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Storytime teaches secrets of snow
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The end of a book read at the storytime told the parents or grandparents to hug their babies. That wasn't too much of a problem for Rachel Cairns and Benjamin (left), Farrah Simerlink and Colin, and Annie Orosz and Ellie (right).
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .During the song "Little Red Wagon," babies like Ellie Orosz were treated to a bumpy wagon ride on their parents knee. Mom Anni Orosz (right) had Ellie enjoying the bumps and bounces.
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The end of the story time provided bins of toys for the babies to play with, and the chance for moms to meet and talk to other Poland parents.
By SARAH FOOR
Even though the snow was melting during a warm Poland day Dec. 30, childrens’ librarian Linda Kucalaba had the children of her “Tales and Talk for 2’s and 3’s” story time imagining never-ending snow drifts.
After admitting that her snowy theme was a bit off for the weather, Kucalaba explained of the Poland library program, “We do lots of seasonal themes here — usually on more appropriate days. But, we’re always keeping the lessons literary; always keeping our eyes open to teach learning and reading skills.”
For her story time, Kucalaba chose books and rhymes about snow and some of the animals that hibernate during the winter. She showed hibernation with plush versions of bears, snakes, frogs, and mice, with a rhyming song teaching the children more about the animals.
She asked the children at the story time how snow falls, and then the group mimed the gentle falling of snow with wiggly fingers.
After a coloring craft, Kucalaba shared a simple, but wise, piece of advice to the parents of the children.
“Make books a special sharing time for you and children. It will instill a love for reading that never really goes away.”