. . . and other fun-guys, or fungis!
Do you have a budding mushroom and/or fungi lover in your life? You’re not alone; there is definitely something sporing in the air and plenty of fungus among us. Okay, that might be enough puns for now, but it does seem like the mushroom has been popping up everywhere lately, from cute accessories to interior décor to critically-acclaimed documentaries to your very own backyard or favorite spot of Missouri greenspace. I like to think the mushroom’s trendiness is due to the fact that there’s a little something for everyone in the fungi kingdom. Fungi are, after all, neither plant nor animal, but some other creature in-between or beyond. Plus, the technicolor spread of variety amongst fungi makes mushrooms, which are technically the fruit or fruiting body of a fungus, both adorable and endlessly fascinating —as well as in some cases, appetizing!
So, if you have gotten thoroughly tangled up in the mycelium (root-like structures of a fungus), or are just starting to sprout interest in the subject, I’ve compiled a list of resources for the aspiring mycologist (a.k.a. mushroom scientist). Read on for some cap-tivating choices. . .
This sturdy board book features interactively layered die-cut cardboard pages so the very youngest of mycologists can explore the various colors, shapes and sizes of all kinds of little mushroom guys. 😊 Continue reading “Meet the Mushrooms 🍄🍄”
As I write this blog (on February 8) the weather is bright and sunny. The temperature is currently 67°F which is 32 degrees above average. If this continues by the time you read this, it might feel like summer, and I might feel a little sheepish writing a blog about creating your own winter village. But it is still technically *checks notes* WINTER! I even looked up the daily average for Columbia, MO and we usually see temperatures closer to 45°, and once way back in 1903, it was -6°F. So we’re gonna party like it’s 1903 and make our own indoor winter village!
Supplies
- House template
- Your favorite art supplies (markers, crayons, colored pencils, GLITTER — go wild)
- A large piece of paper (we used blue paper but you could use anything — even an old brown paper bag)
- Tape or glue
Directions
- Download and print your house template.
- Decorate your house and cut it out.
- Using tape or glue, adhere your house to your large piece of paper.
- Hang it up and enjoy!
Note: If you come to the Columbia Public Library before the end of February, we’ll have supplies for you to help us make our winter village. Color a house during your visit and leave it with us, and we’ll add it to our community mural. You can visit the mural on the first floor near the Children’s Desk.
Ancient Greeks used six different words to describe the diverse feelings of love people have for one another. After all, there’s a difference between how you love your best friend and how you love your family and a difference between the love one has for the human species and the love one has for a partner.
So… what does this have to do with friendship bracelets? Well, Valentine’s Day is nearly here, and while it’s a fantastic time of year to show appreciation and love for one’s romantic partner, it’s also a great time to spread love of all kinds! In this post, I will lay out a “friendship bracelet boot camp.” My idea with this is that, if you are approaching this blog post as a complete beginner, you will be able to smoothly progress from bracelet patterns 1 through 4 if you so choose! That being said, if you only like one or two patterns, just do those. The most important thing about creating art is that you, the artist, enjoy the process and the result.
If you’ve been making friendship bracelets for a while, I hope you enjoy my explanation of the craft and hopefully even find a cool pattern you like! I’m no professional, but I don’t think you need to be to enjoy the craft of creating unique patterns and wearable art. It’s so much fun to be able to say “Thanks, I made it myself.” I hope this inspires others to feel the same! Continue reading “Friendship Bracelets…or Bookmarks!”
I’m back and I’m excited to share with you all some of the new books coming out this month! As always, if you prefer reading or listening digitally, check the catalog after the book’s publication date to see if we have the eBook or e-audiobook.
Picture Books
“What’s New, Daniel?” written and illustrated by Micha Archer
Alright, I know that it’s not actually spring yet. But we can still prepare for it! Daniel is visiting the park with his grandfather, and Grandpa asks him what’s new. As adults, we’re used to casually using phrases like this, but Daniel takes the question very literally and ventures out into the park to seek an answer. Daniel finds new baby ducklings, a snake with new skin, and tadpoles with new legs as well as many other springtime discoveries. As he reports back to Grandpa, he adds his own new developments, like the ability to whistle and a new tooth. The vibrant acrylic and collage illustrations joyfully herald spring and will likely inspire other young nature lovers — it’s the perfect book to enjoy as we’re finishing out winter. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: February Favorites 2024”
Do you ever start a project assuming it will go one way, only for it to end up turning around, doing a cartwheel and laughing at your assumptions? This project did that to me. Originally, I questioned whether or not we would be able to see a difference between the childhood books that were influential to different generations. I ended up wondering about universal themes instead.
Before working at the library, I was never really a part of any multigenerational workplaces. When working in a preschool, it was really just people relatively close to my age. When nannying, it was just me. Now I regularly work with people of all ages, from late teens to early 70s and everything in between. Because of this, I have become fascinated with the little generational differences that pop up, from how we talk to each other to our reactions to external events. Knowing that, working in a library, most of us have pretty deep connections to books, I began to wonder whether some of the generational difference I saw came from the books we consumed in our youths. With this in mind, I staged informal interviews with 20 of my coworkers, hoping to uncover trends in the responses across the different ages.
Continue reading “A Generational Look at Influential Childhood Books”
Did you know that gummy worms were invented in 1981, almost 60 years after the first gummy bear? Hans Riegel, a factory worker in Bonn, Germany (who later went on to start the Haribo company) originally made the bears with black licorice, which isn’t my jam. But that paved the way for worms, inspiring one of my favorite childhood treats: dirt and worms. Maybe that’s why this experiment grabbed my attention when I was browsing “The Curious Kid’s Science Book.” When submerged in different substances overnight, will gummy worms shrink, grow or stay the same? It’s a pretty simple setup (minimal supplies most of you already have at home) with a fun ending. Plus, there will surely be leftover worms for you to gobble up!
Original image by Willis Lam; background added
Continue reading “Shrink or Grow? Gummy Worm Experiment”
Does anyone else start to miss bright colors in January? This is the time of year I find myself thinking about dying my hair, seeking the brightest socks in the drawer and choosing the doughnuts with the most sprinkles. That is one of the reasons I chose this craft to share. The watercolor paints are so bright and cheerful. Perfect for a cold winter day.
Continue reading “Watercolor Winter Hat Craft”
Becoming the best versions of ourselves is a lifelong journey, one which I firmly believe starts with the values and habits we form growing up. And as we enter 2024, the new year feels like a clean slate — a time to take stock of the progress we’ve made and chart a path forward, not only for ourselves but for our families and children as well. If you’re an organized, goal-oriented family who thrives on checking off to-do lists, traditional New Year’s resolutions might very well work for you and your kids. But if you’re anything like me, and your resolutions get completely forgotten come February, shifting your focus towards the little steps it takes to make long-term change can take the pressure off.
I appreciated this Psychology Today article, in which the author makes a case for setting intentions rather than resolutions in the new year. Intentions require us to think more deeply about our values and priorities, the things that make us happy and give us purpose. Rather than stressing over specific tasks and strict deadlines (and feeling that dreaded sense of failure when life inevitably gets in the way), intentions allow us to refocus our efforts and take small, sustainable steps toward the person we wish to become.
Especially as kids enter their tween years, knowing oneself, gaining confidence and learning to set achievable goals become all the more important. To that end, I’ve compiled a few of my favorite titles to encourage kids on their self-improvement journey. Continue reading “New Year, New You: Self-Improvement Books for Kids”
It is almost impossible to avoid the message that products equal happiness. We are inundated with advertisements that promise health, happiness and everything in between, if only we buy what they’re selling. However, in my years of working with children, I have found that the best learning comes from the most unexpected places. You don’t always have to buy fancy new toys for your kids to have a fun time full of learning opportunities. This is where loose parts come into play. Continue reading “My Love of Loose Parts Play”
When you crack open one of Phoebe Wahl‘s intricately illustrated and thoughtfully plotted children’s books, you may very well be opening a treasure chest. But the scintillating trinkets and down-right adorable baubles Wahl offers you are not so precious that they must be held at a remove, kept behind glass or under the belly of a sneering dragon. Instead, Wahl wants you to hold them, feel them, cup and ponder them delicately close to your heart and mind, like you might do with a freshly fallen oak leaf or a young phlox bloom at the first sign of spring or a glimmering pebble that sings out its iridescence from the creek bed. Continue reading “Author-Illustrators We Love: Phoebe Wahl 🍄”
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