Dress-Up Storytime

 
The library where I work is in a very diverse community and we try to make our programs as inclusive as possible, so instead of a full-on Halloween party we decided to do a special "Dress-Up" storytime instead. This way kids (and staff!) could still have the fun of wearing costumes without excluding anyone who doesn't wish to participate in Halloween. Though we chose to have this as a Halloween alternative, you could have Dress-Up storytime anytime!

First I introduced myself and welcomed everyone, then we sang a "Hello" song, followed by what what to expect (stories & songs, costume parade, dance party w/bubbles, play & craft time, and treat bags). I also had a selection of costumes and accessories available for those who didn't have a costume.

We warmed up with singing "If You're a ____ and You Know It" and filled in the blank based on the costumes attendees were wearing:

If you're a superhero and you know it, show your muscles...
 If you're a butterfly and you know it, flutter your wings....
If you're a mouse and you know it, say "squeak, squeak"...
If you're an astronaut and you know it, blast off!...
If you're a kitty-cat and you know it, say "Meow"...
If you're a bear and you know it, give a growl...
If you're an avocado and you know it, make guacamole....

I chose Maisy Dresses Up by Lucy Cousins for our first book because it is short and simple, but still has a bit of a story. We see Maisy and her friends planning what they are going to wear to Tallulah's costume party. I like that this shows dressing up in costumes, but is not specific to Halloween, and also that Maisy makes her own costume. The illustrations are bright and bold, and not too busy, so perfect for a younger crowd.

I followed that with another song based on what the kids were wearing:

If You're Wearing...

If you're wearing red today, red today, red today;
if you're wearing red today, please stand up!

(Use different colors, patterns, characters, etc., and you can also play around with different actions)

Then we looked at a boardbook that shows babies dressed in different costumes, Baby Dress Up by Stephanie Meyers. This book features photographs of babies and toddlers in costumes, and we all know babies and toddlers love seeing photos of other babies. I appreciated the simple sets and the diversity shown.

Finally, I closed with one of my favorite read-alouds of all time, The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd. This book is so fun to read aloud, and adds a perfect slight spooky touch without actually being a true Halloween book. Yes, it does feature a pumpkin with a face, but never mentions Halloween or jack-o'lanterns. This is one book I never get tired of reading, and I look forward to it every year. And since it featured articles of clothing dressing as a scarecrow, it fit in with our "dress-up" theme.

After that, we did a costume parade around the library, returning to the program room for a short dance party with bubbles, followed by optional craft and play time, and treat bags to take home.

Activities
I put out a variety of things after storytime, depending on how many attend and their ages. Usually one simple craft or crayons/markers/paint and paper, and some sensory and building toys. For this storytime I had:

• "Getting Dressed" sticker sheets
  
• Color-Your-Own masks
• Dress-Up bin with costumes
• Foam building blocks
• Waffle builders
• Sensory tubes
  
  

Treat Bags
I generally give several non-edible treats, along with a few edible ones. This time, due to budgetary constraints I only gave one edible treat and used other giveaways we had on hand:

• Mini book
• 4-pack crayons
• Mini tub of Play-dough
• allergy-friendly lollipops (made with natural colors & flavorings)
• stickers
  
  

Additional books not used, but available for checkout:

Amazing Me! Dressing Up! Soy Sorprendente! Me disfazo! by Carol Thompson

Dress-Up Fun with Elmo  by Cat Reynolds & Allison Black

Maya Papaya and Amigos Play Dress-Up by Susan Middleton Elya & Maria Mola

Dress-Up Day by Blanca Gómez

How It Went

I work at a small library in a community where people generally don't bring their kids to the library, for a variety of reasons (both parents work, cultural differences, different values & priorities, worrying about more basic needs, not aware of what library offers, competing with larger nearby libraries...), so I am learning to adjust expectations and redefine success. I ended up with nine children and nine adults, which is a big turnout for this library, and everyone seemed to enjoy the program. Some did show up in costumes, some did not, and only one of those that didn't chose to put on one of the provided costumes, though others did choose to put on hats. I noticed there was little interest in doing either of the crafts.

All in all, I would say it was a successful program, but I do have to admit I missed doing my usual big Halloween "Boo Bash" and having 2-3 times as many kids. The energy is just different with such a small crowd and it sometimes feels awkward. But different communities have differing needs and require a different approach. I'm still adjusting and figuring things out here.