Outer Space – eStorytime

Posted on July 21, 2016 by jeninthelibrary

I’ve been a little slow in blogging about my estorytimes this summer. So here’s the one I presented on July 8th. I’m considering it a posting success since I’m getting it done before the end of the month!

Opening Slide on Keynote:

SONG:

Welcome Song

APP:

Lazoo: Squiggles! (iOS, free)
(This may now be available as part of the Lazoo Art Box, iOS, $1.99)

Each child got a chance to draw a squiggle behind a rocket to help blast off into space! (Ok, well, to blast us off into a storytime about space, anyway.)

eBook/APP:

Monster’s Socks (iOS, Android; $1.99)
created by Jordan Stone and Martin Hughes, music by Bob Schneider

Monster’s Socks have run away and he sets out on an epic quest to find them, that leads him through fields, over water, and into space.

This is an interesting app, because instead of page turns, you walk Monster through his adventure. Whenever Monster comes across a yellow circle, the text of the story appears. It’s a fun and engaging tale, and since my group was a little older this time it seemed to work pretty well (it’s a bit long).

MOVEMENT:
Rocket

I’m a rocket on the ground (crouch down on ground).
Waiting quietly without a sound (say softly and put finger to lips)
Light this fuse on my little toe (wiggle little toe, or point finger at toe).
Ready for blastoff, here I go! (Put hands over head to form rocket point).
5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 (Jump into air)
Whooosh!

(rhyme taken from SLC Book Boy)

PRINT BOOK:
Zoom, Rocket, Zoom! by Margaret Mayo, illustrated by Alex Ayliffe

APP:

Felt Board from Software Smoothie ($2.99; iOS)
I used Felt Board to recreate this rhyme taken from Mel’s Desk via Falling Flannelboards

If You’re Going to the Moon
(to tune of If You’re Happy and You Know It)

If you’re going to the moon, wear your spacesuit (ziiiiip)
If you’re going to the moon, wear your spacesuit (ziiiiip)
If you’re going to the moon and you want to get there soon
If you’re going to the moon, wear your spacesuit (ziiiiip)

Other Verses:

…wear your boots (stomp, stomp)

…wear your helmet (pat head, pat head)

…wear your gloves (clap, clap)
…are you ready and dressed? (say, “Oh yes!”)

I was so excited that Felt Board had all the pieces I needed to turn this rhyme into a digital flannelboard story! I started with just the woman on the space background, then added the different pieces of clothing as we got to those. Ok, sure the spacesuit had gloves and boots connected to it, but we jazzed things up a bit using a different color. Fun!

Song/Movement:

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

APP:

Sweet Dreams Mo from StoryToys (iOS; $2.99)

Mo can’t sleep without his friends! So he voyages into space to bring them home.

A charming bedtime story app, this one was fun because each of the kids in the audience got to take a turn tapping at the different plants where Mo’s friend’s are hiding. I thought this one might take too long when I tried it on my own, but it seemed to work really well with the group.

MOVEMENT: “Storytime’s Over”*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

APP: Sago Mini Space Explorer (iOS, Android, Kindle; $2.99)
APP: Twinkle Twinkle from SuperSimple Learning (iOS, $2.99)

THOUGHTS ON THIS eSTORYTIME:
This was my largest eStorytime yet! I had a summer school group come in. At first I was worried that not everyone would get to touch and tap along with the stories, but it worked out really well. I was also glad that the group was a bit older, since both the book apps I chose to use were on the longer side.

I did learn an important lesson — make sure your iPad (or other tablet device) has enough space on it to run the apps properly. Since I’ve been working on eStorytimes for a while I’ve collected quite a few apps, and they are taking up precious memory on my device. I think that’s why my iPad froze TWICE! during this storytime. The first time we sang the “If You’re iPad’s disconnected song”. The next time was during our last story, and it didn’t look like things were going to unfreeze early enough to make it worthwhile. Lesson learned. Time to delete! Also future self: buy more memory than you think you need!

One of the best parts of this storytime was afterward, I had a parent there who asked me about the apps I used. She said that she was a teacher and that she really liked what I had done with those, and wanted to try something similar with her students. It made me feel like a real media mentor, and in the best way — but do no explicit teaching, but just by showing an example of what this technology can be.

ATTENDANCE: 18 people (children and adults)

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Please note: App prices were correct at the time of writing this blog, but may have changed since. All prices taken from the iOS app price. There may also be changes to available platforms for apps as well.

Special thanks to Digital Storytime for their app reviews by subject, that make putting together a themed eStorytime much easier.

Boats – eStorytime

Posted on June 21, 2016 by jeninthelibrary

Summer eStorytime came a lot faster than I anticipated! (Doesn’t everything in the summer-library-world come faster than anticipated?), so I decided to stick with a theme I had done, and just make it digital. This was my eStorytime from 6/10/2016.

Opening Slide on Keynote:

SONG:

Come Along and Sing with Me

APP:
app-Build and play 3d2

Build and Play 3D from Croco Studios ( iOS, Samsung, Android)

To start things off we began by building a toy boat! I had the kids try to put the different pieces of the boat together.

eBook/APP:

A Shark Knocked on My Door from Mighty Yeti ($2.99 iOS, Android, Kindle)

On a rainy day, a boy and his grandma build a boat to sail down the streams on the street, only to have it fall down the gutter. Imagine their surprise when a shark knocks on the door to return it!

This story felt a little long for the group I had, so I shorted it by just reading until the Shark says he has to leave for pizza dinner, and didn’t share the undersea adventures portion. It worked just fine that way.

MOVEMENT:
My Little Sailboat

PRINT BOOK:

Mr. Gumpy’s Outing by John Burningham

APP:

Boats from Sago Mini ( $2.99: iOS, Android, Kindle)

Sago Mini’s Boats is, just like all Sago Mini apps, wonderful. In this one, you help Harvey the dog choose his boat, and then float along to visit his friends at different islands. Once we reached the island, I had kids help with whichever activity we found there

APP:

Felt Board from Software Smoothie ($2.99; iOS)
I used Felt Board to recreate the rhyme “5 Sailboats” taken from Felt Board Ideas

Five Little Boats
5 little boats went out one day
Over the waves and far away
With the wind they began to rock
And one little boat returned to the dock.

4 little boats….

I started with the five pirate ships (those were the only boats I could find on the app) on the mostly blue background. (They also have a lovely shoreline one, but that was harder to fit all five ships on.) Each time a boat returned to the dock, I just deleted it from the board.

eBook/APP:

Boats by Byron Barton from Oceanhouse Media ($1.99; iOS)

A classic transportation book comes to life as an app. My group for this storytime skewed younger, so this app seemed like a good fit.

MOVEMENT:

These were two takes on the same melody. It was fun!

APP:

Fiete by Ahoiii ($2.99 iOS, Android)

Fiete is a sailor. Kids choose different icons on the screen, and then help Fiete with some simple tasks. I had each child take a turn choosing one of the icons, and then completing the associated activity. Again, this app is a good one for younger children.

MOVEMENT: “Storytime’s Over”*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

APP: Finn’s Paper Hat by Tizio BV ($2.99, iOS)
APP: How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long, illustrated by David Shannon from Oceanhouse Media ($3.99, iOS)

THOUGHTS ON THIS eSTORYTIME:
Like all my eStorytimes, this one was small, but it was still bigger than some of the ones I’ve had in the past. And, since I want the kids to interact with my iPad, it’s probably better that it doesn’t get too big. I think the kids and parents had a good time, and one of the parents asked about the different apps we used, which i I think is always a good sign.

ATTENDANCE: 6 people (children and adults)

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Special thanks to Digital Storytime for their wonderful app reviews by subject, that make putting together a themed eStorytime much easier.

Dogs – eStorytime

Posted on November 18, 2015 by jeninthelibrary

It’s been a while since I posted one of my eStorytimes. So, here is my monthly storytime I did in October about dogs.

Opening Slide on Keynote:
Slide1-2

SONG:

Come Along and Sing with Me

APP:

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell (no longer available as an app)

This is a wonderful adaptation of the beloved board book into an app. It’s simple, with the boxes that were lift-the-flaps in the print edition transformed into tapp-tastic fun. I just wish it was still available in the app store.

MOVEMENT:
Rover Can

We had fun pretending to be dogs! The kids enjoyed chiming in with suggestions for other things that dogs do.

eBook/APP:

Sago Mini Friends from Sago Sago (FREE; iOS, Android, Windows, Amazon)

Every Sago Mini app is amazing. In Friends, you get to choose a friend to be (we of course, picked Harvey the dog) and then visit other animal’s houses to play fun activities. When we played, storytime participates got to tuck Robin the bird and Harvey into bed, make a flower grow with Jinja the cat, blow up some balloons and more!

PRINT BOOK:

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

I’ve learned that it’s a good idea to keep something up on the screen while I am reading the print book, or else I end up getting our screensaver with photos (which the kids usually find more interesting than whatever I am reading), or the menu for Apple TV (which is ugly). When I first started doing eStorytime, I would put the cover of the book that I was going to read on the slide. But as I went on I found that didn’t afford me enough freedom to mix things up if I got a different audience than expected, or if I just wasn’t feeling the book that day. So I switched to a more generic screen shot like the one on the right. That works better for me.

APP:

Felt Board from Software Smoothie ($2.99; iOS)
I used felt board to do the song/rhyme “Five Little Puppy Dogs”

Five Little Puppy Dogs
5 little puppy dogs by the kennel door
One left the crowd, then there were four.
4 little puppy dogs, running round a tree
Mother called one home and then there were three.
3 little puppy dogs playing with a shoe
One ran after a cat, then there were two
2 little puppy dogs having so much fun
One went to find a bone, then there was one
1 little puppy dog sitting in the sun,
She went in the kennel and then there were none.

I started with five dogs on a blue background. Re-reading this rhyme again, I may see if I can add a dog house as well next time. Each time a puppy went away, I deleted it from the screen. I also had the kids doing this as a fingerplay with me, so they were using their fingers to do the rhyme.

APP:

Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd, from Penguin New Zealand ($4.99; iOS)

A fun, straightforward ebook with a great rhyming scheme. Fans of Dr. Who take note: David Tennant narrates! (Of course, not for my storytime, but you know if I ever want to hear him I can just turn the narration on…)

APP:

Just Me and My Puppy by Mercer Mayer, from Oceanhouse Media ($1.99; iOS, Android, Kindle, Nook)

MOVEMENT:

Puppy Dog, Puppy Dog

MOVEMENT: “Storytime’s Over”*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

APP: Animal SnApp: Farm illustrated by Axel Scheffler, from Nosy Crow (I’m not sure if this app is still available) I liked this app a lot, and was hoping to use it, but I’ve found that some of the apps from Nosy Crow mirror strangely when I try to use them with our AppleTV. Anyone else have this problem?
APP: Meet Biscuit by Alyssa Capucilli, from iStorytime ($2.99; iOS, Amazon) Capucilli’s loveable dog in app form.

THOUGHTS ON THIS eSTORYTIME:
This was a fun, but small, eStorytime. In some ways, the smaller groups work better, because it means more kids can interact with the iPad. But, I’m wondering if this is a good program to keep doing. Maybe Friday mornings aren’t the best time? Maybe our community isn’t interested? Maybe I need to do more publicity? So, since most of the Fridays that I work in November and December are holidays, I have decided to go back to the drawing board with our eStorytime program and evaluate if and how this can be done better.

However, since I’m behind in posting my eStorytimes, there will probably still be a few to go up on the blog.

ATTENDANCE: 4 people (children and adults)

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Airplanes – eStorytime

Posted on July 24, 2015 by jeninthelibrary

In the midst of Summer, with everyone taking vacations, I thought it would be fun to feature airplanes in today’s eStorytime!

Opening Slide on Keynote:
Airplanes eStorytime - 2015-07-24

SONG:

Come Along and Sing with Me

APP:

100 Planes from Michael Krynski ($2.99; iOS)

This simple app, part of the 100 things series, shows lots of pictures and has videos of all types of planes. I wanted to use this as a started for what the theme of storytime was going to be. I just showed a few different pictures from the app, and then played a short video clip.

APP:

Build and Play 3D from Croco Studio ($2.99 ; iOS, Android, Samsung app)

Before we read stories about planes, I thought we should build our own. Build and Play 3D is an app that includes a bunch of different toys (trucks, airplanes, robots, etc) and then you “assemble” the parts of the toy by touching and dragging on your tablet. It’s a fun way to build shape recognition and puzzle solving skills. I learned about this app at “Explore, Play and Imagine: Interactive Tech Time in Kids Library Programming” a presentation at ALA 2015 by staff from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburg.

eBook/APP:

Planes by Byron Barton from Oceanhouse Media ($1.99, iOS)

This book is what made me want to do a plane storytime. Based on the print book, it translates beautifully into a vibrant app. While the price above is for the single app, you can also buy the Bryon Barton Collection #1 from Oceanhouse Media which has Planes, Trains, Boats and Trucks for $4.99.

FINGERPLAY:

The Airplane
The airplane has great big wings (arms out at sides)
Its propeller spins around and sings (move arms in circle)
The airplane goes up (raise arms)
The airplane goes down (lower arms)
The airplane flies high (arms out at sides)
Over our town. (turn in a circle with arms out at sides)

APP:

Felt Board from Software Smoothie ($2.99; iOS)
I used felt board to do the song/rhyme “Five Little Airplanes” I found from pattyshukla on YouTube.

Five Little Airplanes
Five little airplanes flying around
Zoom…zoom…zomm
One decided to touch down …zoom
Leaving 4 little airplanes flying around.

Continue song with 4…3…2…1…

There were not little airplanes flying around
Then all 5 airplanes left the ground
Zooooooom!
All five airplanes flying around.

I started with five airplanes on a blue background. When we sang about them flying around I used my fingers to touch the screen and move the planes gently. When it was time for one of the planes to touch down, I just tapped on the trash can for the board, then on one of the planes so it would “zoom” away. When you get to the last verse of the song, just add five new planes to the screen. Fun!

PRINT BOOK:

My First Airplane Ride by Patricia Hubbell, illustrated by Nancy Speir

APP:

Plane Wash from Happy Touch Apps (FREE; iOS)

The title of this app explains it perfectly — you wash a plane. First, select which type of plane you’d like to clean. Next, go step by step to make sure that plane is sparkling – rinse it, scrub it, wipe it and dry it! For this app, I brought it down to the kids and we took turns doing the different cleaning activities.

MOVEMENT:

“Shake My Sillies Out” by Raffi from More Singable Songs

eBook/APP:

Around the World by James Carter and Anne Wilson from Collins Big Cat (FREE; iOS)

A brief story about children who travel around the world through sun and snow and visit Africa, India, and China. I just read the story part of the app, but one of the fun features of this (and all the free Collins Big Cat apps) is that they all come with a story creator section. You can use this to make your own stories using set backgrounds, objects, and characters from the story. Then add your own text. You can even record and listen to the stories you create.

SONG: “Storytime’s Over”*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

APP: Bamba Airport from, Mezmedia ($3.99; iOS): Similar to all the other Bamba apps, where you get to guide characters through all the steps of an airport or plane ride.
APP: Dr. Panda’s Airport from Dr. Panda ($3.99; iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows) Like Bamba Airport, take animals through the airport
APP: I Learn with Transportation from Dada Company ($2.99; iOS, Andriod, Amazon) Children learn shapes, colors, numbers and more by way of various methods of transportation.

THOUGHTS ON THIS eSTORYTIME:
This storytime went pretty well! I think I am getting the hang of eStorytimes! (Knock on wood.) I had a really small group of people today (as you can see from the numbers below), but the adults were really interested in the apps I was using, and took lots of photos so they could remember them. One caregiver was very effusive in her compliments to me as well, saying that she liked that I stuck with a theme and she was very impressed by me. That was very sweet. And ti’s a nice thing to look back on and remember for when my programs don’t go so well.

ATTENDANCE: 4 people (children and adults)

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

Shapes – eStorytime

Posted on March 14, 2015 by jeninthelibrary

When planning this storytime, it felt like there were a lot more good apps/ebooks about shapes than print ones about them. (At least in my library when I was last-minute-planning.)

Opening Slide on Keynote:
Shapes eStorytime - 2015-03-06 start slide

SONG:

Come Along and Sing with Me

APP:
Toddler Teasers – Shapes (FREE; iOS)

I thought it would be fun to start out the storytime by allowing kids to identify different shapes. I was asking my colleague AnnMarie (our resident iPad guru) for ideas about apps to use and she mentioned this one. It had exactly what I was looking for, except I wish I had played with it a bit long before deciding to use it. Because after a few kids got to play, you then “earn a sticker” which takes you out of the app a bit. It wasn’t a big deal, and you can continue playing after that, it’s just a reminded to use the apps for longer before I bring them out so there are no surprises.

APP:

Four Little Corners by Dada Company

In Four Little Corners little square wants to play with the little circles, but he can’t fit through the round door! Can the friends figure out a way to get everyone inside?

FINGERPLAY:

Draw a Circle
Draw a circle, draw a circle (draw a circle in the air with your finger)
Round as can be
Draw a circle, draw a circle
Just or me.

Draw a square, draw a square (draw a square in the air with your finger)
Shaped like a door
Draw a square, draw a square
with corners four.

Draw a triangle, draw a triangle (draw a triangle in the air with your finger)
With corners three
Draw a triangle, draw a triangle
Just for me.

APP:

Sago Mini Pet Cafe by Sago Sago ($2.99, iOS)

This time, we played the “dog” game with Sago Mini Pet Cafe. In this game, a purple shaded version of a food is placed in front of the animal and the user has to drag the purple shape with their finger to match it to the white shape. When you get it right, the shape shows you want it is, the animal eats it, and then you get to see what the animal things of the food. Dog is not a fan of broccoli, apparently. I walked around with the iPad so that each of the children present had a turn to match the shapes.

eBOOK:

The Shape of Me and Other Stuff by Dr. Seuss from Oceanhouse Media (iOS, Android Kindle, Nook, $3.99)

The Dr. Seuss story comes to life in this app. The app will say the name of some of the shapes when you tap on them, so this makes it fun to have the guess what a silhouette is, and then see if they are right!

MOVEMENT:

“Jump Up, Turn Around” by Jim Gill from Jim Gill’s Sings Moving Rhymes for Modern Times

APP:

Tino the Triangle from Larixpress (iOS; free for starter story, $1.99 for full story)

This was a fun app to read/play because it is half story, half guessing game. The story begins, and as you tap the yellow triangle it turns into the blue background page with an animal noise sound. The children can guess the animal and then tap again to see if they are correct! Some of the noises are actually pretty difficult to decipher.

SONG: “Storytime’s Over”*

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL IDEAS:

APP: Round is a Mooncake by Roseanne Thong, Illustrated by Grace Lin from PicPocket Books ($2.99 iOS)
APP: Geoboard by The Math Learning Center from Clarity Innovations (FREE; iOS) (To make shakes on the board)
APP: Busy Shapes by Seven Academy ($1.99; iOS) (This may have been a good alternative to Toddler Teasers Shapes that I used in the beginning)

THOUGHTS ON THIS eSTORYTIME:
After looking through the estorytimes I have done, I realized that most of my technical issues arise when I am moving from one media to the other (like from iPad mirroring to cd). This time, so as to avoid that, I decided to play the Jim Gill action song I use through the iPad. I forgot to add it to my playlist, but I did find a streaming version of it online and just went there to play it. And it worked!

ATTENDANCE: 14 people (children and adults)

*To see the words to these movements and activities I use frequently, please visit my A-capella Movements Section on my Storytime Movements and Music Page

App prices were correct at the time of writing this blog, but may have changed since. There may also be changes to available platforms for apps as well.

Jen in the Library

Storytimes, Programs and Library Thoughts

Category Archives: eStorytime

Outer Space – eStorytime

Boats – eStorytime

Dogs – eStorytime

Airplanes – eStorytime

Shapes – eStorytime