Focus Age Group: Infant - 18 months

Program Objective: Introduce alphabet knowledge, universal concepts, mnemonics and multisensory learning opportunities, group learning.

Best Scheduled Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Budget: $50 each session - supplies for each activity can be purchased at a dollar store, recycled or used from natural resources (i.e. different leaves to show colors, shape and size).

Example Program Activity:

Alphabet Letters

Materials Needed:

• DIY Egg shakers

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom book

• DIY Storyboard with palm trees and alphabet letters

1. Open up the program with a song: Alphabet song. (PA)

2. Use DIY storyboard of book to introduce concepts and vocabulary: palm trees, actions in the story, alphabet letters, colors, etc. (PCA)(LK) (V) (BK)

3. Read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault

4. Introduce egg shakers (could be any small pebbles, lentils, beans inside a sealed, superglued recycled containers) (BK)

5. Sing the alphabet with egg shakers (PA)

Focus Age Group: 18 months - 3 years

Program Objective: Didactic reading, encourage children to talk and share topics about the story. Children demonstrate phonological awareness by being able to complete a rhyme, find objects in a picture with the same beginning sound. StoryTime introducing more vocabulary and concepts.

Best Scheduled Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM

Budget: $50 per session, for Play-Doh, construction paper, ect. Also, might change depending on number of supplies needed

Example Activity:

Koalas are NOT BEARS!

Materials Needed:

• Don't Call Me Bear! by Aaron Blabey

• DIY Storyboard

• Cut-outs of marsupials - bears and other animals that are NOT koalas

• Safe Play-Doh

• DIY Koala Paperbag Puppet

1. Introduce Warren the DIY Koala Paperbag Puppet to the children. Use as many rhyming words as possible (bear, care, fair, have children add on to Warren's rhyming rant with words that rhyme).(PA) (LK) (V) (BK)

2. Take out DIY Storyboard and animal cut-outs. Introduce animals and marsupials, a type of mammal. Identify and discuss similarities and differences between a bear and a koala. (V) (BK)

3. Read Don't Call Me Bear! by Aaron Blabey (PCA)

4. Close out with a final discussion about koalas and bears. Have children demonstrate what a koala looks like using safe Play-Doh. Children have free-play with the safe Play-Doh.

Focus Age Group: 3 years - 6 years

Program Objective: To offer a variety of STEAM activities that are age appropriate, encourage the development of literacy skills in mathematics, science, art, technology and engineering.

Best Scheduled Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM, Ready for Preschool will have sessions twice a week from June - August to beat the summer slide for Preschoolers, TK and Kindergarteners.

Budget: $50 - $100 per session, depending on amount of supplies needed

Example Activity:

Patterns in Art

Materials Needed:

• • • Alma's Art by Roda Ahmed book

    • Assorted foam shapes

    • Construction paper

    • DIY Storyboard

    • Felt large pieces of shapes

    • Glue or glue dots

1. Introduce DIY Storyboard of Alma's Art to children. Take out felt shapes in assorted colors and have children identify the various colors of the shapes. (V) (BK)

2. Ask children if they recognize any shapes and can guess what some shapes are called (in case they don't know). Display felt shapes in a pattern and ask children what they notice, encourage participation by asking questions. (V) (BK)

3. Read Alma's Art by Roda Ahmed. (PA) (PCA)

4. Ask children if they notice any patterns in the library. (BK)

5. Distribute supplies and have children create patterns and art pieces with the provided materials.

Focus Age Group: For all family, 0-8 years old

Program Objective: Facilitate fun library programming for all family members to enjoy, with a special focus on topics that pique young children's interests. This program will be like a bedtime story, calming activity right before bed for young children.

Best Scheduled Time: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Budget: $100 - $200 depending on how many people RSVP and attend this library program

Example Activity:

Pajamarama: Dia de los Muertos

Materials Needed:

• Projector or Promethean board to project story slides and video resources

• Day of the Dead- Monarch Butterfly Migration to Michoacán, México - YouTube Video

• Ghost Wings by Barbara M. Joose

• A Celebration of Life: El Dia de los Muertos - YouTube Video

• Day of the Dead by Tony Johnston

• Coloring pages of monarch butterflies and calaveras

• Crayons and colored pencils

1. Begin library program by explaining to the audience what Dia de los Muertos is about and how it is celebrated throughout the Americas. (V) (BK)

2. Discuss what some of the symbols and altar essentials might mean before explaining their meanings and traditions. (V)(BK)

3. Watch Day of the Dead - Monarch Butterfly Migration to Michoacán, México video (V) (BK)

4. Read Ghost Wings by Barbara M. Joose.

5. Watch A Celebration of Life: El Dia de los Muertos video

6. Read Day of the Dead by Tony Johnston.

7. Conclude with a relaxing coloring activity. Families can take coloring pages home or can color at the library if they'd like.