Library Surprise

I usually go to the library on Saturdays.  I love to pick out new books for story time at the day care.  This past Saturday I went to the library, as usual, and ran into a big surprise.  I returned my previously checked out books and picked up my books that were on the hold shelf.  When I turned around to head to the children's area I saw a room full of books and people in the glass conference room.  I know my eyes got as big as dinner plates and I asked the fellow behind the desk if it was a book sale.  He said yes and that it was the last day for it.  In fact, it was in the midst of it's last hour!  I went inside and the lady working handed me a grocery sack and said "all the books it will hold will be four dollars."  Yippee!  I made my way to the children's section first and began looking and stuffing!  I wound up with a nice stack of books for story time.  Some of the books are vintage and some look newer.  Some of them I remember from being a kid and one of them especially.  It came from the library in the elementary school next to the library where I attended school.  I immediately opened the book and gave it a sniff and it smelled just as I remembered the books in that library smelled.  Flashback!  I also picked up a few books for me from the juvenile reader's section and fiction and non-fiction.  I had a blast.  Here's a look at our new stash.

I love this last book, Once Upon A Rhyme."  I read some of it out loud at the bus stop the other morning.  If it was checked out it would have a high rating.

BackYard Bird Bingo

I am a bird watcher.  I have always loved paying attention to birds that I see and hear in our area or where ever I go.  A bird is something a child is going to ask about and it is good for them to notice what is flying around them.  We talk about the differences in them, we have feeders during the winter time and even had a Robin nest in our tiny new tree last year in the back yard here. 

I came up with this bird I.D. game that I call "Backyard Bird Bingo" and it includes the most common birds that we see around the day care.  I made three different cards with some of the same birds on them.  You can print them out using a color printer and get ready to get your chairs out in a shady place in the yard to start watching.  The kids can use rocks to place on their cards when they see one of the birds.  Or you can use a crayon to cross through the picture when the bird is seen. 

You are welcome to right click and print the following pictures.  If you have trouble, please send me an email and I will send the pdf file to you.

I have to admit that I ued pictures that I found through yahoo search.  I didn't think ahead of time to give credit to each site for their drawing but will not take credit for the drawings themselves for this project.  Thanks.