Fall Preschool Programs at the Banneker Center

With the end of our busy summer camp, it's time to start the late summer/fall programming season at Banneker!


Beginning Monday, July 31st 

Building Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday


Preschool Toy Time: Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon; Free

Enjoy our spacious third floor play area. Kids love all the toys, while adults appreciate the free indoor play space and a chance to socialize with other grownups.

Physical Fridays Gym Play: Fridays from 9:30 a.m. to noon; Free

Balls, hula hoops, riding toys, and more appear in the Banneker gym on Friday mornings. Let's run around and burn off some energy!



Preschool Storytime: Mondays from 10-11 a.m. on the 3rd floor
Free; for kids ages 2-5 with an adult

Stories, rhymes, music, and movement make up our 30 minute circle time, followed by a craft and other extension activities.

BabyTime Songs and Stories: Wednesdays from 11-11:30 a.m. on the 3rd floor
Free; for kids under 2 with an adult

Tickles, bounces, and rhymes with baby on your lap. We'll explore books with all our senses, make music, and end with bubbles and a parachute.

Coming Soon

NEW! Preschool Picassos 
Young artists explore the joy of creativity with colors, shapes, and different artistic media. Each meeting includes a short circle time and a story related to the theme.
For kids ages 3-5 with an adult
Thursdays, October 12th - November 16th from 10-11 a.m.
$30 in city/ $35 outside city; register online at bloomington.in.gov/parks



Monthly Evening Family Events
For kids ages 2-7 with adult 
Games, crafts, storytime, and a snack in the Banneker gym.
$5 per family; register online at bloomington.in.gov/parks

Friday, September 8th: Banneker Drive-In
Help your youngster build a cardboard car and enjoy a real live drive-in movie, complete with snacks. Kids may take their cars home with them!

Friday, October 27th: Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Dress in costume for a howling good time! Hear kid-friendly scary stories, make creepy crafts, play ghoulish games, jam to monster music, and of course, get a Halloween treat!

Friday, November 17th: Mad Scientist Extravaganza
Sensory activities turn the Banneker gym into a science laboratory! Help your little one become a mad scientist with fun experiments, games, and learning more about states of matter.

Friday, December 15th: Candy Cane Hunt
It's cold outside, but it's nice and warm inside the Banneker Community Center. Bring your little ones to celebrate the winter season with candy cane crafts, fun winter games, and snacks.

Fall Fun Evening Program

Our family evening program for November was a Fall Fun party with a storytime, crafts, games, and snacks. These evening events are still pretty new and I was a little worried that it wouldn't be as well attended as the Halloween event, but over 60 people came out!

Here's how it went...

Storytime

The gym is not an ideal place for storytime, but acoustics aside, it went really well. The kids were very attentive, especially given all the other activities in the room. I was assisted by Miss Sarah, who's a graduate student in Library Science and has been helping me all semester. She's awesome!

Gathering song: “If You’re Ready”
(to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)

If you’re ready for a story, take a seat
If you’re ready for a story, take a seat
Clap your hands and stomp your feet
And make your hands all nice and neat
If you’re ready for a story, take a seat


Welcome song: “We Clap and Sing Hello” 
(to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”)

We clap and sing hello
We clap and sing hello
With our friends at storytime
We clap and sing hello


Book: Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Fingerplay: “Five Little Leaves” (w/glove puppet)

Five little leaves so bright and gay          (Hold up five fingers)
Were dancing about on a tree one day.                  (Wiggle fingers on one hand)
The wind came blowing through the town.                (Make wind noises)
Ooooooooo……………Ooooooooooooooo………
One little leaf came tumbling down.                    (Bend down one finger)

Repeat, counting down.

Action Song: “All the Leaves Are Falling Down”
(to the tune of  “London Bridge”)

All the leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down           (flutter fingers down)
All the leaves are falling down, it is autumn.
Take the rake and rake them up, rake them up, rake them up        (imitate raking leaves)
Take the rake and rake them up, it is autumn.
Make a pile and jump right in, jump right in, jump right in,         (jump)
Make a pile and jump right in, it is autumn.


Flannelboard story: Fall Is Not Easy by Marty Kelley

This poem is told from the tree's point of view. 

Winter is easy...no leaves.

Spring is easy...just buds.

Summer is easy...green leaves.

Fall is NOT easy...leaves are changing and the tree keeps getting mixed up.

(there are several more...)

Whew...winter is easy.

The kids thought this was hilarious and asked me to "do it again!" They laughed just as hard the second time.  

Flannelboard Game: “Little Bird, Are You In the ____ Tree”

Little bird is hiding behind one of these trees. Can we find him?

Scarf Song: “Autumn Leaves”

(to the tune of “London Bridge”)

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling down, falling down                (flutter scarves down)

Autumn leaves are falling down, falling on the ground.

Autumn leaves are whirling round, whirling round, whirling round         (twirl around)

Autumn leaves are whirling round, all over town.

Scarf Song: “Popcorn Kernels” 

(to the tune of "Frere Jacques")

Popcorn kernels, popcorn kernels              (wave scarf)

In the pot, in the pot                                   (hide scarf inside cupped hands)

Shake them, shake them, shake them        (shake cupped hands)

Shake them, shake them, shake them

Til they pop! Til they pop!                        (throw scarf into the air)

Scarf Song: “We Wave Our Scarves Together”

(to the tune of “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”)

We wave our scarves together

We wave our scarves together

We wave our scarves together

Because it’s fun to do!

Wave ‘em up high

Wave ‘em down low

Wave ‘em in the middle

Because it’s fun to do!

We throw our scarves together

We throw our scarves together

We throw our scarves together

Because it’s fun to do!

We throw ‘em up high

We throw ‘em down low

We throw ‘em in the middle

Because it’s fun to do!

Book: When the Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger

Song: “The Acorn Song (I’m a Nut)” 

I’m an acorn, small and round

Lying on the cold, cold ground

People always step on me           (stamp foot)

That is why I’m cracked you see.

I’m a nut                          (click tongue twice)

I’m a nut                          (click, click)

I’m a nut, I’m a nut, I’m a nut.          (click, click)

Action Rhyme: “Squirrel, Squirrel Turn Around”

Squirrel, squirrel, turn around

Squirrel, squirrel, touch the ground

Squirrel, squirrel, climb a tree

Now shake that bushy tail with me!

Goodbye Song: “We Clap and Sing Goodbye” 

(to the tune of “Farmer in the Dell”)

We clap and sing goodbye

We clap and sing goodbye

With our friends at storytime

We clap and sing goodbye

Games and Crafts in the Gym

Beanbag Toss

Leaf Matching

I Spy Fall Sensory Bin

Fall Mural - Sarah drew a beautiful fall scene on butcher paper. We attached it to the gym wall and gave the kids markers and stamps to decorate with.

Felt Table - I put a large piece of felt on a table and left out some fall-themed pieces for creative play and storytelling.

Balloon Ping Pong

Giant Parachute

It looked a lot like this...

Seeds, Flowers, and Popcorn from the Banneker Community Garden

Leaf Wreath Craft

Turkey Craft


This storytime and larger program was inspired by the lovely folks at:

Sunflower Storytime
Storytime Katie -fall; fall; fall animals
Abby the Librarian
Flannel Friday
Jbrary
and (thank goodness for) Pinterest

Not-So-Scary Halloween Evening Program

Our family evening program for October was a Halloween party for the younger set. I hosted two storytimes (with the same content) during the evening and in between there were games, crafts, and a StoryWalk* in the gym. It was our best-attended program yet with about 65 people over two hours. Unfortunately, I was so busy getting things set up that I forgot to take pictures. Thankfully, my husband snapped a few.  

The Storytimes

A few years ago, I discovered a resource that I rely on heavily for my fall and Halloween programs - an album of stories and songs by Marcia Louis called Dancin' with Mr. Bones. Some I retell and for some I play the audio track. Please go take a listen. You'll love it. 


Song/Storytelling: "Pumpkin Vine" (retold from Dancing' with Mr. Bones by Marcia Louis)
This is so much fun! It has singing, motions for the kids, and a basic lesson on the life cycle of pumpkins. 

 First we plant our pumpkin seeds. After rain and sun, a vine grows and green leaves appear.

 A yellow flower will eventually turn into a pumpkin.

 Oh no! A red bug is hopping on our pumpkin vine! We have to get rid of that bug.

Finally, a big orange pumpkin appears.









Action Rhyme: "Five Little Pumpkins"

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate
The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late!”
The second one said, “There’s a chill in the air.”
The third one said, “But we don’t care.”
The fourth one said, “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one said, “Get ready for some fun.”
Then ooooh went the wind and out went the lights
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of sight.

(My version of this rhyme is slightly different from the most popular one featuring witches in the air.)


Book: Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman 

I really like this Halloween version of the folktale The Enormous Turnip. It gives me a chance to use my (admittedly not great) Count Dracula voice.













Flannelboard Rhyme: "Brown Bat, Brown Bat, What Do You See?"
A Halloween version of the classic "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" by Bill Martin.

Rhyme: "Five Little Bats" (retold from Dancin’ with Mr. Bones)

Five little bats hanging upside down                      (hang fingers over the opposite arm)                
The first one says, "I’m going to town
To see the little children going up and down the street          (point back and forth)
Knocking on the doors and saying ‘Trick or Treat'"              (knock on table)
And away he flew….squeaky, squeaky, squeak                     (hook thumbs and flap hands)

Repeat, counting down.

Flip Book: "In a Dark, Dark Wood" (thanks to librarian Karen Bowling for the share!)

I'm not showing every page here, but check out Karen's video for the details...

In a dark, dark wood there is a dark, dark house...

In the dark, dark house there is a dark, dark room...

In the dark, dark room there is a dark, dark cupboard...

 In the dark, dark cupboard there is a dark, dark box...

And in the dark, dark box there is a....

Spider!!!!

Now repeat the story, uncovering a different object in the box such as...

An elephant...

A ghost...

A cupcake...

Or nothing at all...





Flannelboard story: Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley

We build the monster one feature at a time...

Then, because we aren't afraid of the big green monster, we shout "go away" to each feature...

At the end, we tell the monster "And don't come back until I say so!"


Action song: "If You’re a Monster and You Know It" 
(to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It")

If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms
If you're a monster and you know then your arms will surely show it
If you're a monster and you know it wave your arms

Repeat with:
...show your claws
...gnash your teeth
...stomp your feet
...growl out loud

Book: Monster Needs a Costume by Paul Czajak

Circle Game: "Pass the Witch's Broomstick" (recorded music from Dancin' with Mr. Bones)
This is a version of Hot Potato that includes a silly dance for those who get caught and are put in the middle of the circle.


Action/Movement Song: "Tippy Toes" (recorded music from Dancin' with Mr. Bones)
This is similar to "Walking, Walking." We practiced all the different kinds of steps first, as well as saying "Boo!"

Here we go on tippy toes, tippy toes, tippy toes
Here we go on tippy toes
Happy Halloween
Boo!

Repeat with: walking feet, marching feet, sneaking feet, skipping feet, hopping feet, jumping feet, running feet, and back to tippy toes.

Games and Crafts in the Gym

Witch's Hat Ring Toss

Cauldron Toss (sometimes called the Witch Pitch, with ping pong balls)

Pin the Spider on the Web

Punch the Cup (poke through tissue paper to get a prize inside the cup)

Magic Watercolor Painting 

Roll-a-Frankenstein craft

Popsicle Stick Monsters craft


Pass the Pumpkin (hot potato-style)






















Spooky Statues (similar to the Freeze Dance, when the music stops you freeze into a spooky statue)























StoryWalk: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams












StoryWalks* are often semi-permanent outdoor installations sponsored by a library or parks department where the pages of a picture book are laminated and mounted on posts to be read by people walking past. This was my first attempt at a StoryWalk and it seemed to work well along one wall of the gymnasium. I included some "cue cards" that invited readers to act out portions of the story. I also placed a flannelboard at the end with pieces for retelling the story.

*Credit: “The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration the Kellogg Hubbard Library. Storywalk® is a registered service mark owned by Ms. Ferguson.”

Pajama Party Evening Program

On Friday night, I hosted an evening family program with a pajama party theme. All the kids wore their pajamas (and so did I).

More evening programs are in the works. Starting in the fall they will be a monthly event, so stay tuned for more information...


Action Rhyme: “Bedtime”
Time for bed, time for bed
Fluff up your pillow (make fluffing motions with hands)
Lay down your head (palms together, hands to side of face)
Tuck in tight         (pull imaginary blanket up to chin)
Close your eyes         (close eyes)
And sleep all night         (snore)

Book: Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late by Mo Willems




Rhyme Cube 
We rolled the cube to help choose our rhymes. The six choices on my cube are: I'm a Little Teapot; The Itsy Bitsy Spider; Humpty Dumpty; Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes; Two Little Blackbirds.

Thanks to the Storytime Underground Facebook group for the discussions on rhyme/song cubes that encouraged me to try it out.


 


Book: Dinosaur vs. Bedtime by Bob Shea




Flannel rhyme: “Ten Teddy Bears Sleeping in the Bed”
Ten little teddy bears sleeping in the bed,
Five at the foot and five at the head.
One little teddy said, “This bed is TOO full!”
So he grabbed the blanket and started to pull.
He pulled and he pulled and he pulled some more,
Until two little teddies went BOOM to the floor!

(Make pulling motions with PULL and clap with the BOOM)
(Subtract bears until…)

One little teddy bear sleeping in the bed,
Zero at the foot and one at the head.
This little teddy said, “This is not right!
I don’t want to sleep alone tonight!”
So…

One little teddy bear sleeping in the bed,
Zero at the foot and one at the head.
This teddy said, “This bed is NOT full!”
So he put out his paw and started to pull.
He pulled and he pulled and he pulled some more,
Until four little teddies climbed up from the floor!

(Add bears in various increments until…)

Ten little teddy bears sleeping in the bed,
Five at the foot and five at the head.
One little teddy said, “This is JUST right!”
So ten little teddy bears said, “Good Night!”

Credit: Susan Pflug, Copyright 1990 

Action Rhyme: “Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear”

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around,

Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground,

Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high,

Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky,

Teddy bear, teddy bear, find your nose

Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your toes

Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch your knees

Teddy bear, teddy bear, sit down please

Book: Tiger Can’t Sleep by S. J. Fore

Action Song: “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed”

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

One fell off and bumped his head

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said,

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Count down...

One little monkey jumping on the bed

He fell off and bumped his head

Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, 

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!"

Book: Let’s Sing a Lullaby with the Brave Cowboy by Jan Thomas  

This is a wonderful, silly book and I was really excited to share it and sing in a funny cowboy voice, but I think I got frazzled by the fact that up next on the agenda was my ukulele debut. I completely skipped this book and I'm so sad about it. I may have to plan a whole cowboy/cowgirl storytime around it, just so I can use it.  

Song: “Hop Little Bunnies” on ukulele

See the little bunnies sleeping till it's nearly noon                 (CCCC-FF-C)

Come and let us gently wake them with a merry tune         (GG-CC-GG-C)

Oh how still, are they ill, wake up soon                 (Pluck C-E-G, C-E-G, GG-C)

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop                 (CCCC)

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop                 (CC-G-C)

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop                 (CCCC)

Hop little bunnies, hop, hop, hop.                 (CC-G-C)

My debut was a little rocky, but I can't wait to try again.

Storytelling: The Squeaky Door from the version retold by Margaret Read MacDonald

I did this as an oral story without any props. I haven't done many of those before, but it went over really well. Lots of sound effects and repetitive phrases made it fun for the audience and easy to tell. 

More Rhyme Cube

Flannel story: Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me by Eric Carl

(patterns from KidzClub)

Activity: Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

I put out gym mats and the kids jumped on the “bed.”

Activity: Build a Blanket Fort

Craft: Aluminum Foil Moon

Snack: milk and cookies

In case anyone shares my cookie addiction, here are the recipes I made:

Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip

Snickerdoodles

Inspiration for this storytime came from the lovely folks at: 

Storytime Katie - Pajamas; Bedtime & Pajamas; Ten Teddy Bears Sleeping in the Bed

Karlyn's Librarian Life

Miss Mary Liberry

The Lion is a Bookworm

Mansfield/Richland County (Ohio) Public Library

Jen in the Library