The Great Stuffed Animal Sleepover Party!

A sleepover party for stuffed animals---doesn't that sound like fun?  It was our kick-off event on June 14 for the Summer Library Program, or the Summer Reading Club, or whatever you like to call it.  I started this post right after the party, and then forgot about it while I was waiting to get the pictures together.

Anyway . . . .

We welcomed the animals to the party by making tags for them that said:  "Hi! My name is _____ and I belong to ______." Each critter got a tag so we would know what belonged to whom for the overnight stay.

The kids sat on a couple big picnic quilts for storytime.

Once everyone was assembled, I taught them the Library Cheer. The cheer was written by Garrison Keillor and you can see librarian Margaret Miles demonstrating it on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jis3P6HFZ-M

Then we sang Alice the Camel, and read two great bedtime books:  Llama Llama Red Pajama, by Anna  Dewdney and Where’s my Teddy? by Jez Alborough. 

Here's a good little bedtime fingerplay:

This little child is going to bed  (hold up one finger)

Down on the pillow she lays her head  (lay the finger down on the palm of your other hand)

She wraps herself in a blanket tight  (wrap fingers around the one finger child)

And this is the way she sleeps all night. (hold out your two hands)

  

I told the story of The Tailor and the Hudgin, or, The Bed Just So.  There is an old book by Jeanne Hardendorff called The Bed Just So,where I got this story, but the book is out of print. It is my favorite "slightly-scary" story for the younger crowd. I often use it at Halloween, but it isn't really a Halloween story.  It's about a tailor trying to get some sleep and the mysterious hudgin who keeps him awake all night long, until he finds the solution right before his eyes.

After all the stories and songs we made glittery stars to hang from the ceiling, and then tucked the animals under the quilts.  Goodnight, critters!

The critters had a great time overnight in the library.

This was such a fun activity and really easy to do. We'll probably do it again!