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Nursery Nook
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I'm a Little Snowman
(sung to the tune of I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little snowman (arms in front of you in a circle)
Short and fat, (puff out cheeks)
Here are my buttons (point to chest)
Here is my hat (tap your head)
When the sun come out, (make sun over your head with arms)
I run away.... (mime running)
Before I slowly
Melt away! (slowly fall to the ground on the last two lines)
-Trish R.
East Grand Rapids Branch
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Fine Motor Skills
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It may be cold outside, but you can still have fun inside and pretend you are enjoying the snow. Our "Winter Fun with Katie L. Cutting Page" can entertain your child on a snowy afternoon. Cutting and coloring are two activities that help your child get ready to write by developing their fine motor control. Let your child color the items then cut them out. They can play with the figures or glue them to paper and tell stories about what kind of fun Katie L. is having in the snow.
-Chris S.
Englehardt Branch
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Music Minute
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Classic children's songs and rhymes build a network of shared experiences between the generations. Learning Itsy Bitsy Spider, or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is a rite of passage for little ones and a chance to share in the childhood memories of their grownups. This year make a habit of singing daily with your little one!
Afraid you won't remember all those songs from your childhood? For inspiration, check out one of the many books or CDs of children's songs at the library. Sharing both the book and the CD is a great way for you and your child to learn a song together. Try Itsy Bitsy Spider in both formats - very helpful in memorizing the many verses of this classic song! Once the words are memorized, your child will proudly show how they can "read" the book by singing the story.
-Sara M.
Sand Lake Branch
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Greetings!
Kent District Library is here to provide you and your child with the skills needed to succeed in school and in life. KDL's Early Lit Bits newsletter is full of FUN and simple activities that will help foster that growth. For more information regarding the skills your child needs before he or she learns to read, visit the Play-Grow-Read section of the KDL website. You can also stop by any KDL branch to speak with one of our helpful youth librarians. We hope to see you soon!
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| Learning With Crafts |
Learning with Each Step
Many people have at least one set of stairs in their home, either leading from the main floor to the second story, or leading down into the basement. Turn trips up and down the stairs into a fun learning experience for children by making simple signs for the risers on a staircase. If you don't have a staircase in your home, try sticking these signs to the floor in a row so that children are able to step or hop from one sign to the next.
Materials
- Thick paper/cardboard from a cereal box
- Removable adhesive strips or painter's tape
- Markers
Directions
Cut the paper or cardboard into a shape that will fit onto the risers of your staircase. Write one letter on each sign with a marker to spell out a child's name. Fix one sign to each riser with removable adhesive strips or painter's tape so that as children ascend the staircase, they can say each letter on the riser to spell out the name.
Other Ideas
Make a sign for each riser to teach children the days of the week (one sign per day), the months of the calendar year, numbers or the letters of the alphabet.
-Anjie G.
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| Book Review | |
Abigail by Catherine Rayner
Abigail is a giraffe who just loves counting, but becomes frustrated when the things she tries to count keeping moving away. From dots on a ladybug to stripes on a zebra, nothing stays put! Finally her animal friends come up with a solution, and they join together to count the stars in the night sky. Beautiful watercolor illustrations and the concept of counting make this a fun read. Read it together as a bedtime story or as a way to start a conversation about counting. Have your child point to the numbers on the pages as Abigail counts. What else around the house could you count together? Perhaps the illustrations will even inspire you to do some painting together, which is a great way to practice fine motor skills and gets your child ready to write!
-Liz W.
Plainfield Branch
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| App Review |
Have fun with your child as you talk and play when using the app Avokiddo Emotions. In this app, users can choose from three different animal characters whom they dress up, feed, make dance, sing etc. Watch how the animals react to the items when you play. Talk with your child about how they think the animal feels: are they happy, sad, mad, embarrassed? Pull down the "knob" to change the objects for over 100 different interactions. You will be laughing along with your child to this entertaining and simple app. It is available for Apple and Android devices for $2.99.
-Julie R.
Caledonia Township Branch
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