Celebrate narwhals, the unicorns of the sea, with your own beautiful painting! If you missed our virtual guided painting class, here are some instructions so you can still paint along at home.
This is what you’ll need to get started:
Canvas. I used a 10 inch x 10 inch canvas.
Acrylic paint. I used the following colors and mixed them to make other colors:
White
Black
Blue
Red
Yellow
Brushes. I used a 1 inch foam brush for the background and the narwhal and a 1 cementer flat brush for the details.
Cup of water and towel. You will want to rinse and squeeze your brushes between each color.
Paper plate. I used a paper plate to mix my colors.
September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Authorized in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson as a week-long recognition of the contributions of Americans “who can trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South American and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean,” the observance was expanded to a month under President Ronald Reagan in 1968. The month of September was chosen because it is significant in many Spanish-speaking countries. September 15 “marks the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.” Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
I love being a grandparent. I engage in science experiments, create crafts, read and cook with my grandchildren. These are activities I enjoy and love to share. Authors Charles and Ann Morse said “A child needs a grandparent, anybody’s grandparent, to grow a little more securely into an unfamiliar world.” Older people, such as grandparents, can share so much with children—stories, life experiences, hobbies and more.
I hope everyone is adjusting well and feeling good as we transition into fall. I know it’s still almost two weeks away, but I can’t wait! If you and your little one are finding the changes difficult this year, why not escape into a good book? Reading won’t solve the world’s problems, but it can offer you a little pocket of peace in the midst of chaos. (If you need a grown-up book for yourself, take a look at our blog for adults for inspiration!)
The first day of school looks very different this year. Littles that were confident last year may be more anxious about how school will go this year. This book is a great choice to open up a discussion about anxieties. Different animals are all nervous about starting school—Sloth worries he won’t get there on time, while Snake is concerned his backpack won’t stay on. Even their armadillo teacher is nervous! As the animals learn to support each other, they’re able to move into the school year with more confidence. In addition to the great message, the cartoon-like illustrations look absolutely adorable! Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: September Favorites 2020”
Bears, cats and a bird who learned a bad word, oh my!
Jacob Grant is a writer and an illustrator who brings fun animals to life that often resemble the little people in our lives. His characters learn about boundaries, personal space, making compromises for a friend and more! Check out these titles for beautifully illustrated books with real-life lessons.
Bear and his stuffed teddy, Ursa, keep their house in tip-top shape. One day, while cleaning, Bear discovers spiderwebs all over the house. Panicked by the idea of a dirty spider, Bear wrecks the house trying to find the spider. In looking for the spider, Bear hurts Ursa on the corner of his bed. Bear is very upset as Ursa was his very special friend. As he rushes through his messy house to look for something to fix Ursa, the friendly spider in the house uses web to patch Ursa up. Bear thanks his new spider friend and decides that maybe spiders are okay. Continue reading “Authors We Love: Jacob Grant”
Kids love potty humor (but who doesn’t, really?). As soon as they learn to talk, they realize how funny it is to talk about pee and poop and farts. In my family, we have to try not to laugh too much at my four-year-old niece’s jokes about bodily functions just so she knows that it’s not appropriate to talk that way at the dinner table or in other social situations. But when toddlers are in the midst of potty training, it’s important to treat the issue with a light touch and a sense of humor, both so that they don’t feel too much pressure to be perfect and so that this important transitional stage doesn’t feel too scary or strange. There are many potty training books at the library to choose from, but I want to highlight the funniest and silliest (and sometimes totally absurd) ones that will give kids and parents something to laugh about as they navigate a sometimes difficult and emotionally-fraught process.
“Potty” by Leslie Patricelli is a cute, simple story of a toddler who really has to go! But where should they go? In their diaper? In the litter box, where the cat goes? Outside, where the dog goes? Or maybe in their potty? Continue reading “Potty Humor!”
I feel like every child goes through a “vehicle” phase, in one way or another. Mine consisted of building pillow mountains that “avalanched” onto my toy train set. Kids love emergency vehicles, construction site vehicles, school buses and more!
Why not do some vehicle-watching with these fun library-approved iPad apps?
Vroom Vroom!
”Trucks HD” by Duck Duck Moose Intended Age Range: 4+
“Trucks HD” includes 5 mini games that the user is in control of. There are traffic lights where the user can choose for the cars to go, slow down or stop. There is another where a sharp object puts a hole in a tire and the user must help replace it. Definitely a life simulation game with some small quirks to keep children entertained. Users can play and explore with all kinds of trucks and other vehicles in the town! Continue reading “Beep Beep! Transportation iPad Apps”
Have you heard of First Chance For Children? Their mission is to provide early childhood programs and family resources to foster healthy outcomes for children and families in mid-Missouri. Their vision is that all children will arrive at school ready to learn and succeed in school and in life. This organization has SO much goodness going on, so I would like to take a moment to highlight the Stay at Home, Play at Home Activity Kits they have created to help families in Boone County. These bundles provide fun and learning for kids and parents, helping them cope with some of the staying at home struggles that have developed due to COVID-19.
August 20 is World Mosquito Day. Why in the world would we celebrate mosquitoes? I wondered the same thing, until I did some research and discovered that the celebration is less about the bug and more about a British medical doctor who made an important discovery. This discovery not only changed the way people thought about mosquitoes but also lead to significant advancements in disease prevention.
Ronald Ross was born in India in 1857. Considered a true polymath, even as a young boy, Ross developed a variety of interests. He wrote poems and plays, published novels, composed songs and was a natural at mathematics. However, at 17, encouraged by his father, Ross focused on a career in medicine. After studying at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in London, he passed his examinations for the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1879. For the next 25 years, Ross worked in the Indian Medical Service, where he became interested in malaria. In 1897, Ross discovered that the disease was transmitted between humans by a particular type of female mosquito. Incidentally, there are over 3000 different species of mosquitoes in the world. So, uncovering this information was challenging. Continue reading “Mysterious Mosquitoes”
From a library not so far, far, away, I bring you the Star Wars Virtual Activity Bundle! Star Wars is a fandom that is as vast as the galaxy itself. I love just about everything Star Wars has to offer—from amazingly independent Princess Leia, fierce but cuddly Chewbacca, to the adorable Porgs. But don’t get me started on my obsession with “The Child” (aka Baby Yoda)! Below you will find Star Wars books, songs and crafts for kids 6-10, but really anyone can have fun with this list! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Star Wars”
September 15 to October 15 is 
August 20 is 
From a library not so far, far, away, I bring you the Star Wars Virtual Activity Bundle! Star Wars is a fandom that is as vast as the galaxy itself. I love just about everything Star Wars has to offer—from amazingly independent Princess Leia, fierce but cuddly Chewbacca, to the adorable Porgs. But don’t get me started on my obsession with “The Child” (aka Baby Yoda)! Below you will find Star Wars books, songs and crafts for kids 6-10, but really anyone can have fun with this list!