Summer STEM: Animal Coding Game

by Amy Westmoreland | Jul 28, 2021 | Blog, Craft Instructions Post, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 4 comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program is made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!



This fun and interactive STEM activity will teach the technique of “If-Then,” which is a coding method used by coders.

Materials needed:

Large grid paper for a game board (image below)
If-Then Cards (image below)
Homes + Obstacles printout (image below)
Plastic Bits
Die
Acornimals (or any small toy!)
Scissors

Inspired by the craft “If-Then Dice Grid Game” STEM activity from 100 Easy STEAM Activities: Awesome Hands-On Projects for Aspiring Artists and Engineers by Andrea Scalzo Yi

Watch the Video Instructions

Summer STEM: Animal Coding Game

by Amy Westmoreland | July 28, 2021 | Blog, Craft Instructions Post, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 4 Comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program is made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!This fun and interactive STEM activity will teach the technique of "If-Then,"...

Summer STEM: UV Animal Challenge

by Amy Westmoreland | July 20, 2021 | Blog, Craft Instructions Post, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 4 Comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program is made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!Make a cute little animal from pipe cleaners and beads. The kit includes beads...

Summer STEM: Exploding Soap

by Amy Westmoreland | July 13, 2021 | Blog, Craft Instructions Post, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 0 Comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program is made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!Let's have some fun with soap and a microwave! What happens to an ordinary piece...

SUMMER STEM: Food Web Puzzle Game

by Amy Westmoreland | July 8, 2021 | Blog, Craft Instructions Post, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 2 Comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program is made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!It's the Circle of Life... Use the supplies in the kit to learn about nature's...

JULY Kid and Tween Activities

by Amy Westmoreland | June 30, 2021 | Blog, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 0 Comments

Summer Reading Final month of Summer Reading - last day to sign-up is July 24th and program ends July 31st. Each year, from June through July, we host Summer Reading. We have programs for all ages. The 2021 Summer Reading Theme is “Tails and Tales.” The...

Summer STEM: Outdoor Art

by Amy Westmoreland | June 22, 2021 | Blog, Craft Instructions Post, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 0 Comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program is made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!How tall is a giraffe? Find out with the Outdoor Kit! Have even more fun creating...

Summer STEM: Binary Code Animals

by Lauren Abbott | June 15, 2021 | Blog, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 0 Comments

Our Summer STEM from Your Library program was made possible by our sponsors: the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho STEM Action Center. A big thank you to them for their support!Learn about binary with these code art animals! Things you will need include:...

June Kid and Tween Activities

by Lauren Abbott | May 25, 2021 | Blog, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM, Upcoming Events | 0 Comments

Summer Reading Saturday, June 26 from 12-4 PM in the Community Room Each year, from June through July, we host Summer Reading. We have programs for all ages. The 2021 Summer Reading Theme is “Tails and Tales.” The possibilities are endless! You won't want to miss our...

Kid and Tween STEAM: Flying Machines

by Lauren Abbott | April 27, 2021 | Blog, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 0 Comments

These paper airplanes are easy to make and fly incredibly far! Things you will need include: Scissors Tape Glue Ruler 3x5 card 2 8.5x11 sheets of paper (one of the airplanes is a bat, so you can use some darker paper for that one if you'd like!)

Kid and Tween STEAM: Hot Air Balloon Art

by Lauren Abbott | April 13, 2021 | Blog, Kid STEAM, Kid's Corner, Tween Scene, Tween STEAM | 0 Comments

Try your hand at cut paper art and play with perspective with this hot air balloon art craft! Things you will need include: Scissors Glue stick Something round to trace a circle from (such as a cup) Markers Paper for the sky, grass/trees, balloon basket, and clouds 6...

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Bird Tails

by Amy Westmoreland | Jul 26, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner, Toddler Time | 0 comments

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Bird Tails

Cheep, cheep! Tweet, tweet! Quack, quack! Oh, how babies love the sounds of our feathered friends. Help your child explore the world of birds with the following activities.

Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:45am in Community Room

Ages 0 – 10 months

Toddler Time: Tuesday @ 9:45am in Community Room

Ages 11 – 23 months

Welcome Songs

Here We Are Together

Here we are together, together, together! Oh, here we are together in our library. There’s (sing names)… Here we are together in our library!

Hello Everybody

Hello everybody let’s clap our hands*, clap our hands, clap our hands. Hello everybody let’s clap our hands today! *pat our head, stretch up high, wiggle our fingers, tickle our knees, kick our feet, bounce up high!

S, T, R, W, P

(Sing while pointing to each finger on your child’s hand.) Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play! Sing, talk, read, write, play each day!

Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play

Tip

Did you know that “singing” a book instantly engages a child’s brain? Because music affects multiple regions of the brain, when a child is listening to a book being sung, both hemispheres are working. One side of the brain processes the words while the other processes the music.

– Musically Minded

Activity

Find a “singing” book which has an accompanying fingerplay such as “Five Little Ducks.” Then “sing” the book and do the fingerplay with your child! Remember to model the finger movements for your child; never force them to do it.

Books Presented



Five Little Ducks

A duck with a feather on his back leads his siblings with a “quack, quack, quack.” End notes list the benefits of children’s poems and songs.

Find it Online



This is a Book of Shapes by Kenneth Kraegel

First comes the circle. Then the square and the triangle. Then the . . . emu pushing a pancake wagon down a hill? What begins as a concept book about everyone’s geometric favorites soon defies expectations with a series of funny and imaginative twists.

Find it Online

Songs, Rhymes, and Fingerplays

Two Little Bluebirds

Two little bluebirds
(Hold up thumbs)
Sitting on a wall
One named Peter
The other named Paul
Fly away, Peter!
Fly away, Paul!

Bird in the Egg

Bird in the egg sits so still.
Will he come out?
Yes, he will!

There’s a Bird in the Air

There’s a bird in the air, in the air
There’s a bird in the air, in the air
There’s a bird in the air, now he’s flying in my hair

There’s a bird on my leg, on my leg
There’s a bird on my leg, on my leg
There’s a bird on my leg and he is pretty big

There’s a bird on my hand, on my hand
There’s a bird on my hand, on my hand
There’s a bird on my hand but now he is my friend

Scarf Song: Popcorn Kernels

Tune of Frere Jacques

Popcorn Kernels
(wave scarves overhead)
In the pot
(tell the kids to make their scarves ‘disappear’ by bunching them up in their fists)
Shake them shake them shake them
(shake)
’til they POP
(toss scarves up into the air)

Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only four little ducks came back
1, 2, 3, 4

Four little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only three little ducks came back
1, 2, 3

Three little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only two little ducks came back
1, 2

Two little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only one little duck came back
1

One little duck went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But none of the five little ducks came back

Sad mother duck went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
And all of five little ducks came back

Five little ducks went out to play
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
And all of the five little ducks came back!

Five Little Birds

One, Two, Three, Four, Five.
Five little birds went flying one day,
Over the hills and far away.
When Mother bird said, “Tweet, tweet, tweet,”
Only four birds came to the tree.
One, Two, Three, Four.

Four little birds went flying one day
Over the hills and far away.
When Mother bird said, “Tweet, tweet, tweet,”
Only three birds came to the tree.
One, Two, Three.

Three little birds went flying one day
Over the hills and far away.
When Mother bird said, “Tweet, tweet, tweet,”
Only two birds came to the tree.
One, Two.

Two little birds went flying one day
Over the hills and far away.
When Mother bird said, “Tweet, tweet, tweet,”
Only one bird came to the tree.
One.

One little bird went flying one day
Over the hills and far away.
When Mother bird said, “Tweet, tweet, tweet,”
No little birds came to the tree.

Sad Mother bird went flying one day
Over the hills and far away.
When Papa bird said, “TWEET!”
All the birds came flying to the tree!

Additional Books



Ten Little Bluebirds by Emily Ford

A rhyming counting book that features ten bluebirds that disappear on each page as they decide to fly away to play.

Find it in Our Catalog



Quick Duck by Mary Murphy

Over and under, around and down–where is he going in such a hurry?

Find it in Our Catalog



My Nest is Best by PD Eastman

Mr. and Mrs. Bird search for a place to build a new nest only to discover their old one is better.

Find it in Our Catalog



Small Bird's Big Adventure

Small Bird escapes his cage… and discovers a whole big world outside.

Find it on Storyberries

More Book Babies

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Bird Tails

by Amy Westmoreland | July 26, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner, Toddler Time | 0 Comments

Cheep, cheep! Tweet, tweet! Quack, quack! Oh, how babies love the sounds of our feathered friends. Help your child explore the world of birds with the following activities.Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:45am in Community Room Ages 0 - 10 months Toddler Time: Tuesday @...

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Frog and Toad Tails

by Amy Westmoreland | July 15, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Craft Instructions Post, Kid's Corner, Toddler Time | 0 Comments

Ribbit, ribbit... HOP! Enjoy learning about tiny tadpoles to big frogs with these books and songs. Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:45am in Community Room Ages 0 - 10 months Toddler Time: Tuesday @ 9:45am in Community Room Ages 11 - 23 months Welcome SongsHere We Are...

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Pig Tails!

by Amy Westmoreland | July 8, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner, Toddler Time | 0 Comments

Many of us can remember, "This little piggie went to market, this little piggie stayed home..." Try expanding your "piggie repertoire" for your little one with these books, songs, rhymes, and fingerplays.Book Babies: Wednesday @ 9:45am in Community Room Ages 0 - 10...

Book Babies + Toddler Time: Rabbits & Bunnies

by Amy Westmoreland | July 1, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner, Toddler Time | 0 Comments

Whether bouncing like a bunny or hopping like a rabbit, toddlers and babies love these fluffy animals. Try reading some of the books below or doing the activities with your child for a fun-filled learning time about bunnies & rabbits. Book Babies: Wednesday @...

Book Babies/Toddler Time: Old McDonald’s Farm

by Amy Westmoreland | June 17, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner, Toddler Time | 0 Comments

What does a cow say? Mooo! Animal sounds are a precursor to speech development and are easy sounds for a baby to form. So, have fun with those farm animals and watch your baby's eyes light up when you quack like a duck or neigh like a horse!Book Babies: Wednesday @...

Story Time, Toddler Time, and Book Babies Now Live

by Lauren Abbott | May 27, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner, Story Time, Upcoming Events | 0 Comments

Story Time Now Live Story Time, Toddler Time, and Book Babies are now LIVE in our Community Room starting June 15th! Story Time Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. NEW After Dinner Story Time Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. (This is the same program as the other...

Book Babies: If You’re Happy and You Know It

by Lauren Abbott | April 28, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner | 0 Comments

Singing a book with your child can be a lot of fun, especially when it's, "If You're Happy and You Know It!" Try doing the ASL sign for "happy" as you sing with your child. You can also add other emotions such as "sad", "hungry", or "thirsty."Join us live Wednesdays...

Book Babies: Welcome, Spring!

by Lauren Abbott | April 21, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner | 0 Comments

Spring is a great time for exploration, discovery and sensory experiences. You and Baby can talk about sounds, smells, colors, and how things feel to the touch such as a leaf that's wet after a rainstorm. Try some of these books and songs to help Baby, "Welcome,...

Book Babies: Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs!

by Lauren Abbott | April 15, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner | 0 Comments

Today in Book Babies/ Toddler Time, we read all about bugs! The fun thing about bugs is that they come a a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Talk about their differences and similarities with your child as you explore the incredible world of insects.Join us live...

Book Babies: Fun with Scarves and New Board Books!

by Lauren Abbott | April 12, 2021 | Blog, Book Babies, Kid's Corner | 0 Comments

Today we decided to have fun with scarf songs (always a favorite!) and with some of our brand new board books! Click the links below to check them out for you and your baby - you'll love them!Join us live Wednesdays at 10:00 AM - Online on Facebook Ages 2-5Welcome...

Storytime: Way Up High!

by Amy Westmoreland | Jul 22, 2021 | Blog, Kid's Corner, Story Time | 0 comments

Storytime: Way Up High!

Look up in the sky – it’s a bird!