've been reading about and seeing online.  A post I bookmarked ages ago was Early Literacy Storytime: Song Cube from the Blog Mel's Desk.  She says "Inspiration for this idea came from Andrea’s (RovingFiddlehead KitLit) Song Spinner and the “Storytime 911 Shuffle Mix” at Storytiming." I have no idea where the original idea for this storytime song and rhyme randomizer came from but some of these posts starting showing up in blogs well over 5 years ago. I think it's about time I got with the program. Ta Da!  I made my own Tune Cube or Song Cube or however you like to call this large single dye covered in song and rhyme prompts. Basically you use it in storytime to introduce a new  activity in an exciting way that also helps involve the kids even more.  You can  encourage  the   children to guess what side the box might land on. You can see if they remember what you did last week.  I purposefully labeled my Tune Cube so that each side had  a  prominent  color so we could cram another concept into the play. Storytimes start up again after Labor Day so I will report back on the response I get from the kids and their parents. 

My Song Box or Tune Cube feature the following songs:

I'm a Little Teapot (with a clever addition I learned online)

I'm a little teapot short and stout.
Here is my handle.

Here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout!
Just tip me over
And pour me out 

I'm a clever teapot, yes it's true.
Here's an example of what I can do.
I can turn my handle to a spout.
Just tip me over and pour me out

Itsy Bitsy Spider (repeat with a great big hairy spider and baby spider)
The itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the water spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the itsy-bitsy spider
Climbed up the spout again

Alphabet Song

♫ A, B, C, D, E, F, G
H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P
Q, R, S, T, U, V
W, X, Y, and Z
Now I know my ABCs.
Next time won't you sing with me? ♫

Soap

I love this song.  It earworms me all the time.  I did rearrange the lyrics so that they rhyme. 

oh soap soap

you gotta wash your hands with soap soap

you gotta wash your face with soap soap

you gotta wash your nose with soap soap soap

oh soap soap

you gotta wash your tummy with soap soap

you gotta wash your knees with soap soap

you gotta wash your toes with soap soap soap

Five Little Peas 
Five little peas in a pea pod pressed. 
          (hold fists in front of you with your knuckles pressed                together)
1 grew, 2 grew and so did all the rest 
          (on one hand pull one finger out of the fist at a time as             you count up)
They grew and they grew 
         (begin to pull hands apart)
And they did not stop 
         (hands are as wide apart as possible now)
Until one day, that pod went, Pop! 
        (Clap hands loudly)

This Little Piggy
This little piggy went to market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none,
And this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home.

Laura

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Behind the Scenes at the Library

Howdy

The Matheson Memorial Library's Facebook page features a great album called Behind the Scenes at the Library. I love this album. Every year SRP ends and people act like we've closed the whole department. We offer significantly less programming in August compared the schedule for June and July. Of course we are just preparing for the fall, but patrons sometimes think we are all on vacation.  Happily The Matheson Memorial Library of Elkhorn, Wisconsin has tackled the patrons' very important questions :

Did you ever wonder what we do at the library when there are no children's programs? Take a peek to see what's happening behind the scenes over the next few weeks! 

I would be thrilled to have an album like this for our library.  My To Do list is quite lengthy.

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 Also I really need a nap.  I know we put on a great show and the team gave it their all.  But as with any performance the encore approaches and it's time to wrap up.  If we had to maintain our SRP level of activity throughout the year I think we would get run down and prone to more illnesses. 

Does your library have programing breaks?  How do you use the time?  I told my storytime kids I had to take a break to clean the craft supply closet and all the storytime props.  What reasoning to you give to parents and kids who want a full events calendar year round?

Laura

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