Full-time school is set to resume this fall. While this news may be exciting for some children, for others it’s a source of anxiety. Typical back to school jitters are compounded by unique uncertainties after a year of quarantines and social distancing. In fact, many children may be afraid to leave the safety of their homes.
According to Brandon Duft, child psychiatrist and head of Kaiser Permanente Northwest’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, transitions can be particularly challenging for young children, whose language skills and emotions are still developing. “You have to be patient and brave to reenter school and social circles. Social skills are skills like any other; people need to practice them or they can get rusty.” Continue reading “Transitioning Back to School”
While searching for books for my Barnyard Bands Virtual Activity Bundle, I discovered several eBooks about other performing animals. They include drumming monkeys, instrument-playing insects, dancing animals and even acting animals. I couldn’t resist creating another bundle, so enjoy the resources below all about animal antics. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Animal Antics”
YAAWWNN! Time for a nap! The hot weather, frequent rain and longer days that we’ve been having this summer have made many, including myself, long for some relaxing time in bed, on the couch or in a hammock dozing off or letting your mind wander. The month of August features two special days to celebrate taking a break and getting some shut-eye: National Lazy Day on August 10th and National Relaxation Day on August 15th. Here are some books focused on the world of sleep, naps, dreaming and lazy days.
Have you ever noticed that babies can fall asleep just about anytime and anywhere? In the aptly titled, “Babies Can Sleep Anywhere,” author Lisa Wheeler and illustrator Carolina Buzio compare the ways in which various animals get to sleep with all of the places in which babies can easily doze off. In Phyllis Gershator’s “Time for a Nap,” with illustrations by David Walker, a young bunny goes on various errands and adventures with his mother each day but knows that after all that excitement it’s always time for a nap! For more books about all the strange and cute ways that animals nap, check out “Snooze-o-Rama” by Maria Birmingham, illustrated by Kyle Reed, and “Animal Naps” by Catherine Ham. Continue reading “It’s Naptime!”
Just because it’s 90 days from Halloween doesn’t mean you can’t dress up! Today marks the first day of our annual Cosplay Con. Dress up as your favorite character, be it superhero, anime, sci-fi or your own original persona! Fill out the form on Cosplay Contest web page. Submit your photos online by the August 9 deadline, and the winners will be announced August 16. This contest is for all ages, and we’ll award prizes for the best costumes and characterization in different age categories, so be ready to show off your cosplay game!
Don’t worry if you are stumped for costume ideas—we’ve got you covered. With just a few things you have around the house, you can be a superhero in no time. Avengers assemble…your supplies!
When we talk about living sustainably, we can cover a wide range of topics, including food production, alternative energies, environmental needs, housing and transportation. It is never too early to discuss these issues with children. In fact, our future may depend on it! Check out some of the resources and activities below to get started.
On Friday, July 23, the Olympic flame will arrive in Tokyo, and the most anticipated sports event of the year will begin! The opening ceremony will be full of dancing, singing, art and an explosion of culture. Then, the events will begin. Regardless of age, we all discover new heroes, cheer until our voices grow faint and feel the chill of inspiration watching athletes overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
My favorite summer sport has always been gymnastics. The strength, grace and pure power it takes to defy gravity, spinning so fast you can barely track the rotations, and then sticking the landing—wow, it just blows my mind! While *I* am not a gymnast, my sister is a preschool gymnastics teacher in Tennessee, and she’s agreed to share some of her favorite exercises for you and your young athlete!
Babies:
Tummy time works the neck muscles and strengthens the core.Incline lifts: a.k.a, airplanes!
One of the Summer Reading challenges this year is making a bird feeder for your backyard and bird watching! Here is a simple craft that will help you on your way to finishing Summer Reading.
This summer, we decorated our libraries for Summer Reading with animal silhouettes using pretty scrapbook papers and old buttons. The process for making these is quite simple and the result is a fun graphic animal that looks great alone, on a bulletin board or as a whole crew galloping down the hall at the Columbia Public Library. I have included 7 animal patterns. Enjoy!
Stories about farm animals fit right in with the Summer Reading theme of “Tales & Tails.” But the characters in these tales are not ordinary animals—they all want to be in a band. I discovered a wonderful variety of books, music and videos about talented farm animals making music. In case you aren’t familiar with some of the instruments being played, I added some nonfiction books and video clips about musical instruments too.Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Barnyard Bands”
Full-time school is set to resume this fall. While this news may be exciting for some children, for others it’s a source of anxiety. Typical back to school jitters are compounded by unique uncertainties after a year of quarantines and social distancing. In fact, many children may be afraid to leave the safety of their homes.
When we talk about living sustainably, we can cover a wide range of topics, including food production, alternative energies, environmental needs, housing and transportation. It is never too early to discuss these issues with children. In fact, our future may depend on it! Check out some of the resources and activities below to get started.
