WonderWorks: Same & Different

Before we can talk about ranking things in order by size or sorting things by type, we must simply ask what it means for objects to be the same and different.

Today's Topic:  Same & Different
Supplies:
--Memory Games (there are many free printable versions online if you don't have easy access to ready-made.  We used this cute popsicle version today.)
--Domino Games (you could use the ones with dots, but stay away from ones with more than 5 dots at this age.  You can also try picture dominoes.  There's a free printable version here.)
--Any other matching games (we used Socken!)
--Buttons in a variety of sizes, colors, finishes, number of holes...
--foam alphabet letters in both capital and lowercase
--wooden blocks
--6 pairs of plastic eggs filled with different objects (instructions here)
--6 pairs of balloons filled with different textures (instructions here, only I also added a second balloon stretched over the finished ball to make it just that much stronger)


Book:
  Same same / Jocelyn, Marthe

Toddler Art Class: Bare Branches

Art mimics nature in this tape-resist project.

Art Project: Bare Branches
Supplies:
blue tape
paint
brushes
heavy paper or cardboard

Book:  
  Snow rabbit, spring rabbit : a book of changing seasons / Na, Il Sung

Music to make art by:
   Coal Train Railroad swings! [sound recording].

NeedleReads: Felt Jewelry

Warm and cozy wearables, perfect for January!

Sewing Project: Jewelry (and other accessories) from felted wool
Supplies:
felt sheets
felted wool balls
needles
beading thread and other thread
scissors
cutting mat and rotary cutter

Book:  


Feltique : techniques and projects for wet felting, needle felting, fulling, and working with commercial felt / Davidson, Nikola

WonderWorks: balancing

Finding balance is tricky for explorers of all ages!

Today's Topic: Balancing & Fulcrums
Supplies:
fulcrums (blocks, branches, PVC pipes, hair rollers, pencils, etc.)
levers (wood scraps, blocks, rulers, etc.)
things to balance (toy cars, blocks, pompoms, books, pretty much anything!)

Book:   

Balancing act / Walsh, Ellen Stoll

Toddler Art Class: Foil Wrapping

Although the planned project was "foil wrapping," this class also became a vehicle to talk about texture.

Art Project: Foil Wrapping
Supplies:
foil (I used both regular aluminum foil and some foil circles I had in my craft stash from a donation)
tissue paper (optional, but a fun alternative to foil)
stuff to wrap up (toy cars, spools, wooden blocks, pompoms, plastic eggs, whatever you have on hand that's small enough to be wrapped up and yet not so small that it's a choking hazard)

Book:

  Is it rough? Is it smooth? Is it shiny? / Hoban, Tana

 Music to make art by:  









Throw a penny in the wishing well [sound recording] / Gasoi, Jennifer

WonderWorks: Tweezer & tongs

Technology = Tools and some of the favorites at this age are these extensions of our fingers.

Today's Topic: Tweezers & Tongs
Supplies:
tweezers (i found mine 2/$1 at the dollar store!)
tongs (wooden, spring-loaded, ones that open like scissors....a variety is best!)
stuff to pick up (pom poms (various sizes), marshmallows, beads, toy cars, feathers, wooden blocks, fabric scraps, cotton balls, styrofoam packing peanuts, marbles, spools, etc, etc, etc...)
stuff to put things into (muffin tins, ice cube trays, egg cartons, buckets, Connect Four game board, paper cups, film canisters, drink bottle lids, empty tissue boxes, etc, etc, etc....)

Book: (one of the few I've ever read with tweezers in the story.  This is an odd, but good one!)

  How to catch an elephant / Schwartz, Amy

Toddler Art Class: Holiday paintbrushes

Who needs paintbrushes when we've got these seasonal tools to try?

[Oops!  This was supposed to be published in December when we DID this class, but I pressed the wrong button and only discovered that this week.  Please excuse the untimely posting!]

Art Project: Painting with Bells, Branches & Pinecones
Supplies:
paint
large sheets of construction paper
paper box lids (the kind that are basically a deep tray)
jingle bells (in a variety of sizes)
a variety of evergreen branches
pinecones

Book:  Jingle bells / by Grace Lin  

Wonderworks: Shapes

Shapes are one of our earliest math experiences, let's play with them!

Math Project: Exploring Shapes!
Supplies:
masking tape
foam shapes
water
rice krispie treats
simple shaped cookie cutters
wooden blocks
playdough
shapes page (laminated, if possible)

Book:
  Round is a mooncake : a book of shapes / Thong, Roseanne 

Toddler Art Class: Spool Snowflakes

Ms. Carissa's collection of empty spools finally comes in handy!

Art Project: Spool Snowflakes
Supplies:
empty thread spools (plastic washes off best)
white paint
containers to hold paint
dark construction paper

Book:  Bunny's first snowflake / Wellington, Monica
   

Craft Lab: Return of the Shrinky Dinks

 The smell of a hot toaster oven brings plenty of curious (and concerned) onlookers in a library!

Today's project:  Shrinky Dinks (a second chance for those who missed it last summer)

Supplies:
Shrinky Dink plastic
colored pencils
pencil sharpeners
toaster ovens

Book we used for inspiration:
Shrink! Shrank! Shrunk! : make stylish shrink plastic jewelry / Sheldon, Kathy

WonderWorks: Wind!

Kites, pinwheels, fans and windchimes are have one thing in common...

Today's Topic:  Wind!
Supplies:
square paper (origami paper works great!)
other paper (to make folded fans)
unsharpened pencils with erasers
thumbtacks
scissors
foam sheet
cotton balls
large bowl of water
straws
wind chimes
electric fan
empty plastic drink bottle
balloons
hot water & ice water

Book: 
I face the wind / Cobb, Vicki

Toddler Art Class: Sticky "Stained Glass"

Colorful suncatchers for mid-winter!

Art Project: Sticky "Stained Glass"
Supplies:
clear contact paper
scraps of tissue paper

Book:
   Right outside my window / Hoberman, Mary Ann

Bubbler event: Animation Workshop

A sneak preview of our new Ready Animator stations!

Last Friday, eight students got to try out the library's new animation stations.  Custom-built for us, these are fantastic tools that make stop-motion animation super simple and fast.  Here are a few photos from our events (I'll try to post links to videos once they're uploaded online...)