Picture This – Art Exploration for Kids “Now You See It, Now You Don’t”

“What is real and what is not?  We’ll share Michael Garland’s book   Dinner at Magritte’s and then explore the art of Surrealism.”  Kindergarten through 5^th grade.  

Display for browsing as kids arrive: books on Surrealism, Magritte, Dali, plus general art picture books & Greg Tang’s Math-terpieces: the Art of Problem-Solving (Picture Book Tang),  Imagine a Day, Imagine a Night, Imagine a Place (all Picture Book Gonsalves)

Read:  Changes (Picture Book Browne)

Share nonsense/surreal  poem:
One fine day in the middle of the night
Two dead boys got up to fight
Back to back they faced each other
Drew their swords and shot each other
A deaf policeman heard the noise
Came up and shot those two dead boys
If you don’t believe this tale is true
Ask the blind man, he saw it too!

Read:  Magritte’s Marvelous Hat (Picture Book Johnson)

Read:  Dinner at Magritte’s (Picture Book Garland)

Share pages from Now You See It—Now You Don’t: Rene Magritte (J759.9493 WEN) & The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Salvadore Dali (J759.6 WEN), The Art Book for Children v. 2 p.40 “Camembert clocks (J709 REN)

Craft:  Show pages 8-10, 14-17 from Imagine That!  Activities and Adventures in Surrealism (J709.04 RAI) to inspire kids to create Surrealist collages using  pictures cut from magazines and markers to create pictures in the style of Magritte & Dali  (dream-scapes, things out of scale, day/night transposition, faces made of other things, melting clocks, etc.…)  Supplies: 11 x 17 paper, markers, scissors, glue, magazines & wallpaper scraps.

Music playing while making  pictures:  “Hey Picasso” album by Jessica Harper.

Resource Book: Salvador Dali & the Surrealists (J759.6 ROS)

5/2013

Dig it Up – Outrageous Archaelology: Past/Present/Future

Discover how large and small things are in the universe, then travel through time to the year 4022 when archeologists excavate The Motel of the Mysteries. Help us imagine what someone from a different planet or a different time would decide the objects in your house might have been used for!”  Geared for grades 2-6.

Resources:

Internet Videos:  Powers of Ten – Charles & Ray Eames http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0 & Cosmic Voyage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXf7AJZ73A

PowerPoint slide show based on Book: The Motel of the Mysteries by David Macauley (contact clevin@sclibnj.org for a copy)

• Display (Kids read as others entering): Books about King Tut, Ancient Egypt archeology
• Introduction: In 1976 (Bicentennial) Air & Space Museum opened in D.C. – included was the film Powers of Ten.  About the same time, a big King Tut exhibit opened across the mall in another Smithsonian museum.  Today, we are going on a similar journey through space and time, different ways of looking at things.
• Show video: Powers of Ten (and the relative size of things in the universe) – Charles & Ray Eames http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fKBhvDjuy0
•     
• Question: What is archaelogy?  Familiar with Tutankhamen?
• Introduce book:  Author/Illus David Macauley asked “What if someone excavated something from our time?  How would they interpret their discoveries?”  The result was The Motel of the Mysteries.
• Show PowerPoint slide show based on Book: The Motel of the Mysteries by David Macauley including items: “Internal component Enclosure”(Ice Bucket), “The Sacred Collar” (Toilet Seat), “Musical Instruments”(Shower Heads and Toilet Plungers), “The Great Altar”(TV Set) , “The Sacred Urn” (Toilet) 
•  …now their turn!  Kids (in teams if they wish) write a description of an object in their house as if someone from another time/planet has found it and is guessing what it would be used for. 
• Guessing Game: As each description is read aloud, the others try to figure out what the object actually is.
• Finished with Cosmic Voyage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXf7AJZ73A (more recent IMAX version of Powers of Ten)

"Awesome!" -- comment by several kids at the end of this program.

8/2013

Storytime/Craft: Digging Underground – Discover the Critters Who Dwell Below the Earth!

A program incorporating participatory theater, action songs, non-fiction about the value of worms to the earth's growing cycle, the positive messages of self-acceptance, acceptance of difference and friendship (Bob & Otto), and the concepts of the days of the week and numbers (Very Hungry Caterpillar)

Browsing picture books: Winnie Finn, Worm Farmer -- Brendler, Great Fuzz Frenzy –Stevens, Honey Honey Lion! A Story from Africa – Brett,  Over in the Garden – Ward, Eric Carle books,  Denise Fleming books, Doreen Cronin “Diary” books, Inch by Inch – Llioni, non-fiction about worms and underground critters.

Program:

Book:  Underground – Fleming
Participatory storytelling:  The Great Big Enormous  Turnip (grandfather, grandmother, daughter, dog, cat & mouse puppets, beanbag for turnip)
Action Song: “Digging, digging this is how we dig the ground”
Book: Wonderful Worms – Glaser
Riddle: “What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple?”  (“Finding half a worm!”)
Song/Flannel: “A Wiggly Worm” http://ccplonline.org/kids/songs4tots/wigglyworm.html
Book: Bob & Otto  - Bruel
Book: Pop-Up Very Hungry Caterpillar  (omitted or use flannel/puppet)
Action song: Hermie the Worm (used “Herman the Worm” on All of the Two of Us – 730 Johansen (ok version))
DVD: Diary of a Worm – Cronin

Craft: Underground collage pictures –underground point of view (brown/green/blue construction paper, paper scraps, glue sticks, scissors, markers, seeds)

Collective project: “Library Bookworm” – Write favorite book(s) on pieces of paper, roll and link to our paper chain bookworm – hung from ceiling afterwards.

(Considered doing “worm” painting with cooked spaghetti, but had done veggie printing the week before so decided to skip.)
8/2013

Storytime/Craft: Digging in the Garden – Celebrate Gardens and Growing Things Big and Small!

A program of stories, songs, and crafts incorporating concepts of color, number, alphabet, and environment -- along with a good dash of fantasy.

Music as entering:  Pickin’ & Grinnin’: Great Folksongs for Kids (737 PICK)

Browsing picture books: One Potato, Two Potato --DeFelice, Growing Vegetable Soup – Ehlert,  Planting a  Rainbow – Ehlert, Eating the Alphabet – Ehlert, Rah Rah Radishes: A  Vegetable  Chant  -- Sayre, Lawn to Lawn – Yaccarino, Jack and the Beanstalk – various, Dog Food (and other vegetable concept books) by Saxton Freymann,  gardening books (635s)

Program:

Book: Planting a Rainbow – Ehlert
Song: “Digging, Digging, this is how we dig the ground…in our garden”
Flannel: Fran’s Flower  (based on the book by Lisa Bruce)
Book: Compost Stew: A Rhyming Recipe – Siddals
Book/Song: Inch by Inch --  Mallett
Concept Book/Art Inspiration: Food for Thought – Freymann

Craft Stations:
Vegetable printing (paper, paint trays, tempera, cut veggies, paper towels)
Freymann-inspired vegetable creatures (added features to clip art veggies & fruit from:  http://openclipart.org/search/?query=fruit and http://openclipart.org/search/?query=vegetable , construction paper, paper scraps, black eyed peas and/or goggle eyes, feathers, tacky glue, Q-tips)

Lyrics:

In My Garden  Song on Raffi’s “One Light, One Sun”

 

Digging, digging, this is how we dig the ground,

In our garden, in our garden.

Digging, digging, this is how we dig the ground,

Early in the morning.

 

Hoeing, hoeing, this is how we hoe the weeds…

Planting, planting, this is how we plant the seeds…

Growing, growing, this is how the seeds will grow…

Picking, picking, this is how we’ll pick the peas…

Eating, eating, this is how we’ll eat the peas…
7/2013

Add: If You  Plant a Seed – Kadir Nelson

Storytime/Craft: Digging in at the Beach – Look what Fun we can have with Sand, Water & Mud!

A program for ages 3-7 celebrating the power of imagination
including interactive guessing-game books, songs, and creative crafts.

Books to browse as children enter:  My Life with the Wave --Cowan,   Beach Day – Lakin, Sun Sand Me – Hubbell, Out of the Ocean – Frasier, How will we get to the beach – Tharlet, To the Beach – Docherty, Flotsam – Weisner , Wave – Lee, Imagine a Day – Gonsalves,  Monster Beach – Parakevas, Mrs. Armatage & the Big Wave– Blake, House by the Sea – Ryder, Into the AB Sea: An Ocean Alphabet --Rose, Senses at the Seashore – Rotner,  591.7699s

Program:

Book: How Will We Get to the Beach – Luciani
Flannel: “Mine” (poem from Sunflakes: Poems for Children – Moore ) – text below

Sign Language Song:  “Go to the Beach” #18 from Pick Me Up: Fun songs for learning signs Mr. Book: Book: Mister Seahorse – Carle
Song/Book: Over in the Ocean – Berkes
Guess the Picture Book: My Camera at the Aquarium – Marshall
Action Song: “She Waded in the Water”  http://www.kididdles.com/lyrics/s003.html
Wordless Book: Flotsam – Wiesner

Alts:  flannel/song: “There’s a Hole in the Bottom of the Sea”; Song/Action: Baby Shark (on Mike Whitla’s Early Morning Knee-Slappin’ Tunes or “less happy ending” www.boyscouttrail.com/content/song/song-1135.asp)

Craft stations: (inspired by Mister Seahorse & Flotsam)  

Tissue paper undersea scenes (coffee filters, markers, spray bottles) 

3D octopi (make tubes from construction paper, then cut & curl and apply google eyes) 

Trace handprints & make sea animals, 

Sand and sea scene paintings  (tagboard, tissue paper, goggle eyes, scissors, markers) -- after they finish the picture, have them paint "beach" with tacky glue then bring to have sand sprinkled (tacky glue in cups and q-tips, sand & spoon & catch box)  

Lyrics:

Mine – Lilian Moore (poem from Sunflakes: Poems for Children – Moore )

I made a sand castle. In rolled the sea.
        “All sand castles belong to me – to me,” said the sea.

I dug sand tunnels. In flowed the sea.
        “All sand tunnels belong to me – to me,” said the sea.

I saw my sand pail floating free.
I ran and snatched it from the sea.
        “My sand pail belongs to me – to ME!” 

7/2013

Storytime/Craft: Digging into Adventure! Come Treasure Hunting with Pirate Stories and Crafts!

A storytime/craft program for ages 3-7  incorporating stories, poetry, music, and imaginary play

As Kids Enter: gave them hats & eye patches, have them browse pirate books while playing pirate songs (see info below)

Program: 7/2013  5/2017 BWL
Opening video:  Port Side Pirates – Seaworthy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qAngsMJD3I
Read:  Pirates Don’t Change Diapers by Shannon Long (& booktalked: How I Became a Pirate – Long)

Action Song: "If You’re a Pirate & You Know it" (below)

Read: Pirate Boy by Eve Bunting (A boy’s mom addresses her son’s concerns about pirate complications) or The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do by Ashley Spires (girl wants to play pirates with her friends but climbing the tree scares her)

Flannel: “Pirate Song” from http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/2012/09/pirate-storytime/
Read:  selected poems  from Do Pirates Take Baths? – Tucker (omitted 2017)

Read (call & response chant/action):  Pirate Treasure Hunt – Peck

 

Crafts: Pirate Hat http://www.ziggityzoom.com/activity/pirate-hat or https://www.pinterest.com/pin/519039925787281604/ skull and crossbones on nametag,  eyepatch, parrot (toilet paper roll, goggle eyes, feathers, gluesticks, paper scraps, pipe cleaner to attach to wrist, hole punch), optiona;” treasure box (xl die) – pipe cleaners available for “pop out” – extra pieces in pirate box in storage.  Other parrot ideas: www.pinterest.com/explore/parrot-craft

https://www.pinterest.com/source/littlepageturners.blogspot.com
http://popgoesthepage.princeton.edu/tag/parrot/

Music:  Played soundtrack of The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything while doing craft, track #2 for final parade.  (Other songs used: Pirate Song -#2 on Big Big World (J730 HAR) ; Pirate Song #13 on The Cats Pajamas (J730 CATS); Pirate Song #5 on Happiness Cake (J730 ARNO)  or Shake Your Pirate Booty (J730 PERR)

 

As kids leaving, gave handstamps and told them their “pirate names”:

http://www.daveswordsofwisdom.com/2015/06/what-be-your-pirate-name.html

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/49047083421396858/

 

 

Program 4/2017 Branchburg ages 2-4 (young group)

As kids arrived played CD from Port Side Pirates by Debbie Harter then sang book with them (book & CD)
Flannel: “Pirate Song” from http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/2012/09/pirate-storytime/ (lyrics below)

Read (call & response chant/action):  Pirate Treasure Hunt by Jan Peck
Glove: Five Scurvy Pirates (below)

Read Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarrette Krosoczk,

Action Song: "If You’re a Pirate & You Know it" (below)

Read: Bathtime Piggy Wiggy by Christyan & Diane Fox (fold out book)
Played CD “Shake Your Pirate Booty” (730 Perry)while kids made pirate face craft.

(Alt books:  I Love My Pirate Papa – Leuck,  Alt songs:  extended “Row Row Row Your Boat”,  5 little pirates – fingerplay or act out)

Lyrics: IF YOU'RE A PIRATE AND YOU KNOW IT

If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

If you're a pirate and you know it,

Then you'll hear the sea winds blowin'

If you're a pirate and you know it, swab the deck (swish, swish)

 

2. If you're a pirate and you know it, walk the plank…

3. If you're a pirate and you know it, say AHOY…

4. If you're a pirate and you know it, do all three…

 

 

 

Pirate Song

 this flannel board from the blog In The Children’s Room 

from: http://www.sturdyforcommonthings.com/2012/09/pirate-storytime/

Pirate Song (Sung to “This Old Man”) via Work of Heart

This old pirate, has a hat

Where a skull and crossbones sat.

With an Ar, Ar, Ar, and an Ay Matey!

This old pirate sailed the sea.

 

This old pirate had a patch

Sailed the sea without a scratch.

With an Ar, Ar, Ar and an Ay Matey!

This old pirate sailed the sea.

Additonal Verses:

This old pirate has a hook, uses it to hold a book.

This old pirate has a map, keeps it handy in his lap.

This old pirate has a bird, barely knows a single word.

This old pirate has a ship, travels the world in a single trip.

This old pirate looking for treasure, more than anyone can measure!

  

Row, row, row your boat (with variations)

Row, row, row your boat -- Gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily. Life is but a dream.
   Row, row, row your boat -- Gently down the stream,
   If you catch a jellyfish -- Wave your arms and scream.
Row, row, row your boat -- Gently round the lake,
Watch out for the crocodile -- And look out for the snake.
   Row, row, row your boat -- Gently down the river,
   If you see a polar bear -- Don't forget to shiver.
Row, row, row your boat -- Gently out to sea,
If you meet a big blue whaleAsk her home for tea.

5 Pirates on a Treasure Chest (Flannel Board or Glove Puppets)

 

Five pirates on a treasure chest -- One fell off and four are left.
Four pirates on a treasure chest -- One slid off and three are left.
Three pirates on a treasure chest -- One fell down and two are left.
Two pirates on a treasure chest -- One was pushed off and one is left.
One pirate on a treasure chest -- She climbed down and now there are none.
No pirates on a treasure chest!           Yo ho ho and now it’s all MINE!

 

5 Scurvy Pirates
Five scurvy pirates standing on the shore.
One went on a search and then there were four.
Four scurvy pirates sailing out to see,

One went for a swim and then there were three.
Three scurvy pirates out on the ocean blue,

One walked the plank and then there were two.
Two scurvy pirates having tons of fun,

One went below the deck and then thre was one.

One scurvy pirate, tired and alone,

He turned the ship around and sailed for home.

 

Branchburg: Q-tips & black paint to make freckles. Idea from LouAnn Wright

“Repeat after me:
We’re going on a treasure hunt…can’t go over it…under it…got to go through it!”

 

Other fun titles: Pirates Love Underpants – Claire Freedman,  Little Pirate – Sturges (younger), Pi-Rat – Maxine Ye (younger), Pirate Jamboree – Mark Teague, I Love My Pirate Papa – Laura Leuck (younger), The Friend Ship – Kat Yeh

 

Storytime/Craft: Dig It! Let’s Rock!

Rock Your Way into Summer with Lively Music, Stories and Activities (and take Home Your Very Own Pet  Rocks!)

Entering “rock” music:  “Old McDonald Had a Rock ‘n Roll Band” (from Joe Scruggs Deep in the Jungle 730 SCR)

Program: 
Read: A Special Gift for Granny – Jean Craighead George,
Activity/Book:  If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet – Leslie McGuirk, 
Tell/ Props: Stone Soup,
Sing:  “Stone Soup” (Linda Arnold’s version), 
Read: Elizabeti’s Doll  - Stephanie Stuve- Bodeen (1^st Group) or The Jupiter Stone  -- Paul Owen Lewis (2^nd group)  (Alts: Milo and the Magical Stones – Pfister, Gift from the Sea –Kate Banks , Roxaboxen – McLerran, A Rock is Lively – 552 Aston, or Rocks in my Pockets – Harshman)

Craft : Pet Rocks (rocks, upholstery samples for rugs, google eyes, tacky glue, feathers, pompoms, tissue paper)   Play Music: “Rock around the Clock”  #1+ on  Golden Era of Rock’n Roll 1954- (610 GOLD) Alt. Millenium Rock ‘n Roll Party (J610NEWM)

Display additional titles from 552’s (Rocks & Minerals)

Another music idea suggested by Ivy Harris Coleman:  Reading Rocks by Johnette Downing, on the CD Reading Rocks. Nice opening action/dance song.

7/2013