Description

Participants will participate in an interactive storytime and then do a related activity or craft.

NOTE: This activity is designed to give libraries a number of options so they can customize their program. There are several books and various crafts/activities to choose from.

Book options:

If You Were a City by Kyo Maclear and Sanna Francesca
In the Woods: An Adventure for Your Senses by Mariona Tolosa Sisteré
Snap! by Anna Walker

Suggested interactive song/rhyme options:

The Wheels on the Bus (If You Were a City)
Going on a Bear Hunt (In the Woods)
Five Little Speckled Frogs (Snap!)

Craft/activity options:

Crafts

Beginner origami jumping frog (Snap!)
Mapping activity (If You Were a City)
Nature stationery (In the Woods)

Transportation sensory bag
Sensory bin
- Create a sensory bin with objects related to the theme of the story.
- Include tactile books if possible.

Passive activity sheets

Colouring sheets

Number of participants

Any number of participants

Space considerations

An indoor space where participants can be seated to do an activity.

Competencies

Creative and imaginative thinking
Literacy
Logic and sequencing
Oral communication skills
Reading comprehension

Materials

Reading the story

A book to read (can order the other two for families to look at)
- If You Were a City by Kyo Maclear and Sanna Francesca
- In the Woods: An Adventure for Your Senses by Mariona Tolosa Sisteré
- Snap! by Anna Walker
Multiple copies of the book for participants to follow along
Microphone (recommended)
- Building blocks, Duplo, Lego or any other building material

Activity/craft

Activities

Beginner origami jumping frog (Snap!)
Mapping activity (If You Were a City)
Nature stationery (In the Woods)

Sensory activities

Transportation sensory bag
Sensory bin objects

If You Were a City

Toy cars
Toy buildings or other replicas of neighbourhood features

In the Woods

Fallen pieces of nature (don’t pull living things from nature)
Plastic nature replicas
Small things you might bring on a hike

Snap!

Small items that make noise (e.g., shakers, Velcro strips)
Any toy or plastic animals, insects or fallen/replicated pieces of nature, preferably but not limited to:
- Reptiles: frog, alligator/crocodile
- Birds: duck, goose, owl
- Insects: bees, dragonflies
- Nature elements: tree bark, plant leaves, flowers, pebbles/rocks

Preparation

Prepare for a standard storytime with 10–15 minutes allotted for the picture books and 15–20 minutes for the activity/craft.

Making the story interactive

Look through the title and write descriptions of the spreads beforehand, while generating questions for the audience.

Suggested questions

a) Shapes: What shapes do you see?

b) Counting: How many _____ do you see? Let’s count them.

c) Sounds: What kind of sounds do you think we can hear? What kind of sound does _____ make?

d) Smells: What kind of smells can you smell? What does _____ smell like?

e) Language: What would we call _____ in another language? [e.g., fish: French (poisson), Tagalog (isda), Japanese (sakana), Spanish (pez)]

f) Other aspects of the book that you can bring up to get conversations going (e.g., have any of the kids seen/experienced what is happening in the book?)

Activity/craft

Choose activity/activities and prepare accordingly.

Print passive activity sheets.
Prepare sensory bins.
Set up craft station.

Implementation

Reading the story

Guide audience through each spread, describing the images on the pages. “Oh, what do we see here? It looks like there are ________ and _________. There is a _________ wearing a ________.” While exploring the pages, ask them to raise their hands to answer your generated questions about what is on the pages, then summarize what happened before you go to the next spread. Feel free to ask follow-up questions as well.

If you find they are not really participating, start asking silly questions or make up an inaccurate storyline to get them to correct you (e.g., “Is the story happening underneath the bed or in the washroom?” “I’m guessing this story is about a sneezing zebra…”).

Activity/craft

Distribute activity sheets.
Distribute materials.

Accessibility considerations

Reading the story

Use a microphone (optional).
Use a loud voice and speak slowly.
If possible, place hold on multiple copies of the selected book(s) so participants who need it can flip through the book along with you.

Activity/craft