Library Blog
Posted on Fri, March 05, 2021 - 07:00pm
Miss Alyisha and the Ames Free Library celebrate National Correspondence Month with this very special Storytime! Miss Alyisha is joined by JK Growling and a host of animal friends as they read letters, sing songs, and read Eoin McLaughlin and Polly Dunbar's While We Can't Hug. This book is…
Category: Story Times Online
Posted on Mon, December 07, 2020 - 07:00pm
Pajama storytime is fun for the whole family! We'll share books, rhymes, & songs to help wind down your evening. This storytime is designed to engage children of various ages. Pajamas are encouraged, but not required.
*Pajama Storytime is taking a break! For more Ames Free Library storytimes,…
Category: Story Times Online
Posted on Mon, November 30, 2020 - 07:00pm
Listen to Miss Jess share Hanukkah and Christmas books during these holiday storytimes!
These prerecorded storytimes can be viewed at your convenience, December 1 - 31, 2020!
To see ALL of our storytimes, visit our Storytimes playlist on our YouTube page!
Category: Youth Services, Kids, Story Times Online
Posted on Sun, October 11, 2020 - 08:00pm
If you haven’t caught an episode of S’more Stories with Miss Alyisha yet – tune in today! There’s a new episode every Friday, but you can catch them any day online under the Storytimes & Events column at https://amesfreelibrary.org/kids-homepage.
These gently creepy fall stories are perfect…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, September 28, 2020 - 08:00pm
Starting Friday, October 2, 2020, tune in for Miss Alyisha's gently creepy Fall storytimes! These storytimes are perfect for preschool and early elementary-aged children.
Check here each week in October to hear about ghosts, mummies, and more!
Then pick up a pre-bagged, themed craft in the Children…
Category: Story Times Online
Posted on Sun, September 27, 2020 - 08:00pm
School has finally started – congratulations and good luck to all our brand new Kindergartners!
For those of you whose little ones haven’t yet started Kindergarten, there’s still time to read 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten! It sounds like a challenge, but reading 1,000 books is easier than you…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, August 10, 2020 - 08:00pm
Throughout the summer, we have discussed different areas of building early literacy knowledge for babies and toddlers, and we shared ideas of how you can do that.
Early Literacy activities consist of anything that can prepare a child to learn how to read; talking, singing, reading, writing, and…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, August 03, 2020 - 08:00pm
When it comes to encouraging literacy skills, outdoor play is just as important for babies and little ones as indoor book- and toy-based play. When we think “early literacy,” we think of books, and storytime, and of sitting to either read or listen. We think of looking at pictures and telling…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, July 27, 2020 - 08:00pm
Regardless of whether today’s kids will learn to print, write cursive, or type on a keyboard or screen – they’ll need to have strong fine motor skills. There are so many fun ways to build your child’s hand strength and coordination! At the library, we use Busy Boxes after storytimes with preschool-…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, July 20, 2020 - 08:00pm
Reading and vocabulary go hand in hand – one can improve the other, and vice versa. How fortunate that reading and talking to your baby is so easy! Little ones learn words at an amazing rate. The more words he learns now, the more he will be able to express and understand (spoken and written) later…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, July 13, 2020 - 08:00pm
Nursery rhymes are perfect little songs for encouraging language development. Although they aren’t always sung, nursery rhymes do have a rhythmic lilt, encouraging that sing-song cadence that helps ingrain things into little brains. They are short, sweet, and easy to remember, and, as their name…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, July 06, 2020 - 08:00pm
Many of us native English speakers don’t think twice about the language we use with our children – but if your native language is anything other than English, use it! Encourage grandparents, caregivers, or anyone else Baby interacts with on a regular basis to use the language with which they are…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, June 22, 2020 - 08:00pm
Writing…the most difficult to understand of the pre-literacy skills. How can I work on writing when my baby can’t even hold her own bottle? Writing definitely comes later when preschoolers have refined their motor skills and strengthened their muscles – but pre-writing skills are anything that can…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, June 15, 2020 - 08:00pm
Lazy days of summer are perfect for spreading out a blanket in the shade and sharing some books with your baby. Picture books – even those written for very young children – are perfect for building your little one’s vocabulary, which in turn expands their entire world view. You might not use the…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, June 01, 2020 - 08:00pm
Talk, talk, talk… once your child starts talking, you start wishing they would stop! But since talking is such a foundational part of human communication – including literacy (reading) – the best thing you can do is… well, talk it up! We’ve written about how to talk with your baby or toddler, but…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 25, 2020 - 08:00pm
Here’s the great thing about babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, and playing - it’s what they do! There’s no learning curve involved on “how” to play; give a baby a toy, and they will feel it, turn it, maybe even taste it. They’re like little scientists in the making!
The best way to play is simply…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 18, 2020 - 08:00pm
It can be hard to see how you might introduce your baby or toddler to writing. The fine motor skills required are well beyond their grasp (pun intended)! However, the underlying knowledge behind writing is about knowing shapes. Letters are made of mountains, bumps, and lines. So are shapes!
…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 11, 2020 - 08:00pm
Hopefully you’ve all been following along with our virtual storytimes lately! Although we aren’t reading books right now, you & your little one can enjoy the fun routines, songs, & rhymes of your favorite storytime group, and then check out ebook copies of titles we’ve recommended. One…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 04, 2020 - 08:00pm
Make a joyous noise! You’ll be doing your baby’s brain good. Of course, singing is also fun! Songs make language accessible and memorable for young children. (See our last SINGING post about using new words in old tunes, particularly when trying to get children to do a task.)
Children’s songs and…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 03, 2020 - 08:00pm
If you’ve somehow missed it, here’s your reminder to check out our virtual storytimes! It’s been hard not being able to see our favorite smiling faces every week, but we’re trying to keep your kiddos engaged with some online entertainment instead. If you’re a storytime regular, you’ll find a lot of…
Category: Youth Services, Kids, Story Times Online
Posted on Mon, April 27, 2020 - 08:00pm
Have a conversation with your child today. Boy, that sounds easy… maybe? Talking at or to someone isn’t the same as talking with someone. Obviously young children aren’t the best conversationalists, but in order for them to learn how a conversation works (back and forth interaction), and to hear…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, April 20, 2020 - 08:00pm
In our virtual storytimes this week, we talked a little bit about our essential workers, from grocery store employees to mail carriers to healthcare workers. You can honor them by encouraging your children to take on these roles in dramatic play!
You’ve probably heard that play is a child’s work.…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Wed, April 15, 2020 - 08:00pm
Babytime is LIVE on Zoom starting in November 2020! (And in case you missed them, you can also catch Miss Alyisha's special October storytimes, S'More Stories.) You'll find all of our storytimes on our Story Time Events page. You can still enjoy our previously recorded sessions below.
Babytime is…
Category: Story Times Online
Posted on Wed, April 15, 2020 - 08:00pm
Storytime break! We are taking a break from posting new Stories and Songs, but you can still enjoy our previously recorded sessions below.
Be sure to tune in for our other LIVE Zoom storytimes starting in November 2020! (And in case you missed them, you can also catch Miss Alyisha's special October…
Category: Story Times Online
Posted on Wed, April 15, 2020 - 08:00pm
Wiggle Worms is LIVE on Zoom starting in November 2020! (And in case you missed them, you can also catch Miss Alyisha's special October storytimes, S'More Stories.) You'll find all of our storytimes on our Story Time Events page. You can still enjoy our previously recorded sessions below.
Best for…
Category: Story Times Online