Did you recently notice a few extra little children and stuffed animals in the Library? Did a 
disco ball catch your eye when you were trying to study? It’s no surprise! Twenty-five children from ages 2 to 9 years visited Andersen Library on Friday, April 12, 2019, to participate in the Library’s Seventh Annual Stuffed Animal Sleepover. The children of UW-Whitewater students, staff, faculty, and the Children’s Center, were invited to participate in a craft and dance party fun followed by a story time.
Art Education student Emily Wozniak coordinated a craft activity with the assistance of volunteer education students Caitlin Frank, Sydney DeWall, and Lauren Blank, during which children created rockets and googly-eye finger puppet martians. The children then joined in dancing with Rockin’ DJ Ben who got them moving with out-of-this-world tunes and a rocketload of balloons. 
Ready for a rest, the children then enjoyed stories and action rhymes with UW-W COEPS students, Lexie O’Halleran and Mackenzie Ausprung. Their selections were We’re Off to Look for Aliens by Collin McNaughton and Zoom Rocket Zoom! by Margaret Mayo.
Before heading home, the children put their stuffed animals down to nap. The stuffies needed it to be alert and ready to dive in to their astronaut training sessions with guest lecturer, Buzz Lightyear.
A big thank you to everyone who helped make the event fun for all! We are grateful for the many student workers and staff members involved behind the scenes, from blowing up balloons and setting up. COEPS students Kylie Brady and Taryn Ciochon, and Library staff members Barbara, Naomi, Martha, and Deronica stayed for the evening to run the astronaut training program, wrangle the stuffed animals, and put together photo memory books of the stuffed animals’ nighttime antics.
If this sounds like fun for a little one you know, or if you’d like to volunteer, keep your eyes peeled for next year’s event!
