This year, our library system decided to revamp our annual summer program. For the past several years, we called our program Summer Learning, and gave out reading logs that asked kids to fill in little bubbles each time they read for 20 minutes. This summer, we called our program My Summer Adventure instead. We gave out paper journals with five blank squares for participants to draw or write about different activities they tried over the summer: reading a new book, travelling to a new place, practicing a new skill, attending a library program, etc. The journal entries can be shared with library staff in person, or entered online (the kids get to keep the actual journal as a memento of what they did over the summer). Participants aged 0-18 who share their journal entries can earn up to three raffle tickets for a chance to win a $1,000 college scholarship or a County Parks pass. They can earn an additional raffle ticket by checking something out from the library on their own library card.
So far, the feedback on the new program has been positive, and it’s been nice having kids come in to describe their summer adventures. It has been a bit more challenging to explain the logistics of the program though, so my coworker Claire suggested that we have our storytime families work on their journal entries as one of our Stay & Play activities. So, this week, I decided to a do a storytime about different types of summer adventures, which mostly revolved around traveling. Here’s what we did.
Books:
Bearplane by Deborah Underwood; illustrated by Sam Wedelich
This adorable rhyming book describes a little bear’s flight to a family reunion, covering all of the elements of the trip: packing, going to the airport, waiting in line, going through the metal detector, buying snacks, boarding the plane, sitting for a long time (without kicking the seat in front of you!), etc.
Rattletrap Car by Phyllis Root; illustrated by Jill Barton
This is an older title, but I love it for the humor and all of the wonderful sound effects. On a hot summer day, a family tries to drive to the lake in their rattletrap car, but first they have a flat tire, and then pieces of the car fall off. Luckily, they have a solution for every problem, usually involving chocolate marshmallow fudge delight, which is apparently better than super glue!
Row, Row, Row Your Boat by Jane Cabrera
I love this extended version of Row, Row, Row Your Boat, which features lots of different animals and their sound effects. This book works well for a wide range of ages, and the kids love shouted out the names of each animal. We handed out egg shakers before we read it.
Songs:
The Airplane Song by Laurie Berkner
This is a really fun song, where the kids get to pretend to be airplanes flying and landing, with other actions in between. I asked the kids to suggest different places they’d like to go for each verse.
[C] Going to the park is [F] first, you [G] know.
[C] Now slow it [C7] down and [F] land on the [Fm] ground,
And when you [G] get out,
You’re gonna jump all [C] around.
Get back in your airplanes and off we go.
Going to the California is next, you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And when you get out,
You’re gonna spin all around.
Get back in your airplanes and off we go.
Going to the New York City is next, you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And when you get out,
You’re gonna gallop all around.
Get back in your airplanes and off we go.
Going to the playground is next, you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And when you get out,
You’re gonna dance all around.
Get back in your airplanes, it’s time to go home,
Your family and friends are waiting you know.
Now slow it down and land on the ground,
And come sit down in your own hometown.
Bumping Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon
We sang this with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime, and put some stuffed animals on top, so the kids could make them bounce up and down.
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.
Bumping up and down in my little red wagon.
Won’t you be my darling?
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We’re Going to the Moon
We sang this with the play scarves in Family Storytime (I always do it with the parachute for Outdoor Musical Storytime). The kids loved throwing them in the air.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
If you want to take a trip,
Climb aboard my rocket ship.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom,
We’re going to the Moon.
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Blast-off!
Freight Train
This is one of my all-time favorite songs, and it has an incredible back-story. The original version by Elizabeth Cotten is beautiful, but sad, so I use this kid-friendly version by Elizabeth Mitchell. I ask the kids for different destinations for each verse.
[C] Freight train, Freight train [G7] going so fast.
[G7] Freight train, Freight train, [C] going so fast.
[E7] Please don’t tell what [F] plane I’m on,
So they [C] won’t know [G7] where I’ve [C] gone.
Going to Hawaii, going so fast!
Going to Hawaii, going so fast!
Please don’t tell what train I’m on,
So they won’t know where I’ve gone.
Stay & Play: My Summer Adventure Journals
For our Stay & Play activity, we handed out My Summer Adventure journals to each family, along with crayons and markers. We explained that they could draw or write about things they had done over the summer, including coming to storytime! Since the kids were mostly toddlers and preschoolers, the caregivers usually wrote descriptions and the kids drew or just colored in the box. I gave each family who completed a journal entry a raffle ticket to be entered into our end-of-summer raffle for a $1,000 college scholarship or a County park pass.
Happy end of summer! Does your library offer a summer program? Please tell me about it in the comments below.
The Loudest Librarian! 