Babies Need Words Every Day: Play!

January 21, 2016 by Kendra Leave a comment

I’m so thrilled to be joining this week’s blog tour for Babies Need Words Every Day with a focus on PLAY (my favorite!!!!). In this post you’ll read about how I incorporate PLAY into my programs and services and find resources that may be helpful for you to PLAY (yes, every one is going to be all caps because THAT’S how EXCITED I am about PLAY!) in your library.

Before you continue, if you aren’t already familiar with the Babies Need Words Every Day initiative, read up. The TL;DR is this initiative provides a low cost (FREE), attractive tool for helping us explain to caregivers the importance of reading, talking, singing, writing and playing EVERY DAY. These practices not only help bridge the 30 million word gap but help develop a whole host of skills as describe in this post and the other blog tour posts.

Definitely print those gorgeous posters and hang them all over your library. I have them hung in the public restrooms as well as the meeting room where storytime happens.

In addition to hanging the posters, in every storytime I give caregivers a reason why PLAY, and the other practices are important. These are some of the things I might say in storytime about PLAY.

“Grown ups, when we PLAY with our children…

…they hear all kinds of new words to expand their vocabulary which will make it easier to understand what they read later on.

…we help them use their imaginations and explore and learn about the world in a natural way. This background knowledge will help them be successful readers.

…we are modeling and helping them use fine motor skills necessary for writing.

…they get to use their critical thinking skills to solve problems, analyze situations, and interact with peers and adults. These skills are vital to reading, learning, and school readiness.

…we create lasting bonds and fabulous memories and show them the library is the COOLEST place to be!” (Yes, I really do say that because families who form a connection with the library are more likely to return often and use all the great resources we have available…like books!)

Every program for young children includes an element of PLAY. Sometimes this happens during a book (flap books, Shake It Up, Baby by Karen Katz, tickle books, etc.), sometimes it happens during a rhyme or song (any song that gets you moving is PLAY, in my opinion, you can check out my Rhymes for ideas), but it always happens after storytime when we pull out toys or another activity for open PLAY and exploration. Here are some pictures of some of my successful PLAY activities. Click here to read more about my PLAY programs.