Submitted by: Andrea Wallace Noble
The next family bounces into the United for Literacy storytime room. Their son rushes to the table of give-away books, little hands leafing through the pages. “Mom! This is where we got the Log Hotel Book!!!” he exclaims with bright eyes and a wide smile.
Mom turns to me with a knowing smile. “He loves the Log Hotel book he got here last month. We read it every night.”
“That’s exactly what we like to hear. I’m so glad your family is loving that book!” I respond and open the book for this storytime. “Well, this book is all about big and little animals. I’m glad that you are here, because it looks like you are an animal expert! You might be able to teach me about the animals in this book.”
The boy takes it as a personal mission. He recognizes each animal on every page, recalling adaptation facts from previous Science Saturdays or things he has learned on his own. Together, we use our hands to act out how a hummingbird flies and count the grown-ups in the room to see if they would weigh as much as a gorilla. He informs me that “You have to consider that a tiger’s prey is harder to catch than a house cat’s, so they need special adaptations to do that.” The boy is no older than 7, and already filled to the brim with exuberance, confidence, and curiosity in regards to our natural word.
We finish the story, and the family leaves with another book to pour over at home. “We’ll see you next month!” The mom says.
“Thanks for learning with me!” I call after them.
The next family enters, and the next, and the next. Some big, some small. Some with grandma and grandpa in tow! Some are there for their 7th consecutive Science Saturday. Some drove an hour to experience it, even through the snow. Some are there for the first time and are shocked that they have been missing this opportunity until now. I’m pleased to see families walk through the door that represent the city I love, and a city that is learning to love nature as much as I do.
What Families Are Saying
Every month, Science Saturdays brings together literacy, nature, and hands-on learning. Here's what families are saying.
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We've been coming to every Science Saturday since August (five consecutive Science Saturdays). We heard about it on Facebook and have been coming ever since! It's something we look forward to every month.
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My son reads the log hotel book he got at the last Science Saturday every night. He keeps coming back to it. I'd say he is a log expert now!
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You have to consider that a tiger's prey is harder to catch than a house cat's, so they need special adaptations to do that.
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Yes! I love these books!
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They wanted to come to storytime first. They really enjoy the books you choose!
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We love Science Saturdays!
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Our kids love nature and being outside so much. Science Saturdays are just perfect for them!