We Planted Seeds!

This week, we read about seeds and how they move and disperse. We also read about what's going on in our gardens this Spring, above and below the soil.

Then we decorated a paper sleeve to glue to a paper cup. Some made designs and patterns, some colored and stuck on foam stickers. After filling our cup with soil, we each planted one, two, or three "Mammoth" sunflower seeds. If we planted more than one, we'll have to learn about thinning seedlings in a few weeks!

These sunflowers might grow to be taller than our parents!

Ribbit!

At Storytime this week, we read about frogs. Here are all the books we read! There were two books with a pig that wanted to be a frog - can you spot them?

Between reading froggy stories, we made a frog from a paper plate. We folded it in half, then collaged and colored so it would be all green. We glued on green frogs legs. Some of us colored inside the frog's mouth with red before giving him a long spiral tongue. Cotton eyeballs with cut paper eyes finished the frog. 

Ribbit!

STEM/Storytime Saturday: Ice Cream!

This weekend, we combined Saturday Storytime and STEM Saturday, and had STEM/Storytime Saturday! It was all about ice cream - and it was FUN!

We read books about ice cream. In Gorilla Loves Vanilla by Chae Strathie, five animals come into Sam's Sundae Shop for ice cream and Sam serves them exactly  what they want - like stinky blue cheese ice cream for the mouse! Should I Share My Ice Cream by Mo Willems told the story of Elephant, who can't decide if he should share his ice cream with his friend Piggie. 

We made an ice cream cone from paper. A rectangle of brown paper was decorated like a waffle and twisted into a cone shape. Then a small paper plate was decorated with cotton, pompoms, pieces of yarn - and lots of other materials. Two slits in the top of the cone made the paper plate stand atop the cone - and it looked like an ice cream cone!

We each made ice cream - in a bag! We put half and half, sugar, and vanilla flavor in a small plastic bag, then put that bag inside a bigger bag filled with ice cubes and lots and lots of salt! We shook it as the bag got colder and colder when the salt interacted with the ice. Some of us wore mittens! But the ingredients in the small bag soon froze and, when we opened it, there was vanilla ice cream! We scooped it into bowls and added chocolate chips or sprinkles. It was pretty yummy!

Beautiful Flowers

On this beautiful morning, we read books about flowers and made some flowers of our own. We read My Garden by Kevin Henkes about a girl who wished her garden grew things like chocolate rabbits, seashells, and jellybeans! We read about a boy who planted a bulb (the seed kind, not the light kind!) in That's Not a Daffodil by Elizabeth Honey. And we read Flower Garden by Eve Bunting about a city child who made a window box garden as a surprise for her mother. 

Then we made a garden from paper stems and leaves and cupcake liners, big and small. We colored the liners, then glued them to paper, Next we decorated them with sequins, pompoms, cotton balls, buttons, slices of pool noodles - and all sorts of tiny craft materials! No two flowers were alike!

What beautiful gardens!

Spring!

This sunny day at the library we finally celebrated Spring! We read Fletcher and the Springtime Blossoms by Julia Rawlinson, where Fletcher the fox mistakes petals from tree blossoms for snow! In Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson,  Bear snacks with each of his friends after he wakes up from hibernation. Spring is Here by Will Hillenbrand was a funny story about Mole trying to wake his friend Bear when Spring comes. 

We got out the scissors and snipped green paper to make it look like grass. Then we added flowers, insects, and worms until it looked like Spring! And then we took our work, taped it into a circle, and wore our creations as Spring crowns!

Welcome, Spring! We're happy to see you!