The following fun ideas are from the WLVS (WI Valley Library Service) January 2021 newsletter, edited by Jamie Matczak.
Rhinelander District Library and Frances L. Simek Memorial Public Library (Medford) both conducted outdoor storytimes throughout the fall. Denise Chojnacki, Children’s Services Manager at Rhinelander, and Marlene Klemm, Youth Services Coordinator at Medford, share their experiences below.
1) What time of year did you
start outdoor storytime? What was the time of day?
Denise: I started our Books & Blankets Storytime at the end of
August. Luckily, the weather allowed us to go all the way into
November! It was held at 4:00 p.m., to reach some of the school kids, as
well as the littles.
Marlene: We did Fall
Storytimes starting in September and going into November, as weather permitted.
Our storytimes were on Fridays at 10:30 a.m.
2) Where did participants sit/gather?
Denise: Participants brought a blanket and sat on the library property
lawn 6 feet apart.
Marlene: Participants
brought their own blankets and chairs to sit on the lawn.
 |
| Denise Cojnacki and friends |
3) Why did your library decide to do
this?
Denise: This program was chosen because we wanted an in-person
touch. The kids especially need to see a live face and get an in-person
hello!
Marlene: We decided to do outdoor storytimes because of patron requests.
4) What was the
response from participants?
Denise: The
response was really positive. It started out a little small and maxed out
by the last one as we limited it to 10 families. In doing this, we gave
each family a bagged snack, a book to follow along with and to take. We
bagged up scarves or rhythm sticks, craft items, etc. for each family. At
the end of each program, we just gathered everything in a bin and quarantined
it. It worked beautifully.
Marlene: Participants who came were
enthusiastic, but attendance was down from pre-covid regular
attendance.
 |
| Marlene Klemm and friends |
5) Are there plans to do this in the spring?
Denise: Going forward we are looking into holding these in Rhinelander’s
new dome that was built for high school sports and programs. It's really
large and the school wants the community to use it. If all goes
accordingly, we will hold a storytime there in February or March. Once
the nice weather resumes, we will return to the library lawn.
Marlene: Yes!
We hope to restart this in spring.
6) What would you have changed or what adjustments did you make to the
program?
Denise: At this point, there is nothing I'd change. We've gotten
really good feedback on it, and it also gives us a boost to be with the kids in
a safe, distanced fashion.
Marlene: We
learned to incorporate larger/oversize books as much as possible, as well as
increasing movement/participation. We provided take-home craft kits that
correlated with the themes, too.
For more information on these programs, contact Denise at denise@rhinelanderlibrary.org, or Marlene at mklemm@medford.lib.wi.us.
Creating Community Fun YSS blog COVID-19 series
- Mini-Golf Reader’s Cup 9/25/21
- Beep! Beep! Honk if you have Bingo! 9/1/21
- Letters to Guinea Pigs 8/18/21
- Stuffed Animal Fun for Everyone 7/13/21
- Pet Show and Tell 4/17/21
- Campfire Storywalk 3/10/21
- Outdoor Storytimes 1/17/20
- Family Trivia Night 10/7/20
- Flipgard, Fanfare and Friends: River Falls Celebrity Storytime 9/21/20
- Tie Dye Masks 8/24/20
- Summer Book Picnics 7/13/20
- Engaging Kids Outdoors 7/10/20
- Downtown Story Stroll 6/5/20
- Book nCover Double 6/8/20
- Going the Extra Mile 6/15/20
- Summer Storyteller 6/16/20
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