By far the most popular item we’ve added at our Library is Storytime Kits. These super simple, and fairly reasonable, kits are geared more for younger children aged five years and below. Each kit has five contents held in a backpack (found in bulk on Amazon):
1. One board book
2. One long picture book
3. One shorter picture book
4. A toy/manipulative
5. A lesson plan for storytime and activities
Most of the kits get checked out on storytime mornings and during the off-seasons. The themes vary from Princess, Firefighter, Shapes, Things That Go, and the Alphabet. In total, the Library has close to 20 storytime kits and growing.
The bags are kept behind the Children’s Desk. Patrons will bring up a DVD case, with the information on the cover, to the desk to check out. The staff will explain what is in each backpack and send them on their way.
The response we’ve received has all been positive. Many of the homeschool families borrow the kits and utilize the lesson plan we've provided. In the beginning, the lesson plans were only one page. One side was pictures of the contents, so they are easy to find around the patron’s house, and the other side contained a few rhymes and/or songs.
Currently, the lesson plans in the kits are getting updated. We realized that they weren’t that much of a service to our families. What does it really take to plan and execute a storytime? What benefits are the families receiving? Do the parents know how to do that action rhyme or sing that song with the hand movements? After taking the questions into consideration the lesson plans now feature more information for parents.
* Rhyme and song lyrics along with YouTube links to see how to perform them
* Music and videos uploaded to our YouTube channel as unlisted links (bitly links to shorten)
* Images of craft and activities ideas with links for further instructions (bitly links to shorten)
* Helpful ideas for parents and caregivers (where to find nonfiction books and questions to
ask their children)
Here are a few of the lesson plans:
How can you begin your own Storytime Kits at your Library? The best thing we did was to comb through our storytime collection. What books do you not use anymore? How about multiple items in your collection? Donations? Next, browse stores and online sales for toys. We try and make the toys simple to keep track of. Six tractors, one ball, etc. You can always reuse those books and CD bags from Weston Woods or even your Library’s custom bags.
We used to do a Zen Storytime but no longer offer that service (insert a sad emoji here). We used books from that collection plus a yoga mat and Hoberman ball, that gave us two new storytime kits that are now circulating to the public.
This is a great service to offer when you are in between storytime sessions and the like. A must-do for your Library.
What would be a theme you'd like to make into a storytime kit? Let us know.
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