Memory Cafe (YMCA) Pointillism

 

 I was invited as a storyteller for the Basking Ridge YMCA "Memory Cafe"  - a place of respite for adults with dementia & their caregivers. 

Talked about how sometimes we are afraid to create art, until somebody shows they have confidence in us.

Read The Dot by Peter Reynolds

Then talked about the Neo-Impressionist art movement "Pointellism" 
Asked who had taken kids/grandkids to an art museum

Said about to read about an art museum visit that turns into a fantasy as the people climb in and out of the paintings! 

Read Katie's Sunday Afternoon by James Mayhew while projecting slides of the works mentioned so everyone could see them in more detail

Afterwards, participants created their own pointillist artworks - supplies: Qtips, washable tempera paint, plastic palettes, cardstock paper (with pre-printed outlines & samples for this group)

More Ideas here

Memory Cafe 11/26/25

Halloween Hootenanny - Participatory Stories & Songs

 

Halloween Hootenanny - Participatory Stories & Songs

Details at: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2013/12/halloween-hootenany-interactive-program.html

Perth Amboy Free Public Library 10/31/26

School Age S.T.E.A.M. Storytime & Craft: Thanksgiving

 

Thanksgiving

Book: Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules

Discussion: who came from a different country? parents? grandparents? – all of us came to this country at some time unless we are Native Americans)

Towel Folding Story: The Case of the Missing Turkey -- Rhonda Turley   Piedmont, OK via PUBYAC. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq4eojAsNlY  (or search youtube for towel and chicken). 
"Last year, I was in charge of cooking the family thanksgiving turkey.

I set my alarm for early in the morning so I could pop it in the oven to cook for our family dinner.

When the alarm went off, I got up, put on my fuzzy slippers and shuffled out to the kitchen to get the bird.  I opened the fridge, and…IT WAS GONE!
Where could it be!? (this is where the towel folding starts…lay the towel out flat)
I looked everywhere!
I rolled up the living room rug (roll one end of the towel to center)…it wasn’t under there.
I pulled down the covers on my bed (roll other end to the center)…it wasn’t there.
I turned over the couch cushion  (Flip rolled towel over so rolled ends are underneath)…it wasn’t there.
I looked under the chair (fold towel in half end to end, and hold upright like a bouquet of flowers)…it wasn’t there.
I looked in the flower vase (peek in end of one tube and pull up the corner of the towel)
I looked in the umbrella stand (peek in end of one tube and pull up the corner of the towel)…it wasn’t there.
I even looked in the trash can  (peek in end of one tube and pull up the corner of the towel)...thankfully it wasn't there!
Finally, I looked in the cookie jar  (pull up last corner of the towel)
(here’s the finale…grasp two corners with one hand, the other two corners with the other hand, and pull them apart…resulting in what looks like a plucked bird.)
…And there it was!"

Book: Thanksgiving at the Tappletons' by Eileen Spinelli. After calamity stalks every step of the preparations for the Tappletons' Thanksgiving dinner, they realize that there is more to Thanksgiving than turkey and trimmings.

Flannel/Song: The Turkey Ran Away 

Song/Prop  based on the book I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson. Story & directions here: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2021/12/something-special-for-holidays.html

Action Song: The Turkey Shot Out of the Oven – based on the poem by Jack Prelutsky (lyrics here: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/2021/12/something-special-for-holidays.html)

Other possible books (no time): Giving Thanks by Chief Jake Swamp or Thankful by Elaine Vickers

Didn't take the time for: 

Flannel : Uno, Dos, Tres Amigos (reinforces idea that we all have come from different places but celebrate together; enumeration practice, learn/reinforce Spanish language numbers)
Diez Amigos "10 Friends" (glove puppets)Tune: “10 Little Indians” 
Uno, dos, tres amigos,
Quatro, cinco, seis amigos,
Siete, Ocho, Nueve amigos,
Diez amigos son.
One, two, three friends,
Four, five, six friends,
Seven, Eight, Nine friends,
Ten friends are we. 

Craft: Cut & decorate the Old Woman & her stomach contents (cut out stomach and mount ziploc sandwich bag on back). Also made handprint turkeys with construction paper, gratitude lists, 

While they were crafting, shared the book Setting the Turkeys Free by W. Nikola-Lisa

More Thanksgiving book and song ideas: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Thanksgiving

CDPL 11/12/2025

School Age S.T.E.A.M. Storytime & Craft: Transportation

 

We read 3 books about novel forms of transportation 

Galimoto by Catherine Stock, a young boy in Africa creates a toy vehicle out of things he finds and gets from people in his village

Fast Food by Joost Elffers & Saxton Freyman, a novel way to look at vegetables!

and If I Built a Car by Chris Van Duren, a fantastic fantasy on vehicular possibilities

Then we created our own!

Clarence Dillon 10/8/2025

Farmer's Market -- Farms & Food

 

Bedminster Farmer's Market

(basically had 2 groups of kids with some overlap - total of one hour of programming)

Open with: You’ll Sing A Song by Ella Jenkins (Song on: Raffi’s “The Corner Grocery Store”)

You’ll sing a song and I’ll sing a song
And we’ll sing a song together.
You’ll sing a song and I’ll sing a song
In warm or wintry weather.
Continue with: clap your hands, stomp your feet, dance a jig, flap your arms, etc.
To settle the crowd, close with: sit right down

Singable Book: Sitting on the Farm by Bob King (A fun book with great repeating lines, kids love finding the unusual locations for the telephones. Can also act it out with puppets.) 
A musical version is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vJyfzWrsxo (I use a slightly different tune.)

Book : A Squash and a Squeeze by Julia Donaldson (variation of the old folktale, a woman complains that her house is too small until a wise old man suggests she bring in her chicken, goat, pig and cow! – great refrain to do with the kids, acted this out with the kids holding puppets).  I chant this with the kids but there is also a musical version available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tI0bQ-A-H0

Speaking of old ladies: Prop/Song: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

I Know An Old Lady (volunteer kids held the animals to be "eaten")

Lyrics by Rose Bonne, tune by Alan Mills

Song on “Peter, Paul, and  Mommy, Too”

 

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly,

I don't know why she swallowed the fly,

Perhaps she'll die.

 

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider,

That wiggled and jiggled and tiggled inside her.

She swallowed the spider to catch the fly,

I don't know why…

…bird / How absurd to swallow a bird…

…cat / Imagine that -- to swallow a cat!

…dog / What a hog, to swallow a dog!…

…goat / She opened her throat and in walked that goat…

…cow / I don't know how she swallowed a cow…

I know an old lady who swallowed a horse--(pause)  (spoken)  She's dead, of course!

Singable Book: Mary Had a Little Lamb (Bruce McMillan's photo-illustrated version is my favorite) Also shared Iza Trapani's version with additional verses.

Song/Puppets: “Cluck Cluck Red Hen”  (mentioned puppets not quite the right colors!)

Lyrics by Raffi, Tune:  "Baa Baa Black Sheep" Song on Raffi's album "The Corner Grocery Store"

 

Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, have you any wool?

Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full.

One for your sweater and one for your rug,

And one for your blanket to keep you warm and snug.

(repeat first two lines)

 

Cluck, Cluck, Red Hen, have you any eggs?

Yes sir, yes sir, as many as your legs.

One for your breakfast and one for your lunch,

Come back tomorrow, I'll have another bunch.

(repeat first two lines)

 

Moo, Moo, Brown Cow, have you milk for me?

Yes sir, yes sir, as tasty as can be.                   

Churn it into butter, make it into cheese,

Freeze it into ice-cream or drink it if you please.

(repeat first two lines)

 

Buzz, Buzz, Busy Bee, is your honey sweet?

Yes sir, yes sir, sweet enough to eat.

Honey on your muffin, honey on your cake,

Honey by the spoonful, as much as I can make.

(repeat first two lines) 

Action Song: The Squishy-Squooshy  Sung to: “The Hokey-Pokey”

Pretend that you are a pig and there is a big mud puddle in front of you. Oooo-ooo glorious mud!

 

You put your                                        in.

You take your                                      out.

You put your                                        in and you moosh it all about.

You do the squishy-squooshy and you turn your self around.

That’s what it’s all about!

 

1) left hoof            2) right hoof          3) pig foot 4) piggy snout  5) pig belly            6) curly tail

7) whole piggy self

Read: The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by Don & Audrey Wood

Sing: Apples and Bananas  “I Like to Eat Apples and Bananas” (Raffi)  Song on Raffi’s “One Light One Sun”

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

Continue, changing the vowel sounds:

I like to Ate, Ate, Ate Aypples and BANAYNAYS (2x)

I like to Ete, Ete, Ete Eepples and BENEENEES (2x)

I like to Ite, Ite, Ite Iiples and BININIS (2x)

I like to ote, ote, ote opples and BINOENOES (2x)

I like to ute, ute, ute uuples and BINUUNUUS (2x)

But I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas!

Book: The Little Red Hen by Mary Finch (acted out with puppets) 

Song: "Mulberry Bush" - This is the way we plant the seeds etc.

Song: "I Am A Pizza" (tune on Linda Arnold's  "Peppermint Wings"  (echo & response song -- you sing then audience repeats line)  If you don't have the album, feel free to give me a call and I'll sing it for you.) 

I am a pizza  … (audience echo) I am a pizza  (place flannel “tomato/cheese pizza” on board)
With extra cheese… with extra cheese   
From tomatoes… From tomatoes…
Sauce is squeezed… Sauce is squeezed…
Onions and Mushrooms… Onions and Mushrooms…  (add flannel onions/mushrooms)
Oregano…Oregano.
I am a pizza … I am a pizza
Ready to go!

I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Pepperoni… Pepperoni…  (add flannel “pepperoni”)
No Anchovies… No Anchovies…
Or phony balogna… Or phony balogna…
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Order by phone… Order by phone…  (flannel phone receiver or just use hand motion)
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Please take me home.

I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Peppers on the top… Peppers on the top… (add flannel “peppers”)
Out of the oven… Out of the oven…
And into a box… And into a box…      (cover with square flannel “pizza box” )
Into the car… Into the car…
Upside down… Upside down… (groan)
I am a pizza… I am a pizza…
Dropped on the ground.  
I was a pizza… I was a pizza…
I was the BEST… I was the BEST…
I was a pizza… I was a pizza…
NOW I’M A MESS!   (flip over “pizza box” to reveal a flannel “scrambled up pizza”!)

Singable Book: What a Wonderful World illustrated by Ashley Bryan – celebrating the wonderful world we live in and the plants, animals, and people of so many colors we share it with… 

Close with: Sing  (Everyone joins hands in a circle – on the La, La’s – join hands in a circle and bring everyone to the center and then out again.  –then repeat the whole song…louder and stronger!)

Song by Joe Raposo,--  on “Sesame Street Platinum”

(Start singing quietly:)

Sing, Sing a song --

Sing out loud --

Sing out strong --

Sing of good things, not bad --

Sing of happy, not sad --

 

Sing, Sing a song --

Make it simple to last your whole life long --

Don't worry that it’s not good enough --

For anyone else to hear --

Just Sing, Sing a song!

 

La, La, La, La, La

La, La, La, La, La

La, La, La, La, La, La, La, La

More farm ideas: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Farms

More food ideas: https://carolsimonlevin.blogspot.com/search/label/Food

8/23/25