The Library in Rock Port hummed with activity during the final week of summer programming. Forty-nine children enjoyed the fun and probably learned some good “stuff” in the process.
Jennifer Vogler entertained the seventeen youngest listeners who came to the Library on the final Tuesday of summer programs. Their day was all about stories by David Shannon, a favorite author of many little ones. Stories read were: Stuck On A Bike, David Gets In Trouble and The Rain Came Down. During activity time Mrs. Vogler made colored rain for the little ones. How: fill clear glass containers with water, top the water with shaving cream, add drop of liquid food coloring on top of the shaving cream. Watch for the “rain”! This group had a nice discussion about clouds and the rain they produce. The 3 and 4 year old children were a delightful group of good listeners.
Twenty, 5 and 6 year old children enjoyed their final day of 2016 summer reading fun with Tiffanie Gaines and Malisa Linthicum. Their day centered around sports, summer time and the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Brazil. The kids listened to stories and rhymes from three great books: Bella and Harry, Let’s Visit Rio De Janerio by Lisa Manzione, Summer Stinks by Marty Kelley and Good Sports, a book of rhymes about everything from baseball and soccer to gymnastics and swimming, by Jack Prelutsky. Reading about Bella and Harry opened the door to a nice geography lesson on South American, Brazil and Rio De Janerio. Those places are really far far away! The group activity was making paper torches to symbolize the torch that is used to open and close the Olympic Games. This group held their own version of the summer games to end the program. The girls stayed in the Library to do stretching, tumbling and gymnastic exercises. The boys went outside (to a closed city street) to do their best at running races and standing broad jumps. They kicked soccer balls, threw baseballs and footballs and played frisbee. Later, the girls joined the boys for outdoor activities which included hula hooping, jumping rope and balance beam walking, as well as, all the stuff the guys had been doing. This was a group of serious competitors! Debbie Sly and Juleighanne Adams served as additional helpers, coaches and referees!
Both of Trudy Heitman’s groups listened to Trudy read Casey At The Bat by Ernest L. Thayer on Thursday July 28. This interesting poem produces many responses as did the fictional slugger Casey. The younger half of the group enjoyed a contest with hula hoops. They were all experts at that “sport”! During hour two Ms. Heitman’s “senior” group continued to learn interesting facts about ancient Greece and the earliest Olympic Games. Did you know the first Olympic games ever recorded was a single 200 meter race ran three thousand years ago and won by a man called Coroebus? The games were started as a religious ceremony which was a tribute to the Greek God Zeus. In time, more events were added to the Olympics including chariot races and the pentathlon. The pentathlon included running, jumping, wrestling and throwing the discuss and the javelin. Did you know women did not get to participate? In fact, women were forbidden to even watch the games! No medals were given to Olympic winners in ancient times. The winner gained fame and pride from being the winner, and he was given a wreath from a sacred olive tree. All losers, even second place, left the games in shame. Participants in the ancient games trained hard to become Olympians just as participants still do today. This group ended their program with games using hula hoops and badminton rackets and birdies. Juleighanne Adams assisted Ms. Heitman with both of the Thursday groups.
Goodies are always abundant at the last meeting for each group of readers. The Library gave every child, who attended at least one program, two new soft cover books to call their own. Pizza Hut provided certificates for pizza, and McDonalds provided coupons for ice cream cones. Both Hy-Vee and McDonalds furnished cookies for everyone. The kids were all delighted to have sports drinks provided by Stan and Janet Griffin.
Janice Rosenbohm, Library Director commented, “Thanks to great volunteers and library staff we had a very successful program again this year. It’s such a good opportunity for the kids to learn to love books and libraries!”