Posted in family, Guide

Gift idea: LEGO With Dad (and some LEGO blocks!)

LEGO with Dad: Creatively Awesome Projects for Parents and Kids to Build Together, by Warren Nash, (Oct. 2020, Rocky Nook), $24.95, ISBN: 978-1681985862

Ages 12+

Blogger Warren Nash has taken to blogging and making videos about his LEGO projects with his son, drawing on memories of making cool LEGO stuff with his own dad. LEGO With Dad is a love letter to caregiver and kids bonding time; he notes in his foreword that “LEGO With Dad” carries different meanings for different families. The book is a comprehensive guide to building with the blocks, no kits necessary. Sections on the best bricks to use and best kits to buy are helpful when spending holiday dollars; a section with structural advice, adding unusual bricks for flourish, and working with  moving parts, like gears. Projects go from simple builds to more advanced builds, photographed and detailed step-by-step for easy following. Family Spotlights show off different families and how they share LEGO time together.

Easy to read, easy to follow, and with an emphasis on creating memories, relationships, and LEGOs together, this is a great book for all families. It’s a fun, imaginative gift idea, too: wrap this up with a LEGO set of mixed blocks, like the Classic Creative sets, and you’re all set. Set some time aside every day – goodness knows we’re getting a lot of it, but let’s try to make it less stressful – to build together, talk, and laugh together. And check out Warren Nash’s YouTube channel, too: he’s got some good videos on there, not all of which are about LEGO.

Posted in family, programs, Storytime, Storytime

Family Storytime: Pizza!

I led a family storytime in Corona and decided go with a pizza theme. Who doesn’t love pizza, right? Since family storytimes are for all ages, I included a fun pizza craft after the storytime, and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Books:

petes-a-pizza-coversecret-pizza-partypizza-man

Hello song!

Story: Secret Pizza Party, by Adam Rubin

Story: Hi, Pizza Man!, by Virginia Walter
This is such a great book, and I hope it gets put back into print. While waiting for a pizza delivery, a child and caregiver imagine what they would say to a gaggle of different pizza delivery… folks.

Song: “I Wish I Were a Pepperoni Pizza” (Tune: Oscar Meyer theme)
Oh, I wish I were a pepperoni pizza,
That is what I’d truly like to be,
For if I were a pepperoni pizza,
Everyone would be in love with me!

Rhyme: “Pizza Man!” (Tune: Pat-a-Cake)
Pat a pie, pat a pie, Pizza Man.
Make me a pizza as fast as you can!
Roll it and toss it and sprinkle it with cheese.
And don’t forget 5 pepperonis please!

Story: Pete’s a Pizza, by William Steig
This is a great story to get little ones and caregivers interacting. As Pete’s parents make Pete a pizza, they roll him out (tickle him), cover him in “pepperoni”, and carry him to the oven (the couch) to bake him. Parents can play along with kids at the library or even more fun, at home.

Song: “If You Want to Eat Some Pizza” (Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)
If you want to eat some pizza, clap your hands,(clap, clap),
If you want to eat some pizza, clap your hands, (clap, clap),
If you like bubbly cheese ,then just say “Pizza, please!”
If you want to eat some pizza, clap your hands, (clap, clap).
If you want to eat some pizza, stamp your feet,(stamp, stamp)…
If you want to eat some pizza, shout “Hooray!”, (“Hooray!”)…
If you want to eat some pizza, do all three, (Clap, clap, stamp, stamp, “Hooray!”)

Thanks to Storytime Katie and Perpetual Preschool for the pizza songs!

Goodbye song!

Craft: Make Your Own Pizzas!
For this craft, I handed out small paper plates and construction paper in red, brown, green, and yellow for toppings. Families used safety scissors and glue sticks to create their own pizzas and took them home.