Popcorn and a Book

Posted on Monday, December 27, 2021 by Amy

As we head into the colder months, what better way to spend the time than snuggling up with the ones we love — while sharing a big bowl of popcorn and a good book!

Spread a blanket on the floor, cozy up in a warm bed or build a reading fort of your own creation. Pick an old favorite or find a new book to explore.

I’ve included some cozy reading suggestions and my absolute favorite popcorn recipe below.

Yummy things first! POPCORN!

I came across this popcorn recipe years ago through a friend. This is fabulous savory popcorn to make year-round.

You will need:

Continue reading “Popcorn and a Book”

Picture Books We Love: Bodies Are Cool

Posted on Monday, December 20, 2021 by Megan

Book cover for "Bodies Are Cool" by Tyler Feder, featuring illustrated people with diverse bodies.

“Big bodies, small bodies, dancing, playing, happy bodies! Look at all these different bodies! Bodies are cool!” Tyler Feder’s new picture book, “Bodies Are Cool,” is practically perfect in every way. I’ve followed Tyler’s social media and books for a long time, so I knew I was going to love it. Each page features all sorts of folks doing all sorts of activities, including my favorite pages which focus on people swimming! Young and old, big and small, moms and dads, all are in swimsuits having a grand time! Her whimsical and bright illustrations will make you want to read this book over and over again. You’re likely to find something new every time you read it. I read it a third time just so I could find everybody with a tattoo!

This book celebrates ALL bodies, and by the end, you may find yourself staring into a mirror admiring your coolness.

Count Down to New Year’s Craft

Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2021 by Katie

It’s common to create paper chains to count down the days until a favorite holiday or highly anticipated event. These chains are visual trackers that can help little ones grasp the concept of time. Recently, I saw where parents were creating paper chains for New Year, and I thought this would be a wonderful activity for families to count down to midnight on December 31.

I love how versatile these paper chains can be. When I started to create my own for this blog, the plan was to just write the time in a 12-hour format using different colors. Then I realized I could also write the time in a 24-hour format. What a great way this would be to introduce and practice this concept to older children.

Then I thought about being super visual with different times and writing out the times with words and drawing little clocks on light-colored paper. (But how amazing would it be to create a rainbow chain! I love the idea of using super special paper to make the midnight chain, such as patterned scrapbook paper.) Continue reading “Count Down to New Year’s Craft”

Create a Cottage Box

Posted on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 by Aimee

Handmade gifts are special for any celebration. In this blog, I’ll teach you how to create a winter cottage box that can be filled with homemade treats or a special gift!

For this project, you will need:

  • Cottage box pattern
  • White cardstock paper
  • Colored pencils or fine tipped markers
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Tape (regular or double-sided)

Continue reading “Create a Cottage Box”

Winter Read-Alouds for the Whole Family

Posted on Monday, December 13, 2021 by Laura

The holiday season is in full swing, and with this exciting time of year comes plenty of opportunities for quality time with the family! In my mind, there’s no better way to spend these cozy days than sharing a book with a loved one.

A young girl surrounded by stuffed animals falls asleep in bed while her father sits beside her and reads a storybook aloud.

Coming from a family of voracious readers, some of my fondest memories of this time of year involve good books: snuggling with my sister in the back seat as we listened to “A Christmas Carol” on the drive to Grandma’s house, gathering around my grandpa’s easy chair on Christmas Eve to listen to the nativity story, my dad drifting off in the middle of a sentence while reading “Little House on the Prairie” to me. Even as an adult, these memories stick with me, and I hope to share my favorite childhood reads with my own family one day.

Long car rides, snowed-in days at home or the nightly bedtime routine are all ideal occasions for story time! The challenge often comes in trying to find an appropriate book that everyone, from toddlers to grandparents, will find enjoyable and engaging. Here are some helpful tips for choosing the perfect read-aloud book: Continue reading “Winter Read-Alouds for the Whole Family”

Poetry to End the Year

Posted on Thursday, December 9, 2021 by Grae

Photo of an empty field, a yellow and green treeline, road, and sidewalk in Columbia, MO, all dusted with snow.The clocks have changed, the days are getting shorter and here in central Missouri, winter has come with plenty of its characteristic frost and wind. For some, this season and its chill are a welcomed time to gather together in celebration and anticipation, to share stories of the past and make goals for the new year. For others, these colder, darker days are difficult to get through, especially when the previous year (or more) has come with its own challenges and heartaches. Wherever you fall on this continuum, I hope you can find some salve and some brilliance, or even some simple moments of “this gets me” resonance, in the following books of poetry which embody the many reflective moods of this season.


Continue reading “Poetry to End the Year”

Virtual Activity Bundle: Winter

Posted on Thursday, December 2, 2021 by Adam

Virtual Activity Bundle WinterBrrr! Can you feel the chill in the air? It’s almost wintertime again! Time to pull out our wool socks, heavy coats and gloves. Time to turn up the heat in our homes and maybe dust off our sleds and inner tubes in preparation for the first snow day of the school year! And time to perhaps prepare gifts and/or decorations for the upcoming holidays. Whatever your favorite part of the season, these wonderful books, catchy songs, informative videos and fun craft projects can hopefully serve as a complement to your winter fun.

BOOKS:

FICTION

Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter” by Kenard Pak
A brother and sister take a walk through their town on a late autumn afternoon, greeting the signs of the coming winter and wake the next morning to a beautiful snowfall. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Winter”

2021 Missouri Building Block Nominees

Posted on Monday, November 29, 2021 by Kristy

Listed below are the Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award nominees for 2021! These books encourage reading aloud to children and are selected annually by a group of librarians from Missouri.

Read to your child at least five of the books from the following list of 10 titles, and then vote for your favorite. If you want to check out all of the books at once, pick up a Missouri Building Block Kit.

Voting is open to children in kindergarten and younger and goes through December. The winner will be announced in February.

The Pigeon Has to Go to School!

The pigeon must go to school, but frets about math, learning the alphabet, heavy backpacks and what the teacher and other birds will think of him.

Continue reading “2021 Missouri Building Block Nominees”

Old to New, Generosity for Children

Posted on Thursday, November 25, 2021 by Tess

Hand-me-downs, pre-owned, second-hand and well-loved: there’s something uniquely special about giving something a second life. Perhaps it’s as inconsequential as passing along a soccer ball, repurposing a pair of old jeans into a tote bag or sharing a well-loved recipe with a friend. Other times the significance is greater, such as inheriting your grandmother’s necklace, adopting a senior pet or being gifted a plant so old no one remembers where it came from. There is a sense of pricelessness that comes with a long history of many caring, loving homes. 

In the spirit of “well-loved” things “living on,” I began pondering what first experiences young children might have with this concept. Today, I present to you a collection of stories that will touch your heart and inspire you and your littles to live a life of conscious generosity and kindness. 

Red Shoes by Karen English, Ebony Glenn, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®

Red Shoes” written by Karen English, illustrated by Ebony Glenn Continue reading “Old to New, Generosity for Children”