The Hardy County Community Foundation has provided funding for the Wardensville Lions Club Story Time program for the past few years. We think it’s a fantastic program and look forward to reading the reports the Club sends us. Here’s an excerpt from their most recent report:

“Story Time takes place each Friday at 10:00 at the library. Every Story Time gives the children a positive learning experience filled with adult interactions with guest readers and the Story Time Ladies. The adults bring their individual perspectives on the book presentations and share their personal insights, interests and knowledge and love with the children. They model respectful interactions and happy attitudes.

Children sing songs, play games, and dance at Story Time, and the activity is usually tied into the theme of the week’s book. Joy is in the air as the children’s little voices sing “Bushel and a Peck” or “Five Little Pumpkins”. “The Freeze Game” and “The Hokey Pokey” are two of their favorite musical games, and as these songs bring laughter and fun, they also help with listening skills and movement. Story Time funding provided a hopscotch rug that we can use indoors, an indoor horseshoe game, and a small colorful parachute that we can have fun with while honing those “listen to instructions” skills. All of these activities contribute to the overall learning experiences of Story Time, complementing the joys of reading and friendship.

Crafts at Story Time help the children learn to use skills such as coloring, pasting, painting, building, and thinking creatively and artistically. The books that we read inspire all kinds of crafts, and we try to vary them from week to week so that the children get well-rounded experiences. Story Time Ladies make sure that the craft pieces are prepared ahead of time so that the children will be successful with their projects. Each week the children take home their own creation. Crafts that the children have done during this grant period include plaster of Paris hand prints for Father’s Day gifts, patriotic windsocks for the 4^th of July, bird feeders for Our New Budgerigar, bag holders made from milk jugs for How to Help the Earth, by the Lorax, pirate telescopes for the book Costume Fun, and cotton ball llamas for Is Your Mama a Llama?

Story Time ends each week with snacks, again related to something in the book of the week. There is usually fruit, along with something salty and something sweet, often homemade from someone’s kitchen. Story Time Ladies Esther Parker and Aggie Mason have become experts in preparing snacks in the shape of something special such as a pirate ship made from apples and cheese or donuts with teeth for a funny Halloween treat. They’ve perfected how to make s’mores in the microwave for books about camping or picnics. In December, Ann Heishman guided the children as they rolled out cookie dough, cut out the cookies, and then decorated them. The cookies baked while the children enjoyed the book, and then they got to eat their cookies for the snack!

Children and their families that come to Story Time form friendships that are meaningful. The children learn about being with other children and sharing and taking turns and other such valuable lessons. The friends that they make at Story Time carry over into school and are helpful there. Their parents and grandparents who bring them to Story Time enjoy visiting and sharing in the experiences of children growing and learning. Young mothers help each other and grandparents give loving guidance. The adults become the children’s partners in the crafts, helping when needed – working together, and often with another person’s child.

 

This grant provides books to make a difference in the lives of the children of our community. The children experience good things with books and build up their home libraries. They are hopefully developing a love of books and learning which will serve them throughout their lives. The relationships that Story Time nurtures strengthen the bonds of our community.”