Yesterday, we had our first Stories on the Spectrum program here in the Children's Library.  The program, designed for children on the autistic spectrum between 3- and 8-years-old drew in moms, dads, aids, caregivers, grandparents, and siblings.  It was truly a family storytime.  And boy did we have fun! 

We started the storytime by blowing bubbles and watching them fall gently around us.  We read two great picturebooks, The Bus for Us by Suzanne Bloom and Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.  (As we continue with this program, I will tag the picturebooks and materials used in our catalog under the tag "stories on the spectrum pick."  Please feel free to add your own selections to the list.) 

We sang some songs (The Wheels on the Bus by Josh Levine was a big hit), did some fingerplays (like Itsy Bitsy Spider and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), and ended it all with a messy but super cool art project: bubble painting!  If you've never experienced bubble painting, you are missing out!  It's easy to do: just mix a little bit of washable paint into a container of blowing bubbles.  Shake it up.  Then tape up a big piece of paper to a wall or easel and blow bubbles at the paper.  Voila!  The bubbles will stick, drip down, and create lovely watercolor-like designs. 

The next Stories on the Spectrum program will take place on Saturday, June 13th at 11am.  If you are interested in signing up, you can call us at 669-5235 or email me directly at kparrott@darienlibrary.org. 

photo courtesy of Flickr user Pink Sherbert Photography