Idaho Commission for Libraries

On this page: Book Buddies: Boise Basin's Project Prop Boxes: Ideas and Hints from the University of Idaho Even Start Program Latah County's Storytelling Kits Kellogg's Story Kits Resources

Related pages: How to do a Story Time Kit project in your community Together Time Project: A project for kindergarten students and their parents

Book Buddies: Boise Basin's Project

Boise Basin District Library in Idaho City is offering Buddy Bags as part of its Books and Buddies outreach program. A staff member travels to local preschools, daycares, playgroups and home schools to provide story programs, sets of books, educational materials and Buddy Bags. Each bag contains four to eight books and activities to do at home to encourage emergent literacy concepts. Completed evaluation cards from each bag are entered in a monthly book drawing to help gather feedback from patrons. The bags can be checked out at the library or delivered through the bookmobile program. (Idaho City World)

Prop Boxes: Ideas & Hints from the University of Idaho Even Start Program

Judy Harwood, America Reads VISTA leader for the North Idaho region, gave her permission to share the hints and tips she has learned from creating prop boxes as a home literacy tool. "Prop Boxes can be used as learning tools in any home. Not only do Prop Boxes empower parents to spend more time with children, they also increase knowledge of child development and appropriate ways to stimulate learning. Prop Boxes promote a strong parent/child relationship. They help to develop a genuine partnership between parents and school and may be used as a tool for early detection of potential learning problems," Harwood said.

Harwood utilizes community groups and university students to help create her Prop Boxes to keep costs down to $20 or less per theme. She believes strongly that the materials are meant to be used and the goal to to provide books and props families can use together. All items are replaceable and they don't fine families if anything gets lost. "We send one note home and if the item turns up, great. If not, it's not a big deal," Harwood said.

The Moscow Even Start program has 24 Prop Boxes they check out to families. Themes include: Space, Your Five Senses, Nature, Kids Around the World, Careers, Tool Time, Grocery Store, Restaurant, Fireman, Gardening, Counting Fun, Idaho, and Camping.

Groups in your community who might be interested in helping create Prop Boxes include: Home Economics or Family and Consumer Science classes or student groups; church groups; senior centers; service clubs; AAUW; sororities; Spanish Club; Key Club; gardening clubs; PTOs; Grange; 4-H groups; book clubs; businesses; Head Start or child care providers; the list could go on and on. You could even submit an article to your local newspaper asking for donations for specified themes.

Prop Box Ingredients
(Feel free to add a pinch of this or that. Be creative and use what you have.)

1. Letter to families
2. Inventory list of items in box
3. Family survey
4. Journal or writing paper
5. Writing utensils
6. Books -- four to eight per box. Paper, board books, vinyl bathtub books, homemade books are all possibilities
7. Activities which include supplies
8. Puppets and/or other manipulatives
9. Flannel board/felt board cut-outs
10. Glue sticks, glue bottles
11. Markers, crayons, watercolors, finger paints, play dough
12. Child safety scissors, hole punch, straight edge
13. Yarn, fabric scraps
14. Assorted paper: notebook, construction, scrap, white, colored
15. Plastic animals and/or people
16. Music cassettes, books on tape, or VCR tapes tied to theme
17. Song and fingerplay sheets
18. Recipes
19. Pictures and photographs from old magazines, etc.

Judy's Prop Box Hints & Tips

1. Label all materials: container, scissors, glue, crayon boxes, journals, books, etc.
2. Typed or computer generated handouts are easiest for families to read
3. Remember that things may get lost or well used when you share with families : }
4. Think WASHABLE whn stocking with supplies (if possible, run items through a dishwasher, washing machine, or use one tablespoon of bleach to each quart of water and hand wash)
5. Vinyl tableclothes make easy clean-up for families
6. Keep a master list of items in box
7. Keep a photocopy of all handouts
8. Devise a check-out system; determine how long the prop box may be borrowed
9. Keep track of which family has which box
10. Allow time for cleaning and restocking box each time it is returned
11. Think about where you will store your prop boxes
12. Start simple and HAVE FUN!!!

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Latah County's Storytelling Kits

The Latah County Library District provides storytime kits for in-home daycare providers. Each kit is theme-based and contains three books, fingerplays and songs, activity ideas, and a puppet or other object for creative play. The kits are appropriate for use with preschool and primary grade children. The kits were made possible by the Friends of the Moscow Library. Contact the library for more information about their kits.

Kellogg Public Library Story Kits

The Kellogg Public Library began circulating story kits two years ago. Staff feel like they have been a worthwhile addition to the collection. Families, child care providers, Head Start and Even Start program coordinators are utilizing the kits. Staff report the "bear" theme has been the most popular. Some other themes the library uses includes: Families, Night & Space, Life in a Pond, Pets, Monsters, Music, Color, Rain Forest & African Wildlife, Insects, Farms, and much more. Contact the library for more information about their kits.

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Additional Resources:

King County Library System's Books to Grow On Kits. Explore this link to discover books, finger plays, poems and songs to share with toddlers and preschoolers. Click on an underlined theme topic and be taken to great ideas for books (click on box content) and activities to extend stories. This is a great resource. Books to Grow On: Thematic Kits for Toddlers and Preschool Children This link provides access to the contents of thematic kits including book titles, poems, songs, videos and finger plays to share with toddlers and preschoolers. Compiled by the Children's Outreach Librarian of the King County Library System for use by child care providers and parents. http://www.kcls.org/webkids/btgo/index.cfm

Seattle Public Library's "Begin With Books" Project. Curriculum Theme Kits for Child Care Providers and Baby Boxes for Parents and Child Care Providers. http://www.spl.org/children/beginwithbooks/splkits.html.

Library Programming for Families with Young Children, by Sue McCleaf Nespeca. Neal Schuman Publishers, 1994. This book has great ideas for book titles, songs and information on how to reach families and young children. Available from the Idaho Commission for Library's Professional Collection.

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