I hope everyone enjoyed Angela's blog post about her awesome Dramatic Play Elephant! I want to build on play a little bit in this quick blog post. I hope everyone is aware that play is one of the 5 pre-literacy skills that kids need to practice (the others are reading, writing, talking and singing). By providing toys and a space to play in the library, we're helping kids develop those important skills to help them be successful in Kindergarten and beyond! Here's a link to a publication by Zero to Three about play.
What play opportunities do you provide in your library? What kind of toys do you have on the floor for young children to play with? What kind of toys would you like to have for young children on your library floor? Answer in the comments with your name and location for a prize at the next YS meeting!
Right now I have puzzles and my barn with animals and puppets I sometimes put out. But I would love more variety of other toys and a place to put them, so they can go in their place when not being used.
ReplyDeleteMEY has a coloring table (with crayons and coloring sheets), some wooden puzzles and blocks, and a "Kids Activity Table" with a rotating passive program (for April, kids could make their own flowers using paper and pipe cleaners). I would love more dramatic play toys like COL has, or drawing toys like Etch a Sketch, dry erase boards or chalk boards. - Lauren @ MEY
ReplyDeleteAt HEI we offer a monthly "playgroup" that encourages open play, sharing, self-expression, dexterity, as well as learning opportunities to identify colors, shapes and sounds!
ReplyDeleteWhich Heights person wrote this? Don't forget to put your name!
DeleteAt HIL we have a play corner with magnetic puzzles, normal puzzles, a box of building blocks, and a box with plastic letters and string. I was inspired by ALI's set up in their children's area. At RIN we have coloring pages one on of the kid's tables.
ReplyDeleteHere's a picture of the play corner at HIL: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5Qou2rgLSOmSXpoRjF1UFJ4UHZxaHMwZjE2amlGYmlrS09z
- Holly
Here at Flores, we have a lot of puppets and stuffed animals, so a puppet theater would be cool!
ReplyDelete-Amy Stanley
We provide puzzles, interlocking toddler toys, and once a week we bring out toddler toys for a playgroup. When we were housed in the basement at Central, we used to have GIANT legos--like each one as 18 inches long and the kids would build stuff with those. I miss that and wish we could get those again.
ReplyDeleteWe provide play opportunities after story times as well as tune time. We have a ton of toys and an interactive display for children to play with in our Children's area. I'd like to have one of the crayola play stations in our branch. - Amethyst STE
ReplyDelete