Stuffed Animals: Snowed in at the Library!

We love hosting sleepovers for stuffed animals here at the library. We started a few summers ago as a fun Summer Reading Program activity, and it was so popular that we just can't stop bringing it back! The basic format of the program is as follows (guys, it is really easy!):

1) Sign-up required, starting two weeks before the event. We limited it to 40 stuffed animal owners.
2) Registration: day of the event, beginning half an hour before story time, we have kids line up with their stuffies to get nametags and fill out permission slips. We also get their contact info just in case, and ask the parental units to fill out photo releases (for the kids, not the animals!). We then take pictures of each kid with their stuffed animal, and they are just precious.

This way we know their bedtimes, favorite foods, dislikes, all the things any responsible sleepover host should know of their charges.

 3) Story time: Before the kids to say goodbye to their stuffed animal companions, they get to enjoy story time together! We team up and read a few books together (this year we did Bumbletum by Steve Smallman, Below by Nina Crews, and Knuffle Bunny Too, by Mo Willems). We also always do the song Teddy Bear Playtime, from Hap Palmer's album So Big. Guys, it is the absolute cutest thing.

4) Photo time! We split the stuffed animals into smaller groups (of about 10 each), and keep them in order for all of the pictures. This helps much with our sanity in the final step of the process. We storyboard the photoshoot in advance- this year we decided to photograph the stuffed animals bundling up for the snow (individual portraits with the fairy twins), playing in the snow (cotton stuffing, tulle, and glitter), crashing a cookie party (fortunate timing, a staff cookie exchange was happening at the same time), making a mess of the bathroom, and finally going to sleep (all in one giant cuddle pile). Check out some of the highlights below!

No, Sara, that isn't my hat, that's a frog!

Snowy weather fun!

Too much sugar, what a mess!

Goodnight!

5) Massive photo editing. This is the actual "work" part of the gig. We make individual photo sheets for each participant, so they can see what their pal was up to all night. We prepare a template in advance, and just substitute in the name of the animal and the appropriate pictures for each. This also culminates in a summative video, recapping their collective experience.  Leave a comment if you would like a copy of our photo sheet template (or the permission slips)!
  

 Happy programming and stuffed animal partying, friends!
~Emily and Sara