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Category: Family Learning

First Friends at Home: More Favorites

By Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

As this was our last First Friends Friday/Baby Storytime for the school year...I focused on favorites!

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
We’ll have so much fun...hooray!

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin
Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in!

My Little Red Wagon (bounce)

Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon
Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon
Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darling?

Bouncing side to side in my little red wagon
Bouncing side to side in my little red wagon
Bouncing side to side in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darling?

Bouncing way up high in my little red wagon
Bouncing way up high in my little red wagon
Bouncing way up high in my little red wagon
Won’t you be my darling?

Slowly, Slowly (action rhyme/tickle)

Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Creeps the garden snail
Slowly, slowly, very slowly
Up the wooden rail
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
Runs the little mouse!
Quickly, quickly, very quickly
All around the house!

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear (action song)

Teddy bear, teddy bear, turn around
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the ground
Teddy bear, teddy bear, reach up high
Teddy bear, teddy bear, touch the sky!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, show your shoe
Teddy bear, teddy bear, I love you!
Teddy bear, teddy bear, slap your knees
Teddy bear, teddy bear, sit down please.

Popcorn (prop song)

Popcorn, popcorn (Wave your scarf!)
Popcorn, popcorn
In the pot, in the pot (Hide your scarf in your hands)
Shake them, shake them, shake them (shake shake shake!)
Shake them, shake them, shake then
‘Til they pop! ‘Til they pop! (Throw scarf in the air!)

Scarf Peekaboo (prop song)

We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
Because it’s lots of fun!

We wave them up high!
We wave them down low
We wave them over you...peekaboo!
Because it’s lots of fun

We throw our scarves together
We throw our scarves together
We throw our scarves together
Because it’s lots of fun!
We throw them up high!
We throw them down low
We throw them over you...peekaboo!
Because it’s lots of fun!

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small

This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye!

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First Friends at Home: Our Favorites!

By Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This week I shared some tried and true Baby Storytime favorites! I hope you enjoy!!

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
We’ll have so much fun...hooray!

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap
Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin

Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in!

Sugar Babies (action rhyme)

Roll, roll sugar babies
Roll, roll sugar babies
Push! Pull! Clap-clap-clap!

“ “
Hot! Cold! Clap-clap-clap!

“ “
Up! Down! Clap-clap-clap!

Little Bird (action song/bounce)

Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

I saw a little bird go hop-hop-hop
I asked that little bird to stop-stop-stop
I went to the window to say: How do you do?
He wagged his little tail at me and away he flew!

Popcorn (bounce)

Popcorn, Popcorn
Sizzling in the pan
Shake it up, shake it up
Bam! Bam! Bam!

Popcorn, Popcorn
Now it’s getting hot
Shake it up, shake it up
Pop! Pop! Pop!

Colors in the Air (prop song)

Colors, colors
Colors, colors
Floating in the air!
Floating in the air!

Red, Orange, Yellow
Green, Blue, Purple

Floating in the air!
Floating in the air!

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small
This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow
This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye!

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About Your Membership

By Leila McRae, Bookings & Membership Manager

When we closed our doors in March we had hoped that we would only be closed for a few weeks. Certainly, we did not anticipate being closed for months and not being able to welcome you to the museum for an extended period.

In light of our closure we will be extending all current memberships for however many months we are closed from their expiration date. All memberships will be updated in our database with the new expiration dates and members will be issued an updated expiration date sticker to add to their current membership card.

We cannot wait to welcome you back to the museum when it is sure to be a safe and fun visit for all of our guests and staff. We miss seeing you, hearing your laughs, learning with you and sharing stories and enjoying our days with you.

In the meantime, please visit our Online Learning & Fun page to stay connected with the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire through a number of virtual activities, and follow us on Facebook to stay in touch and learn about members-only opportunities when we reopen.

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First Friends at Home: Things that FLY

By Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This week’s First Friends Friday was all about things that can FLY! We did a bunch of rhymes about bugs, insects, and birds!

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
We’ll have so much fun...hooray! 

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin
Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in! 

Cuckoo Clock (Action Rhyme/Bounce)

(Rock babies back and forth and then bounce them up in the air for each cuckoo)

Tick-tock, tick-tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock!
Tick-tock, tick-tock
It’s one o’clock…
Cuckoo!

Tick-tock, tick-tock
I’m a little cuckoo clock!
Tick-tock, tick-tock
It’s two o’clock…
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! 

It’s three o’clock…

It’s four o’clock…

Etc!

 Beehive (action rhyme)

Here is the beehive
But where are the bees?
Hiding inside where nobody sees!
Soon they’ll come buzzing out of the hive…
One! Two! Three! Four! Five!
Buzzzzzzzzzz!

I’m a little Blue Jay (bounce) 

I’m a little Robin  and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little Blue Jay and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little Chickadee and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

I’m a little Cardinal and I wiggle all day
If you get too close to me I’ll FLY away!

Wise Old Owl (action rhyme)

There is a wise old owl,
With a pointed nose,
He has pointed ears,
And claws for toes!
He sits in a tree,
And looks at you,
Then he flaps his wings and says:
Whoooooo! Whoooooo!

Everyone can shake! (prop song)

Everyone can shake shake shake
Everyone can shake shake shake
Everyone can shake shake shake
And now it’s time to stop!

Everyone can tap tap tap
Everyone can tap tap tap
Everyone can tap tap tap
And now it’s time to stop!

Everyone can clap clap clap
Everyone can clap clap clap
Everyone can clap clap clap
And now it’s time to stop!

Everyone can wave, wave, wave
Everyone can wave, wave, wave
Everyone can wave, wave, wave
And now it’s time to stop!

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small

This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye! 

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Marching to Your Own Beat: Books for Cool Kids & Parents

by Taylore Kelly, CMNH Graphic Designer and Communications Specialist

If you and your children march to the beat of a different drummer, have we got a list of picture books for you. After much research and a lot of fun, we came up with ten books that speak to the modern inner rebel, artist, musician, and trickster. Each story is filled with messages for big and small people and poignant art. 

Dadusedtobecool

My Dad Used to Be So Cool, by Keith Negley

This is a very thought-provoking, moving book about a boy who sees hints of his father’s former life. Rock-bands and motorcycles! Who knew Dad used to be so cool!? The story is combined with many colorful and vibrant illustrations and will resonate with all, the young, the middle, and the old(er).


Urbanbabies

Urban Babies Wear Black, by Nathalie Dion

First off this book has amazing, stylish art by Nathalie Dion. The truth MAY be that no child will REALLY identify with this book in words, however if parents enjoy reading this board book, the baby will appreciate the effort. The message may appear to be that urban babies do all sorts of cool things, but what comes across is that the babies in this book do things with their parents, and that's what makes them the coolest!


Tatoostory

Tell Me a Tattoo Story, by Alison McGhee & Elizabeth Wheeler

This is a beautiful story about a father sharing his life stories, and memories with his son. But instead of flipping through a photo album together, we see his life and loves come alive in his description of his tattoos - a statement of family love. It dispels the myth that only certain types of people have tattoos. It’s a love story you won’t regret reading.


Punk

What is Punk, by Eric Morse and Anny Yi

This little diddy is a pop-culture primer. The history of punk rock is told in clever rhyming that will delight little readers and amuse parents. Anny Yi's phenomenal 3D-clay illustrations are pure perfection and bring this world to life. Readers of all ages will have so much fun. You can read this in less than 5 minutes, to your child and, maybe, play the music! Teach 'em young!


Warhol

Where's Warhol, by Catharine Ingram and Andrew Rae

This beautiful and fun book shares art history and pop culture! Instead of trying to spot "Waldo" you get to try to spot Warhol and friends. In the process, discover figures such as artist Rachel Whiteread, potter Josiah Wedgwood, novelist Gustave Flaubert and architect/designer Walter Gropius who appear alongside the likes of rappers The Beastie Boys, actor John Travolta, singer Madonna, and even Yoko Ono and John Lennon!


Nopictures

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

If there is one thing kids like even better than pictures, it’s nonsense words. Hearing nonsense words read aloud by your parents is top tier! We had a hard time not collapsing into fits of giggles and barely made it past “a hippo named Boo Boo Butt”.


Goodnightvader

Goodnight Darth Vader, by Jeffrey Brown

There are really no words actually needed to describe this book, BUT this whimsical bed time romp through everyone’s favorite space fantasy highlight’s superb artistic talents & goofy sensibilities. This makes a great bedtime treat for any Star Wars devotee.


Goodnightipad

Goodnight iPad: a Parody for the Next Generation, by Ann Droyd  

This short, sweet book highlights our dependence on technology and the usefulness of knowing when to put it down. This closely follows the cadence, rhyme, and illustrated scene sequencing of the original "Goodnight Moon", by Margaret Wise Brown. However, it makes serious fun of our addictions to bright, noisy, digital media. This book will hit a home run with parents of school-aged kids today!


Triangle

Triangle, by Mac Barnett and Jon Klasen  

This book brings a quirky, clever tale to life. It’s a silly story about friends playing tricks on each other. A truly fun and simple story that will connect with kids, but also have adults smiling at the antics and conclusion.


Bewareoffrog

Beware of the Frog, by William Bee

A great picture book for older kids perhaps as this story starts out very sweet, but has some twists along the way and a surprise ending! It’s the twists and turns that make this story great! A perfect blend of sweet and funny. Great illustrations and a hiding snail to find on each page!

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Backyard Birding- Make a Bird Feeder

By Colie Haahr, CMNH Educator

Backyard birding is a great way for kids to practice making observations, and to learn about ecology and biology! Learn how to make 2 easy bird feeders to attract special birds to your yard, especially Orioles, who like oranges and other fruits.  

If you have not tried backyard birding before, there are a few things to think about before you start. First, setting expectations for seeing birds. Even if you do a great job setting up a feeder with food that birds like, you may not see birds right away, or draw in unique birds right away. It’s a good idea to let kids know they may not see birds as soon as the feeder goes out. When scientists do research, they do a lot of observation and patient waiting to see results!

The food you provide is important, too, and birds need water! It may take some time to establish your backyard as a consistent food source for birds, so don’t give up if birds do not appear right away. All animals need water, so if you are able to provide clean water for your backyard animal friends, then you may see more of them more often. Birds do not have hands, obviously, so they use their beaks for many different things the way we use our hands. Different birds have different beaks that are adapted to where they live and what they eat. There’s a great book called Beaks! by Sneed B. Collard III  that helps to illustrate this to kids. When you put out food for the birds keep in mind not only what they eat, but how they eat it and whether they can access it with their beaks.  

Something else to keep in mind is the season. Some birds are only going to be around for a few months of the year because of migration, and others will be around throughout the year. Some birds migrate, or move, to warmer areas for the winter so that they can find more food. Migrating is a behavioral adaptation, or change in behavior, that helps an animal to survive. Some foods are harder for birds to find in the winter, like insects and fruits. The temperature gets too cold for some birds, but surprisingly many birds can withstand very cold winter temperatures. Spring is a great time to observe birds, and you may even get to see some nests being built. 

Location is important, too. If there is not a lot of natural habitat near your backyard, you may see fewer bird species. To see “new” or special birds, you can try visiting their habitat, like a local conservation area. The Bellamy Preserve in Dover is a great place to see birds, and since there are open fields as well as the bay nearby, you can see shore birds and forest birds on the same trip. Ideal bird habitats may also be ideal tick habitats, so be mindful of your clothing choices, and in the springtime boots will be necessary for the mud. 

Finally, bird identification can be really tricky even for grown ups! Instead of focusing strictly on bird identification, try setting up an observation chart that kids can use independently. This chart can include the day, time,  number of birds, and what the bird was doing. For example, at lunch time Sally Scientist saw one bird that was hopping, and three birds that were flying. She didn’t see any birds that were eating or drinking, so they must not have known it was lunch time. All silliness aside, noticing whether animals eat when people eat is a great observation!  A chart that kids can check off might work well: 

Sally Scientist’s Observations:

Day/Time

Birds Hopping

Birds Flying

Birds Eating

Birds Drinking

Monday lunch

/

///

0

0


Making the Bird Feeders: 

In the video you will see 2 different ways to make a bird feeder. One style of feeder is made by adding seeds to a paper towel roll or a pine cone, and it is a little messy, but can be done outdoors to cut down on spills. The second style of feeder is made by using an orange as the food rather than bird seed, and this is done to attract Orioles because they like to eat fruit. This can be done by carefully attaching an orange half to a branch, or creating a small feeder that fits an orange inside of it, and has a perch for the birds to sit on while they eat. 

Materials Needed:

  • Oranges
  • Seeds
  • Paper towel tube
  • Peanut butter, sun butter or crisco 
  • String 
  • Pipe cleaners 
  • Hole punch
  • Small jar or yogurt cup
  • Stick for a perch (sturdy)
  • Optional: jelly - this can be messy, and less messy oranges work well!

Directions: 

  1. Tube Feeder: The first feeder design is simple, but can be a little messy. For this feeder, you will need nut butter or crisco, a paper towel tube, string, and bird seed 
  • Use a tray or plate to hold the bird seed (a small mound should work)
  • Cut a paper towel tub in half so that one tube makes two feeders
  • Carefully add nut butter or crisco to the outside of the paper towel tube. 
  • Once the tube is mostly covered, gently roll it in the birdseed. The birdseed will stick to the tube, but keep it on a work surface like a plate until it’s time to hang it up
  • Use a string to hang up your feeder by threading it through the tub and tying the two ends in a knot. Hang your feeder up in a tree 
  1. Orange Feeder: For this feeder, you need an orange cut in half, sticks, a container, hole punch, and string to hang it up. The orange feeder is designed to attract Orioles because they enjoy eating fruit, especially oranges! Orioles also like jelly (not jam), but it is a little stickier and messier, so we suggest trying oranges first.
  • First, cut the orange in half so that the birds can get to it
  • The easiest way to make an Oriole feeder with oranges is to use a sturdy branch and poke the orange half directly onto a tree
  • Another method is to use a small container, like a yogurt cup, to hold the orange. Use a stick to add a perch, add holes with a hole puncher, and use a pipe cleaner or string to hang it up.

Links:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/types-of-bird-seed-a-quick-guide/?pid=1142

https://www.audubon.org/news/make-orange-feeder-orioles

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole/lifehistory

https://feederwatch.org/blog/one-peanut-can-go-a-long-way-for-a-carolina-wren/

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First Friends at Home: Farm Animals

By Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This week featured songs & rhymes all about farm animals!

Hello Song:

Hello it’s time to play
Let’s have some fun today!
Let’s clap our hands
And wiggle our toes
A hug...and a kiss...and away we go!

Hello (insert name here) it’s time to play
We’ll have so much fun...hooray! 

Open Them/Shut Them (action song)

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Give a little clap-clap-clap

Open them, shut them
Open them, shut them
Lay them in your lap-lap-lap

Creep them, creep them, creep them, creep them
Right up to your chin-chin-chin

Open up your little mouth…
But do not let them in! 

This is the way the ladies ride (bounce)

This is the way the ladies ride
Trit-trot, trit-trot

This is the way the gentlemen ride
Jiggity-jog, jiggity-jog

This is the way the farmer rides
Hobbildy-hoy, hobbildy-hoy

And this is the way the hunter rides
Gallopy, gallopy, gallopy, gallopy
Oooooooover the fence! 

Five Clean & Dirty Pigs (action song)

Five pigs so squeaky clean
Cleanest you’ve ever seen
Wanted to go outside and play
Oink! Oink!

One jumped into the mud
Landed with a big thud
Then there were four squeaky clean pigs…

Four pigs…

Three pigs…

Two pigs…

One pig…

To Market, To Market (Bounce)

To market, to market to buy a fat pig
Home again, home again
Jiggity-Jig!

Buy a fat hog/ Jjiggity-Jog

Buy a fat cat/ Jiggity-Jat

Buy a fat sheep/ Jiggity-Jeep

Buy a fat hen/ Jiggity-Jen

Popcorn (prop song)

Popcorn, popcorn (Wave your scarf!)
Popcorn, popcorn
In the pot, in the pot (Hide your scarf in your hands)
Shake them, shake them, shake them (shake shake shake!)
Shake them, shake them, shake then
‘Til they pop! ‘Til they pop! (Throw scarf in the air!)

Scarf Peekaboo (prop song)

We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
We wave our scarves together
Because it’s lots of fun!

We wave them up high!
We wave them down low
We wave them over you...peekaboo!
Because it’s lots of fun

We throw our scarves together
We throw our scarves together
We throw our scarves together
Because it’s lots of fun!

We throw them up high!
We throw them down low
We throw them over you...peekaboo!
Because it’s lots of fun! 

Goodbye Rhyme (action rhyme)

This is big, big, big
And this is small, small, small

This is short, short, short
And this is tall, tall, tall!

This is fast, fast, fast
And this is slow, slow, slow

This is yes, yes, yes
And this is no, no, no

This is hi, hi, hi
And this is bye, bye, bye! 

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Wacky Art: Tin Foil Printmaking

By Meredith Brustlin, CMNH Educator

This printmaking is so fun and easy to do with materials you probably already have at home! The best part is it can be done over and over again with very little clean-up in between! Here’s how to get started:

Materials Needed:

  • Piece of paperboard (like a cereal box) or cardboard, slightly bigger than an average piece of paper (10in X 12in-ish)
  • Piece of aluminum foil that is large enough to cover the paper/cardboard. If needed, you can use two seperate pieces to cover the board
  • Tape
  • Acrylic or tempera paint
  • Cardstock, printer, or construction paper
  • A paintbrush
  • Q-tips
  • Paper towels or old kitchen rags

Directions (prep):

  • Make your printing board
    • Cut your piece of paper/cardboard to the appropriate size
    • Cover with aluminum foil
    • Fold the foil over the piece of cardboard and tape on the back so it does not move around
  • Prep/gather paint, brushes, q-tips, paper towels, etc

Directions (activity):

  • Drizzle a small amount of paint onto your printing board
    • NOTE: Start with quite a small amount, you do not want too much paint on there for this activity--you can always add a bit more!
  • Use the paintbrush to spread it out across the printboard so it is completely covered
  • Use q-tips to quickly draw designs and pictures directly into the paint
    • NOTE: Do this fast! Since you are using such a small amount of paint, it will dry quickly
  • Place a piece of paper onto the painted printboard and gently press down
  • Peel away to reveal your print!
  • Use a damp paper towel to clean your printboard, dry it off, and try again!

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