‘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!
We have all been called the wrong name at some point. It may have been a substitute teacher calling attendance. It could have been a family member who shortened our name for their convenience. Friends may have given us nicknames they thought were funny. Some of us have experienced all of the above and more. Regardless, it’s important to be called by the right name, which includes the proper pronunciation.Continue reading “Musical Names: The Importance of Name Pronunciation”
The holiday season is quickly approaching, and this time of year is all about spreading warm, fuzzy feelings like kindness, gratefulness and generosity. There’s no better time to emphasize these year-round virtues, as the holidays offer a multitude of tangible ways to point out and practice kindness with our children. As Dr. Patty O’Grady, an expert in positive psychology and childhood development, puts it: “kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it.” Research shows that kids who regularly practice and experience kindness have higher self-esteem, better physical and mental health and stronger relationships with their peers. Furthermore, they are much less likely to engage in bullying behaviors.
It’s clear that kindness is a crucial factor in growing happy, healthy kids. This virtual activity bundle is full of eBooks, songs and videos for creating an ongoing conversation about kindness, as well as some fun activities to put these skills into action! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Kindness Counts”
Fall and early winter usually means reading a lot of holiday books. If you’re ready for a break from pumpkins and turkeys and trees, try a few of these new books we just got in!
Picture Books
“I Don’t Care” written by Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Molly Idle and Juana Martinez-Neal
This is a book about friendship, illustrated by two real life besties. Two friends, standing back-to-back, state all the things they don’t care about, as the book opens with “I really don’t care what you think of my hair / or my eyes or my toes or my nose.” They continue to list superficial things they don’t care about, like a preference for polka dots or florals, or what each has for lunch. Slowly the text shifts to the things the friends do care about like sharing, honesty and loyalty. “I really do care about all of that stuff / I really do care a lot.” The text is expertly written, with a solid rhyme scheme and a rhythm that never falters. The illustrations by the two artists are perfect, as the two friends play separately then together on the page. More friendship books are always a good thing, and this one stands out from the crowd. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: November Favorites 2022”
We have all been called the wrong name at some point. It may have been a substitute teacher calling attendance. It could have been a family member who shortened our name for their convenience. Friends may have given us nicknames they thought were funny. Some of us have experienced all of the above and more. Regardless, it’s important to be called by the right name, which includes the proper pronunciation.
The holiday season is quickly approaching, and this time of year is all about spreading warm, fuzzy feelings like kindness, gratefulness and generosity. There’s no better time to emphasize these year-round virtues, as the holidays offer a multitude of tangible ways to point out and practice kindness with our children. As 