November 2024
November 2024 Standard News article
By Gaylee Harris, Director
Montgomery City Public Library
The Montgomery City Public Library recently held its stuffed animal sleepover. Judy Hays Hunt, a Montgomery City native, sponsors this annual children’s event. Ms. Hunt wants to make sure young children have positive experiences at the library. This stuffed animal sleepover is the sixth consecutive one held at MCPL.
The stuffed animal sleepover usually happens in October. The parents register their child and stuffed animal ahead of time due to limited space. Then, they attend a special storytime related to the theme and leave their stuffed friend to spend a period of time at the library. The stuffed animal stays overnight at the library, not the child. The library recommends that the stuffed animal not be a child’s favorite, just one that is played with occasionally. This is because some children experience separation anxiety when they leave their favorite stuffed friend and we want this to be a positive and fun experience, not a sad one.
After the designated time period, the children and their caregivers return to MCPL for another special storytime. The kids are so excited to reunite with their stuffies. You should see the big smiles and hugs they give! Next, they see a slideshow of their stuffed animals’ adventure and receive a goody bag. Ms. Hunt donates a free book, a t-shirt, and a bag for each registered child. Jolene Rodgers, from Varsity Ink, designs and prints the custom t-shirts and tote bags. We greatly appreciate their generosity!
The first two sleepovers had the animals explore the library and get into mischief. They raced book carts, slid down the book return, played on the computers, and photocopied their faces. They also rode the Rumba, completed puzzles, and played with LEGOS and games.
The third sleepover had a pajama party theme. They began the night reading books. Next, they assembled puzzles, took photos, and pushed buttons on equipment to see what would happen. Later they crossed a laser field, had a disco party, and made a fort.
The stuffed animals attended a campout during the fourth sleepover. They read camping books and found a camping STEAM kit that had the necessary supplies to help them on their adventure. They went fishing, collected leaves, ate roasted hot dogs and s’mores, and sang songs around a campfire. Dr. and Mrs. Bukovac donated a teepee/tent for the animals to make camp. The children excitedly discovered their animals in the teepee and had a chance to climb into it too.
The following year, the stuffies took a trip into outer space for “3, 2, 1 Blast Off!” To prepare, they read books, discovered a “Let’s Explore Space” STEAM kit, and looked through the telescope from the Library of Things collection. They built a rocket and blasted off into space. The animals walked on the moon and picked up moon rocks, walked on Saturn’s rings, and ate freeze-dried ice cream. After their space adventure, they returned to the library where an astronaut was waiting for them. The children joyfully reunited with their stuffies, took pictures in the rocket and with the astronaut, and ate freeze-dried ice cream like real astronauts.
This year the stuffed animals read “Curious George: Up, Up, and Away” and wanted to fly in a hot air balloon like Curious George in the book. Once they built the balloon and drew a map, they flew around the United States looking at landmarks. They did yoga under the Gateway Arch, observed Mt. Rushmore, viewed the Statue of Liberty, witnessed Niagara Falls, ate ice cream near the Golden Gate Bridge, and looked over the edge of the Grand Canyon. The stuffies brought the hot air balloon inside to share with the kids who loved it.
The animals are already thinking about what to do and where to go next year. If you are interested in seeing the booklets from the six stuffed animal sleepovers, stop by the library! MCPL has many fun and interesting programs to offer all ages. Our library events are free and do not require a library card. If you would like to sponsor a library event, please contact me at the library.