Have you heard of First Chance For Children? Their mission is to provide early childhood programs and family resources to foster healthy outcomes for children and families in mid-Missouri. Their vision is that all children will arrive at school ready to learn and succeed in school and in life. This organization has SO much goodness going on, so I would like to take a moment to highlight the Stay at Home, Play at Home Activity Kits they have created to help families in Boone County. These bundles provide fun and learning for kids and parents, helping them cope with some of the staying at home struggles that have developed due to COVID-19.
August’s theme is “Reflections of Us.” Continue reading “Stay at Home, Play at Home Activity Kits”
August 20 is World Mosquito Day. Why in the world would we celebrate mosquitoes? I wondered the same thing, until I did some research and discovered that the celebration is less about the bug and more about a British medical doctor who made an important discovery. This discovery not only changed the way people thought about mosquitoes but also lead to significant advancements in disease prevention.
Ronald Ross was born in India in 1857. Considered a true polymath, even as a young boy, Ross developed a variety of interests. He wrote poems and plays, published novels, composed songs and was a natural at mathematics. However, at 17, encouraged by his father, Ross focused on a career in medicine. After studying at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London, he passed his examinations for the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1879. For the next 25 years, Ross worked in the Indian Medical Service, where he became interested in malaria. In 1897, Ross discovered that the disease was transmitted between humans by a particular type of female mosquito. Incidentally, there are over 3000 different species of mosquitoes in the world. So, uncovering this information was challenging. Continue reading “Mysterious Mosquitoes”
I’m back with another round of books I think you might enjoy! Let’s dive in.
Picture Books
“The Best Worst Poet Ever” written and illustrated by Lauren Stohler
Any of my friends could tell you about my love for pugs. I love their silly sounds and smooshy faces, so I always get very excited when I see a book starring a pug! In this book, the pug shares the spotlight with a fluffy orange cat, as they face off in a heated poetry battle. The cat admires Shakespeare and hurls barbed sonnets at the pug, while the irreverent pug returns with verses like this: “Can I write a poem with my butt? / I don’t know! / Oh can I write a poem with my butt? / Here I go!” The best part about this book is that it’s just begging to be read aloud by two people. This would make a hilarious story time with two grown-ups reading to a child, or engage your confident young reader to take one of the parts! Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: August Favorites 2020”
Summer is usually a time for family road trips, backyard barbecues and block parties. And what better sonic backdrop for all of these activities than your favorite music playing from the speakers? But even if the pandemic is keeping you at home and away from large groups, you can still enjoy music together as a family.
One of my favorite musical memories from childhood was flipping through my parents’ record collection, learning about what they listened to growing up and making mix tapes of some of my favorite songs that I found. So, in honor of National Vinyl Record day, on August 12th, and National Record Store Day, which has been moved this year to August 29th, I want to highlight some music that parents can share with their school-age kids that might be a gateway into a larger universe of sounds:
For kids who love catchy pop melodies: Continue reading “Sharing Music With Your Kids”
This summer is shaping up to be a hot one, that’s for sure! To beat the heat, here two outdoor water activities geared towards toddlers and preschoolers that are sure to delight both kiddos and parents.
Food Coloring Fun
What you need:
- Water
- Cups
- Cupcake pan
- Droppers
- Food coloring
What you do:
Toddlers will be amazed with this simple water play activity. All you do is add water to each cup in the cupcake pan and put in a few drops of food coloring. Have fun mixing and swirling colors together!
Continue reading “No Pool? No Problem!”
What is a traveling companion?
Traveling companions are paper friends that can travel with us. To celebrate Summer Reading this year, we have two adorable traveling companions: the traveling unicorn and the traveling dragon. Similar to the Flat Stanley (or Scooter the Cougar, if you’re part of the Columbia College family), kids can color their companion, cut it out, and then take cute photos together.
Travel might be limited this summer, but some families are taking this opportunity to go camping in a state park, visit the local beaches or explore some of their hometown parks. This coloring adventure can leap from your kitchen table out into the wilderness as you create and explore with your own traveling companion! Continue reading “Summer Reading Traveling Companions”
Summer reading is in full swing, and I’m here with some awesome suggestions for you! Since the library is partially reopened again and we are still doing curbside pickup, I chose to highlight physical books I’ve bought recently. But if you enjoy reading things digitally, never fear! I’m still buying all kinds of exciting ebooks and audiobooks for OverDrive.
Picture Books
“The Hidden Rainbow” written and illustrated by Christie Matheson
The sweetest story time I ever did was with a small group of toddlers and Matheson’s “Tap the Magic Tree.” Interactive read-alouds are my favorite, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. Gardening! Counting! Colors! This book has so much to offer. Little ones will help brush snow off flowers, blow away raindrops and encourage the bees as they go about their vital business of pollination. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: July Favorites 2020”
“5…4…3…2…1…blast off!” That’s the start of the song “Rocketship Run” by Laurie Berkner, a hit with kids and parents. Kids love to count! Backwards, forwards; it’s all fun. Numbers are everywhere in our daily lives.
I frequently hear questions like these from my grandkids:
- “How many cookies may I have?”
- “How many toy cars do you think I can I line up across the table?”
- “How many cups can I stack before it all falls down?
I love getting these kinds of questions, because they are a great learning opportunity and can make math fun. If you and your child want to play with numbers, check out the resources and activities below. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Counting”
As I wrote in a previous blog, my baby girl is OBSESSED with touch and feel books. We’ve checked out so many that she’s pretty disappointed when we read books with “normal” pages. Where’s the lift-a-flaps? Where’s the fluffy bunny?
While the Never Touch a… series was my baby’s favorite for a while, it has been officially kicked to the curb! The books she prizes above all are now the Poke-a-dot board books.
These books, created by Melissa and Doug, teach different concepts, with an emphasis on counting. Each page has plastic dots that you can poke, and they make a snapping sound similar to that made when you pop bubble wrap. My daughter absolutely loves poking these dots. Even before she had the fine motor coordination to poke them herself, she stayed engaged in the books because of the satisfying pop each dot made when I pressed them in. Continue reading “Do the Book-y Poke-y”
Here at the library, we’ve tried out many apps on our iPads for kids. We strive to find apps that are both educational and fun! Animal apps are always a favorite with our young patrons. Whether they include numbers, patterns, fun noises or stories, animal apps are a great way to involve children with digital content.
Here are my favorite animal iPad apps:
“Barnyard Dance” by Sandra Boynton
Click Here to Find it in the App Store: $2.99
Intended age range: 4+
This fun app comes with a lovely fiddle accompaniment as John Stey reads Sandra Boynton’s “Barnyard Dance.” The app opens on a table with a board book that the user can open and flip the pages. The pictures are interactive, so young hands can “slide” with the sheep or cluck with the chickens. Definitely fun for engaging children with the material they’re reading.
Continue reading “Learn and Play at Home: Animal iPad Apps”
