One of the most exciting — and daunting — parts of being a parent or caregiver is realizing that you have the opportunity to create new rituals for your family. I grew up cringing every New Year’s Day as my dad ate the ceremonial herring, a tradition I happily partake in now.
2022 has been full of highs and lows, but the clear highlight of my year has been experiencing the joy of cozy family life, marveling at how much my kids (ages 2 and 5) have changed in just 365 days. Inside jokes, new preferences, favorite places and activities — both kids constantly surprise and delight me. The routine minutiae of our everyday lives feel so deeply familiar to us right now, but I know my memory of the details will fade, especially as they get replaced by new rhythms, routines and perspectives.
We decided to mark the passing of time and the anticipation of a new calendar year by making our own family time capsule. This is an easy activity for all ages and there are so many ways to customize it for your family or chosen family.
Start off by gathering your materials.
In addition to the jar or box, you’ll need Modge Podge, sponge brushes and capsule decoration supplies – we used photos, original artwork and tissue paper.
Whether the holidays you celebrate are about to amp up or have settled down, here’s a craft to get kids thinking outside the box any time of the year. All you need is tissue paper, food coloring and a dash of imagination to create colorful patterns of shareable art. Use your handmade, tie-dyed tissue paper to wrap presents, stuff into gift bags, hang on the wall or something else. Scroll down to get started!
Around this time of year, I begin to see social media posts about books being gifted on Christmas Eve with the expectation that everyone reads into the night. As someone who adores books as gifts (both giving and receiving), I decided to look into this tradition and share my findings with all of you lovely library users.
‘Tis the season for holiday baking — cakes, pies, breads and best of all, cookies! My mom has quite the extensive cookie cutter collection. One of my favorite holiday traditions growing up was sorting through all the fun shapes then baking and decorating until we had enough cookies to last us through February! 🍪
If your little one’s not quite ready to take part in the flurry of holiday baking, or you’re just on the lookout for a fun winter break activity, may I introduce the magic of the gingerbread dough sensory bin! The recipe is adapted from the blog Sugar, Spice and Glitter. Although flour and oil don’t make for a particularly tasty snack, this dough is safe for little ones to munch on. Plus, all that gingerbread-y goodness smells HEAVENLY! Here’s what you’ll need to make your own gingerbread dough: Continue reading “Gingerbread Dough Sensory Bin”
Detail from the pages of Mac Barnett’s picture book “Just Because.” In the story, a child puts off bedtime by asking their parent big questions, like “why is the ocean blue?” and “what is the rain?” Their parent responds tenderly, with some surprising answers.
As the winter holidays approach and 2022 comes to a close, there are many emotional experiences to reflect on and cultivate, as I and some of my brilliant coworkers have written about previously: kindness and gratitude; community and belonging; celebration and consolation. This year I’d like to add another entry to that list: curiosity.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the old saying, “Curiosity killed the cat.” I heard this proverb over and over as a child and took it as a kind of grotesque warning that people (and felines and maybe some canines, too) should mind their own business OR ELSE. It wasn’t until I was older, after graduating high school, that I stumbled upon a complementary rejoinder that opens the phrase up to a more encouraging reading: “Curiosity (may have) killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” Continue reading “Questions & Answers: In Defense of Curiosity”
It’s the end of the year, and I feel like there are so many books I never got to tell you about! So this month I decided to share some of my favorite books that came out earlier this year. That means you don’t have to wait for the release date, so find these on the shelves or check out a digital version and enjoy!
Picture Books
“The Big Worry Day” written by K.A. Reynolds and illustrated by Chloe Dominque
You may think that there have been a lot of books about dealing with anxiety lately, but this one has a PUPPER! And more ways to talk about working through anxiety are always welcome. The little girl in this story claims that her dog worries just like she does. Their only agenda is to go outside and play, but there are so many things the narrator worries could go wrong. Together they tackle their day using various strategies like breathing and thinking of their favorite things. (The dog’s thought balloon prominently features the little girl, which is ADORABLE.) There’s a sweet and helpful author’s note in the back that talks about working through anxiety. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: Favorites from 2022”
I cannot believe that the new year is almost here!
The library is continuing our tradition of providing a handprint calendar just for you! Not only do these calendars make great gifts, but they are also a handy way to document family milestones.
Download the 2023 Calendar! Print on cardstock for the best results.
To set yourself up for success, we recommend collecting your supplies beforehand:
As the time of winter holidays and gifts approaches, and with Thanksgiving just behind us, now is a perfect time for kids and parents to reflect on gratitude. Who and what are you grateful for? And what are some ways that you can demonstrate your gratitude to others? One timeless way to say “thank you” is by sending someone a handwritten note, and, appropriately enough, December 26th, the day after most Christmas gifts have been received, is National Thank You Note Day. In honor of this, here are a handful of books about gratitude and thank you notes that kids and families can share during this holiday season:
First up, we have three books featuring some of my favorite animal protagonists. In “Splat Says Thank You!” by Rob Scotton, Splat the Cat’s mouse friend Seymour needs some cheering up, so Splat decides to write not just a thank you card, but a thank you book that lists all the reasons why their friendship means so much to him. In “Curious George Says Thank You” by Emily Flaschner Meyer, George tries to remember all the people who have been nice to him so he can send them handmade thank you cards. And “Thanks from the Very Hungry Caterpillar,” by Eric Carle, takes the form of a thank you note itself, with a dedication page at the beginning. Continue reading “Giving Thanks: National Thank You Note Day”
Are you in the throes of cooking up a feast? Would you like a break? Bundle up and take a walk outside with any little ones in the house. If you find interesting nature items along the way — pine needles, twigs, rocks or really anything that catches the eye — bring them back home for a fun DIY craft. Surely you have some flour, salt and warm water lying around? Use these ingredients to make homemade, air-dry clay and create beautiful textures with the nature items you just gathered. Later in the day when the clay has hardened (or the day after), you can paint your imprints to reveal the beauty of these natural textures even more. Scroll down to get started!
In this modern retelling, Anne is a Black foster kid living in West Philly and gets placed with a brother and sister. Like in the original novel, Anne is bright, full of energy and sometimes has difficulty fitting in. But soon she makes friends with Diana and joins the school’s STEM club where she meets Gilbert. Though the book has the same beats as the original there are a few welcome additions, but I won’t spoil them here. You’ll just have to read the book for yourself!
Around this time of year, I begin to see social media posts about books being gifted on Christmas Eve with the expectation that everyone reads into the night. As someone who adores books as gifts (both giving and receiving), I decided to look into this tradition and share my findings with all of you lovely library users. 
