2013 Doodle 4 Google contest

What would you do on your best day ever? What would make it your best day ever? That's the question Google is asking all students in grades K-12 in its annual Doodle 4 Google contest.

Doodle 4 Google is a competition open to K-12 students of U.S. schools to create their own Google doodle. This year’s theme for the doodles is “My Best Day Ever…” There will be winners from each state and in five different grade groups. Students could win scholarships, tablets, a trip to NYC for the awards ceremony, and a chance to be featured on the Google homepage!

Last year's winning picture, which was featured on Google's homepage, is shown at the top of this post. You can either use the Google templates found on their entry form page or draw your own picture, as long as the Google logo is clearly visible.

All the details are listed on the entry form page. Deadline to submit doodles is Friday, March 22, 2013. Download an entry form and get drawing!

Parent Tip: Going on a Letter Hunt

While planning a bear-themed storytime this week, I was typing up a handout for parents to take home which included the rhyme "Going on a Bear Hunt." It's a fun rhyme to do with children anytime. You can even find the book in our catalog here: Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury or Going on a Lion Hunt. You can watch it here: Going a Bear Hunt video.

It starts off like this:

We’re going on a bear hunt!

We’re gonna catch a big one!

We’re not scared!

Are you?

Not me!

Look!

A hill!

We can’t get round it.

We can’t get through it.

Gonna climb over it.

(makes hill climbing actions) Huff, puff, huff, puff, huff (mimes reaching the top and looking around with eyes shaded and then running back down) Ooooh, what a loverly view! Weeeeeeeeee.

So I started thinking about an early literacy skills tip I read a while ago that suggested taking your children on a letter hunt. Let's call it a Letter Safari! Letter knowledge, learning to name letters and recognizing them everywhere, is one of the skills children will need to learn to read later.

If you're grocery shopping or waiting in a line, give your child a letter (you could start with the first letter in their name) and ask them to point everytime they spot it. For example, "Here's the letter D. Where else do you see the letter D?" Help them if needed and encourage them when they find that letter!

Using the tune for "Going on a Bear Hunt," here's a rhyme you can use on your Letter Safari:

We're going on a letter hunt.

We're looking all around.

There are so many A's

Waiting to be found.

You can change the letters or even hide some letters around your house and help your child to search for them. Have fun!

Winter Story Times!

 

Winter Story Time sessions are now underway!

 

Family Story Time, for all ages, is on Monday evenings from 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. Children may wear pajamas if they wish! Tots ‘N’ Toddlers Story Time, for children ages 2-3, is on Wednesdays from 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. or 11:15 – 11:45 a.m. Tyke Tales Story Time, for children ages 0-23 months, is on Thursdays from 10:15 – 10:35 a.m. Preschool Story Time, for children ages 4-5 who do not yet attend kindergarten, is offered on Thursday mornings from 11:15 – 11:45 a.m.

All the story times reflect the new early literacy initiative, Every Child Ready to Read, offering parents many fun and useful suggestions to help their children gain the early skills that lead to reading.

Children attending these free programs must be accompanied by an adult. One child per adult lap, please. Registration for this session is required and may be done by visiting or calling the Children’s Department at 330.832.5037.

The Massillon Public Library is located at 208 Lincoln Way East. The Street entrance is handicap accessible.