Crayon Tree Party

We celebrated the holiday with an afternoon of fun. Children ages 4-6 joined us for a story, coloring pages, and snacks. All children made their very own crayon tree to take home. We started with a paper towel roll that was painted green, decorated with glitter and had 8 holes punched in it. Each child was given a new 8 pack of crayons. The crayons were inserted into the holes to make the tree. Now the fun really started when everyone began to decorate their trees with stickers, feathers, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and much more. Check out pictures of our masterpieces on our facebook page

Important Information About Summer Programs!

It has come to our attention that some information given out about program attendance (limits and ticketing) has been inconsistent. Below is the correct information. If you have any questions, please call 610.688.7092 x210.

STORY TIMES (most of this is on the pink flyer as well)
Wee Ones (Mondays at 9:30 am)
ages birth - 15 months + caregivers
limit 20 kids (adults must attend)*
Family (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 10:30 am)
ages 5 and under
limit 20 kids (adults must attend*)
Pajama (Mondays at 7:00 pm)
ages 3-8
limit 20 kids (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)
Storycrafts (Tuesdays at 2:00 pm)
ages 4-6
limit 20 kids*

OTHER PROGRAMS (some of this is on the pink flyer as well)
Movie Monday (Mondays at 1:00 pm)
all ages
limit 40 total  (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)
KTB (Tuesdays at 12:30 pm)
ages 9+
limit 20 kids* 
90-Second Newbery
pre-registration (which is now full) was required 
Lego Club (Fridays at 1:00 pm)
ages 7-12
limit 30 total* 
Science in the Summer
pre-registration (which is now full) was required

PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS (some of this is on the gold flyer as well, but attendance limits and ticketing info aren't)

6/28 11:00 am Sensational Animals (Elmwood Park Zoo)
ages 3-7
limit 100 total (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)

7/2 7:30 pm Silly Joe
all ages
limit 100 total (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)

7/12 7:00 pm Night Creature Creations (Delaware Museum of Art)
ages 5-9
limit 30 kids (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)

7/17 7:00 pm Creatures of the Night (Adventure Aquarium)
all ages
limit 100 total (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)

7/30 11:00 am Nighttime Adventures (Puppets Pizzazz)
all ages
limit 100 (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)

8/2 (two sessions, listed below) Discovering Dinosaurs (Academy of Natural Sciences)
ages 3-5 (10:00) Pre-K
ages 5-7 (11:00) MUST HAVE COMPLETED KINDERGARTEN
limit 35 kids for each hour (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)

8/9 11:00 am Hooray for Bugs (Artypantz)
ages 2-6
limit 80 kids (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*; older siblings invited in if space allows)

8/10 3:00 pm Groove Rockstar Event (Final Party for Reading and Read-to-Me Club participants)
ages 3-12 members of the Reading and Read-to-Me Clubs (adults must attend with children ages 6 and under*)
all other info TBA

*WE WILL START HANDING OUT TICKETS A HALF-HOUR BEFORE EACH EVENT STARTS. WE WILL STOP HANDING OUT TICKETS WHEN WE REACH THE ATTENDANCE LIMIT OR WHEN THE PROGRAM STARTS, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. EVERY AUDIENCE MEMBER/PARTICIPANT NEEDS HIS/HER OWN TICKET.

Summer Events-No Sign Ups, Now "First Come, First Served"

How do I sign up for these great Children's Department Special Events?You don't!  This year all of our special events and storytimes (see Summer Reading 2012 flyer) will operate on a first come, first served basis. Starting 1/2 hour before the start time of the scheduled event, staff will distribute "Terrific Tredyffrin Tickets" to those waiting to attend the event.

How many tickets will be distributed?Each event has a different maximum amount and tickets will be distributed until that maximum amount is reached.  The maximum amount will be posted on special event flyers displayed in advance of the performances.

Does my child need to be a certain age to attend a Special Event program?Often children do need to be a certain age to attend an event or performance.  We will adhere to the age limit that is set by our performers to ensure an appropriate audience and fairness for all attending. Age restrictions will be posted on our Special Event promotion materials.

Will storytimes be affected by the first come, first served policy?All programs conducted by library staff (except 90 Second Newberry and Science in the Summer) will operate on a first, come basis too and age restrictions will be in place.


                                          SEE YOU THIS SUMMER!







 

Ooo La La! Tres Chic!

On Monday, February 20, we celebrated all things fancy and French with our Fancy Nancy Hearts and Flowers Tea Party. Over 50 young mesdemoiselles and messieurs ages 4-8 sipped (iced) tea (with their pinkies out, of course) and nibbled cookies; listened to a plethora of Parisian tunes; worked on Fancy Nancy-themed mazes, matching games, and coloring pages; listened to a book from the Fancy Nancy series; and tested their posture and poise with a book relay. The catch: they had to carry the books on their heads...

Merci beaucoup to Mlle. Laurie, Mlle. Angela, and several parents for their help on the day. It was tres magnifique! We have other special events planned for the spring, and the reading club keeps us busy all summer, but please keep an eye out for the fall 2012 calendar for our next fancy event.

Stuffed Animal Sleepover

Have you ever wondered what happens in the library when we close for the evening and we turn out the lights? A few new friends spent the night in the library and we have the pictures to prove that there is a lot going on after hours. Check out our photo album on facebook to see what happened when stuffed animls slept over at the library. Stuffed Animal Photo Album

Anyone willing to part with their beloved stuffed animal for an evening was invited to enjoy a story time and a take home craft. (We made really cool foam photo frames.) Next, kids said goodbye to their stuffed animal. Everyone returned the next day and was given a photo showing what their stuffed animal was doing over night. The photo fits right in their hand made foam photo frame. This event was so much fun we will be sure to host a stuffed animal sleepover again.

Crayon Tree Party

What fun we had decorating our very own trees to hold our crayons. We started out the party with a story and some coloring pages. Next we got into the feathers, stickers, ribbons, pipe cleaners, and flowers to decorate our glitter covered trees (painted paper towel rolls). The creativity flowed well in to snack time when we ate cookies and drank apple juice.  We had such a good time! Share in the fun by viewing our pictures at Facebook Crayon Tree Album

Snow Princess Party 2011

Our party was a success. Many beautiful princesses came together dressed in the most beautiful costumes. We enjoyed a delightful story called Waking Sleeping Beauty and played a fun game of pass the slipper. This special slipper was the most colorful and dazzling shoe you will ever see. The winner of pass the slipper and the winner of our raffle both went home with a sparkling tiara.

No princess costume is complete without a magic wand. Each little princess made their very own wand to take home. After snacks and some princess music we were off to parade through the library to show off our costumes and magic wands. All eyes were on the princess as we showed off our beautiful costumes and magic wands.

We had a wonderfully magical time and checked out many princess books to enjoy in the days to come.

Please visit our facebook page to view all of the beautiful photos of this special day.Tredyffrin Facebook Page

Gingerbread House Workshop

Gooey Icing! Yummy Gingerbread! Peppermint Swirls! Candy Canes! Gumdrops! and Smarties! = Recipe for Holiday Fun

Sugary fun was had by all at our Gingerbread House Workshop yesterday. Eager builders constructed classic holiday gingerbread houses and decorated them with creative flair and verve producing such varied results as "The Monkey House," "The Heart House," and "The Picture Perfect (aka lots of symmetry) House." What a winter wonderland of smiles, pride, and powdered sugar!

Holiday Programs 2011

Deck the halls! Holiday programs are here!

Well, no. It is still only October, after all. But the flyer is here. G'head, print one out for yer fridge!

We have programs for children, families, and snow princesses. You can build a gingerbread house, see a puppet show, or make your own ornaments. You can even channel your inner Buddy the Elf and help us decorate the library!

Registration for holiday programs begins Thursday, November 10. Call 610-688-7092 for more details.

Short Film Festival

Drop into the Tredyffrin Library Children's Department any time between 1:00 and 4:00on Monday afternoon, October 10, when we'll be showing crazy cartoons from our DVD collection. No registration, free admission. You are welcome to bring your lunch or an afternoon snack.

Children under 6 must be accompanied by an adult, who must stay in the room.
Children under 10 must be accompanied to the library by an adult, who must stay in the building.
All other ages may attend independently.

Decorate the Library!

Join us at the library this Thursday, September 29, as we decorate the children's department for Halloween! Kids 6-12 are invited to come out any time between 1 and 3pm to make spooky decorations to help us get into the spirit - yes, pun totally intended - of the season...

Summer Dates for PAWS!

As we head into summer, don't forget to sign up for our Saturday morning sessions of PAWS for Reading! Here are the dates:

June 11
June 25
July 9
July 23
August 6
August 20
September 10
September 24

For those of you unfamiliar with the program, PAWS for Reading allows emerging or struggling readers to gain confidence in their skills by reading aloud to well-trained, gentle therapy pets in a one-on-one setting. The program is aimed at children ages 5-12, but all independent readers are welcome.

Call 610-688-7092, ext. 210 or stop by the children's desk to make your appointment today!

New Dates for PAWS - Update!

Yes! For those of you who have been enjoying the PAWS for Reading program at Tredyffrin Library, I'm happy to announce that we have our dates for the winter. They are:

January 8 & 22
February 5 & 12
March 5 & 19

Sessions run from 10am-11am. Call 610-688-7092, ext. 210, or stop by the children's desk to make an appointment!

If you haven't yet discovered the PAWS for reading program, here's the scoop:

PAWS for Reading is a new program to Tredyffrin Library, where kids read aloud to a therapy pet to improve their reading and communication skills.

Reading to well-trained, gentle therapy pets in a one-on-one setting is a great way for emerging or struggling readers to gain confidence.

The program is aimed at children ages 5-12, but all independent readers are welcome. Check it out!

Holiday Concert and Open Mic!

Those of you who attend Miss Joy's storytimes may not know this: in her other life, she is a piano teacher! She and her lovely students would like to invite you to:

Tredyffrin Public Library's Holiday Concert and Open Mic Night

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

7:30-9:00 pm

Upstairs in the large meeting room (by the main entrance)

The evening will begin with some holiday music performed by Miss Joy's students, and then the stage is open to anyone else who would like to shine. We'll have a sign-up sheet at the show.

So bring your voice/guitar/ukulele/etc. and your holiday cheer! We look forward to seeing you there!
photo by iLikeSpoons via Creative Commons.

Winter 2011 Programs

For a schedule of story times and other weekly programs, check this out.

Photo courtesy of Garnet Hill Catalog, 2007.

Tredyffrin Thanks Tree

For the last few days, visitors to the children's department have been thinking about the things we're all thankful for, and writing our answers on leaves to hang on our thanks tree. Take a look at how it turned out!



A great big thanks to Miss Carla, who built our tree, and thanks to everyone who came out and helped us make it. Have a good holiday, everyone!

Black Friday Movie Marathon!

For those of you who plan to brave the malls and department stores this Friday, I salute you. I do not, however, join you. I'll be here at the library, showing holiday movies all day long.

For those of you who plan to avoid the malls and department stores this Friday, why not join us here for our Black Friday Movie Marathon? Here's the schedule:

9:45am: A Muppet Christmas Carol. Academy Award-winner Michael Caine stars as the stingy miser Ebenezer Scrooge who’s about to get his Christmas goose cooked in fun fashion by the inimitable Muppets in this fun-filled, musical event! Based on Charles Dickens' tale, this holiday favorite stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and other Muppet favorites as they put their unique twist on this holiday classic.(Rated G)

11:30am: Elf. Buddy was a baby who stowed away in Santa's toy bag and ended up at the North Pole. The elves raise him as one of their own, but when he begins to notice his differences to the other elves he goes to New York City to find his birth father in this sweet holiday comedy. (Rated PG)

1:15pm: The Nightmare Before Christmas. Venturing where no film has gone before, Tim Burton’s quirky and charming musical combines the extraordinary artistry of stop-motion animation with state–of–the–art technology to create a magical realm where fantastic characters come to life. Jack Skellington, the Halloween Pumpkin King, kidnaps Santa and takes it upon himself to deliver ghoulish Christmas presents to all the little boys and girls.(Rated PG)

2:45pm: A Christmas Carol. Jim Carrey plays four separate roles in this updated version of the Charles Dickens’ classic. The old miser Scrooge must face the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet-to-Come. The spirits must help bring kindness to his otherwise cold heart and remind him of the man he used to be. (Rated PG)

Plot synopses courtesy of Movie Licensing USA

Giving Thanks

Well, here we are, the week before Thanksgiving. How did that come so quickly? It seems like just yesterday we were stamping our summer reading charts and eyeballing the whale slippers in the prize window. Now we're standing on the very edge of the holiday season - a time for family, food, and fun.

And a time, of course, to make nature-themed Thanksgiving crafts.

Leaf wreaths! Pinecone turkeys! A giving thanks tree! All here Friday afternoon at Tredyffrin Public Library between noon and 3pm for children 6 and up. No registration necessary. Call 610-688-7092, ext. 210 for more information.

See you there!

Photo courtesy of TheNickster via Creative Commons

November is National Novel Writing Month!

My skills of persuasion never progressed beyond the phrase, "C'mon. All the cool kids are doing it." I know you're too smart to fall for that, so instead, I appeal to your sense of adventure when I ask you to try and write an entire novel in just one month!

Impossible, you say? Not so. The good people at NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program have been challenging people to write 30-day novels since 1999, and last year 35,000 children and teens gave it a whirl!

The concept is simple: Write a novel during the month of November. You set your own word count goal, and just keep writing until you reach it. Why? Well, to quote the NaNoWriMo folks:

The reasons are endless! To write freely without having to stress over spelling and grammar. To be able to talk about how cool your novel is any chance you get. To be able to make fun of real novelists who take far longer than 30 days to write their books...

I've even gone ahead and set up a virtual classroom for Tredyffrin Kids so that you can track your progress online.

Have questions? Of course you do.

Interested? Sign up the next time you're at the library, or call us at 610-688-7092.

C'mon. All the cool kids are doing it. :)

Photo from avlxyz on Flickr via Creative Commons

And the winner is...

Two teams competed in our very first Pumpkin Pie Bake-off this afternoon. The team led by Swetha used evaporated milk, so we will call them Team E. The team led by Anuja used cream cheese, so we will call them Team Cheese. (And let that be a lesson to you. Don't let Angela name your teams after the fact.)

Using only common household ingredients, mismatched measuring cups, and their own wits, the teams set out to create pumpkin pies that would be the envy of any holiday dinner. There were some scary moments - like when Team Cheese took a look at their completed batter - but all turned out well in the end. In just two hours, both teams mixed, baked, and sampled their pies, then offered them up for judging.

And although we began the judging process with only three judges, we somehow ended up with five - which explains how, when the votes were tallied, Team Cheese edged out Team E, 3 votes to 2.

And there you have it. 24 pies, eight contestants, five judges, two recipes, and one winner. Congratulations, Team Cheese! Team E, we'll always have Paris.

Were you part of the pumpkin pie bakeoff and want to try your hand again? Excellent. Keep an eye out for a reprise in January...

Photo by cardamom via Creative Commons