Hooray! Summer is almost here! Whether you and your family plan to spend the next few months traveling to exotic places, basking on a tropical beach or simply enjoying the occasional backyard BBQ, summer is the best time to rest, relax and read. For this reason, books are as essential as sunscreen.
But with so many books to choose from, selecting something to read can be challenging, especially for children. When this happens, some adult guidance can go a long way. One fun way parents can help is by suggesting a theme. Pick out books with your kids on topics such as animals, sports, nature, camping or travel. Be creative!
“Opposites” is a theme that I particularly like to use. In this case, have your children look for two books, each with opposite words in the titles. Some examples you might consider are–up and down, in and out, north and south or rich and poor. To get you started, here’s a list of books I came up with using the opposites hot and cold. Continue reading “Rest, Relax and Read!”
Owning a pet unicorn may sound magical, but the reality of keeping such a pet is far from enchanting for the protagonist in Ame Dyckman’s “You Don’t Want a Unicorn.” In this tale, a young boy (whose passion for unicorns is emphasized with his “I love unicorns” shirt and his adorable unicorn plush toy) tosses a coin into a fountain. It’s obvious to the reader what this little boy wishes for.
And suddenly a unicorn appears! But having a pet unicorn isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The rambunctious unicorn causes all sorts of trouble; it sheds golden glitter all over the house, burps up rainbows and even poops out piles cupcakes!
This lively book is full of vibrant illustrations and slapstick humor that both kids and adults can delight in. If you enjoy Dyckman’s playfulness and quirky characters, make sure to check out her other books.
Have you ever heard of bathtub crayons? They’re these cool drawing tools that allow kids to scribble on the tub, and they are a great for incentive for kids to get in and stay in their bath. When bath time is over, just rise the marks off, and you have a clean slate. These crayons can be purchased, but who wants to do that when you can make your own? DIY bathtub crayons allow you to mix your own colors, create crayons in fun shapes and will probably save you some money too.
To make one crayon of one color, you’ll need:
- One block of glycerin soap (available at craft stores)
- Food coloring
- Glass measuring cup
- Spoon (to stir with)
- Ice cube tray, crayon mold or silicone mold
- Knife and cutting board
Continue reading “DIY Bathtub Fun”
One of the best ways for children to learn is though play and exploration, using as many senses as possible. When children are able to manipulate items and see the results of their actions, their understanding is greater, and their ability to fully grasp a concept is better.
Play is a wonderful way to introduce abstract concepts such as light and shadows. Below is a drawing activity that allows children to explore how shadows are created. All you will need are markers, paper and a few favorite toys. This activity fun to do outside but can be done inside using a light source such as a lamp.
- Find a flat place to lay out some paper.
- Place toys at the edge of the paper, with their shadow falling onto the paper.
- Trace the shadows with markers.
- After you have finished tracing the shadows, pick up the paper and look at the shapes you’ve created. If you would like, you can stop here, color in your shapes and talk about light and shadows. A more advanced option is to label the shadows with the time, and repeat these steps later. You can then observe how the shadows have changed as the sun moved. (If you are doing this activity inside, shift the lamp a tiny bit.)
Continue reading “Shadow Drawing”
With technology constantly evolving, the juggling act of keeping up with the changes and helping your child navigate though them can be a challenge. To help you with this, the library has a whole page dedicated to internet safety. Each of these websites provide tips and resources to help manage your child’s online activity.
For younger kids, “Chicken Clicking” by Jeanne Willis is a great book to introduce the topic of internet safety. Considered the “Little Red Riding Hood for the iPad generation,” “Chicken Clicking” is about a chick that finds her way onto the farmer’s computer and discovers that the online world isn’t as safe as she thought it was. Read the book together, and then discuss with your child how handle an interaction if a stranger tries to communicate with them online.
Want to check out more items about internet safety? Click here for a list of books and DVDs that gives helpful tips and information!
Well, I did it! I started eating healthy–no more junk food for me. Changing my diet has been the hardest thing I have done in a long time. (I love my carbs!) As difficult as it is, I know it’s even more difficult to encourage your entire family to eat healthy. Especially if your kids are picky eaters.
Now that spring has arrived and fresh foods are becoming more available at the grocery stores and farmers markets, I thought I would sneak you some ideas for healthy snacks that are silly, simple and fun. I hope these quirky cuisines inspire your little ones to try some new healthy foods.
Caterpillar Kabobs
These cute little guys only require three ingredients: grapes, skewers and cute candy eyes (you can use frosting eyes if you choose). Continue reading “Food, Glorious Food!!!”
Spring is officially here! It’s time to put your winter mittens in storage and replace them with your gardening gloves. As you start stretching your green thumb after the winter season, take some time for you and your child to learn more about plants and gardening. Check out some library books on the subject, plant something together and sing the rhyme below.
Watch It Bloom
Here is a green leaf (hold out one palm)
And here is a green leaf (hold out other palm)
That, you see, makes two (hold up two fingers)
Here is a bud (cup hand together)
That makes it a flower (slowly open hands)
Watch it bloom for you (slowly open hands)
~Perry Public Library
Friends are such a gift! The best ones not only allow us to be ourselves but also lift us up when we are down. To quote former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, “Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart.”
Learning to make friends is an important part of early childhood. Take it from Piglet in “Winnie the Pooh,” “It’s so much more friendly with two.” But for many children, stepping out of their comfort zones, interacting with others and forming these important relationships can be challenging.
Parents and guardians can help pave the way by providing ample social opportunities, such as play dates, which allow children to make friends at their own pace. Equally important is reading with your child about making and keeping friends. Here are just a few of the many friendship books we offer at DBRL to help you get started:
All DBRL libraries will be closed to the public on Friday, March 10 so that staff may have a day of training. However, this doesn’t mean your fun has to stop. Celebrate the day with a bit of history!
Did you know on March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call? He called Tomas Watson, his assistant. Mr. Alexander said “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” To find out more about this monumental moment, check out americaslibrary.gov.
Want to create your own telephone? You know, the ones with cups and string? If you have never tried them, they are pretty cool and really do transfer sound. All you need is two paper cups and a long piece of string. Simply poke a hole in the bottom on each cup. (You can use cans too, but it makes poking the holes more of a challenge.) Feed the string through, and then tie a knot on each end of the string. Make sure the knots are inside the cups. Now you’re done!
One person talks into their cup while the other listens. The key is to keep the string tight between the two cups, and don’t let it touch anything (like chairs or walls). The sound of your voice will cause vibrations in the cup, witch will transfer to the string and travel to the other cup. Once the vibrations hit the second cup, they will be converted back into sound waves for the listener.
Photo credit: Jeff_Werner Tin Can Phone – Knot via photopin (license)
We’re excited to announce that we’ve added a wonderful new digital resource that is just for kids–Sesame Street eBooks!
Sesame Street eBooks allows access to over 150 eBooks based on Sesame Street’s early childhood curriculum. Sesame Street eBooks are available in 4 formats: read along, audio, animated and interactive.
Check out Sesame Street eBooks to see and explore all of the great options!
Note to parents: The link above takes you to the “Kids mode” of Sesame Street eBooks. For more navigation options within this resource, click on the blue button in the upper right hand of the screen labeled “Switch to Parents mode” for more choices.
Happy Reading!
