Thanksgiving at the Kids’ Table

Posted on Monday, November 22, 2021 by Amy

Thanksgiving for Kids: Hoopla

Thanksgiving is just a few short days away! Below are some fun last minute ideas to make the kids’ table extra special this year.

Decorations

  • Use butcher paper to cover the whole table or make a runner down the middle. Set out some cute jars of crayons and markers, and let the fun begin!
  • Sprinkle candy corn around the table for a festive vibe.
  • Help the kids create a thankfulness pumpkin. Have everyone share several things they are thankful for. Using permanent markers, write everyone’s answers on a pumpkin.

Free Thanksgiving eBooks Through Your Library

National Princess Day

Posted on Thursday, November 18, 2021 by Katie

Positive black girl in creative crown touching face and smiling at cameraFinding a reason to celebrate each day can be a simple as a quick internet search. Today, November 18, we celebrate Apple Cider Day, National Rural Health Day, and, most importantly, National Princess Day!

National Princess Day was created after the 1994 animated film “The Swan Princess” was released. The production studio wanted people of all ages to have a day to celebrate royalty, embodying the kindness and grace associated with princesses of the ’90s. Continue reading “National Princess Day”

Watch at Home

Posted on Monday, November 15, 2021 by Megan

As the days get shorter and colder, now is the perfect time to cuddle up with a blanket, pop some popcorn and watch some of your favorite YouTube videos! Here at the library, we have been creating fantastic content just for you. No matter how young or how old you are, we have something for everyone.

Music & Movement — Ages birth-5.
There’s no shhhing us, because we love to sing and dance at the library! In these videos, we’ll teach you some of our favorite songs and rhymes.

Photo of Music and Movement Song Continue reading “Watch at Home”

Young Readers Day

Posted on Monday, November 8, 2021 by Adam

November 9 is National Young Readers Day, founded in 1989 as a special day to recognize the joys and benefits of reading and encourage parents and their young children to read together. To commemorate, I want to take a trip back to my childhood and explore the books that made a positive impact on me as a young reader, from the very first book I ever read by myself to the Newbery winners and book series that I escaped into in my grade school years, in the hope that kids and their parents will find something new here to read or something old to return to.

I started reading by memorizing, then connecting the words I knew by heart to the words that were on the page. The first book that I memorized was an illustrated edition of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” more commonly known as “The Night Before Christmas,” by Clement Clarke Moore, which famously tells the story of Saint Nicholas and his eight reindeer bringing gifts and merriment to a family’s house on Christmas Eve. Continue reading “Young Readers Day”

Autumn Scavenger Hunt

Posted on Friday, November 5, 2021 by Laura

A crisp chill in the air, crunchy leaves underfoot, chattering squirrels gathering nuts for the long winter ahead… 

There’s no better time to enjoy a hike or a nature walk than fall! Months of blistering hot Missouri summer kept me inside with a good book and a cold drink, but this cooler weather beckons me back to the great outdoors. 

A smiling father holds his toddler as they look at fall leaves.
Photo via Pexels.

My partner and I have been exploring all of the amazing green spaces and hiking trails the Columbia area has to offer. On this particular hiking trip, we explored the Shooting Star Trail at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Even a visit to your local playground, a stroll around the neighborhood or a quiet afternoon in the backyard can provide great ways to share the joys of autumn with your child. 

Having a mission in mind before you venture out can help keep reluctant kiddos engaged in your outdoor excursion. Look high in the trees and low on the ground to appreciate even the smallest members of the ecosystem. Slowing down and taking in the world around you is an easy way to practice mindfulness, too!  Continue reading “Autumn Scavenger Hunt”

Autumn Wreath Craft

Posted on Monday, November 1, 2021 by Aimee

autumn wreathThis fun and easy project encourages small children to use their fine motor skills and creativity to make a small hanging to celebrate autumn. Small children can sort the leaves by color, shape or texture before attaching them to the paper wreath form. You may enjoy adding colorful leaves you find on a nature walk or tracing your child’s hand onto a piece of paper and adding it to your wreath. Finish your wreath off with a bow and enjoy the results!

What you’ll need

  • hand-drawn leaves template
  • 1 paper plate or cardboard circle 
  • scissors
  • 1 length of yarn
  • 12 leaves (more or less) cut out of paper or collected on a nature walk
  • 1 ribbon 
  • glue or double stick tape
  • hole puncher

Continue reading “Autumn Wreath Craft”

“The Talk” and Other Awkward Stuff

Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2021 by Tess

“The birds and the bees.”

“The facts of life.”

“The talk.”

Are you sweating yet? If you’re the parent or caregiver of a young person who is entering puberty, this topic probably keeps you up at night. Discussing sex and reproduction can be extremely nerve-wracking for both kids and adults — but it doesn’t have to be! I’ve compiled a list of popular puberty books for children that you can use as a conversation starter about entering adulthood.

Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book about Bodies, Feelings, and YOU: Silverberg, Cory, Smyth, Fiona: 9781609806064: Amazon.com: Books
Sex Is a Funny Word: A Book About Bodies, Feelings, and YOU” by Cory Silverberg and Fiona Smyth

Sex Is a Funny Word
Colorful and inclusive illustrations, paired with short texts, make this a great choice for the curious kid. This primer into the world of body positivity and awareness should ideally come as soon as a child starts to experience adult feelings and their bodies begin the first stages of puberty. There are some illustrations of naked bodies, but this book doesn’t delve deeply into the specifics of puberty transitions. The easy, simple text makes this a good choice for reading together with an adult or reading independently as a conversation starter. Recommended for ages 7+. Continue reading ““The Talk” and Other Awkward Stuff”

Support for Maternal Mental Health

Posted on Monday, October 25, 2021 by Amy

Mother

Helping mothers, helping babies
In many countries, as many as 1 in 5 new mothers experience some type of perinatal mood and anxiety disorder. These illnesses frequently go unnoticed and untreated, often with tragic and long-term consequences to both mother and child.

No one is immune
Women of every culture, age, income level and race can develop perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Symptoms can appear any time during pregnancy and the first 12 months after childbirth. There are effective and well-researched treatment options available to help women recover. Continue reading “Support for Maternal Mental Health”

When It’s Time to Move

Posted on Thursday, October 21, 2021 by Molly

photo of family moving

As adults, we don’t always understand things from a child’s perspective. This is particularly true when it comes to moving to a new home. We forget how hard it is to say goodbye to dear friends, familiar surroundings and comfortable routines. In the book, “Paper Planes,” by Jim Helmorea, Mia and Ben are best friends, who love to make paper airplanes. But when Ben and his family move away, Mia struggles with her feelings of sadness. At the same time, she wonders if Ben is lonely too. In “Bad Bye, Good Bye,” by Deborah Underwood, a young child uses rhyming words to express their feelings about moving: “Bad day, bad box, bad mop, bad blocks.”

How can we make moving easier on our kids? Continue reading “When It’s Time to Move”

Sick Day Picture Books

Posted on Monday, October 18, 2021 by Jessica S

Ahhh, fall!

The best time of the year for:

  • cozy sweaters
  • pretty leaves
  • hot apple cider
  • & drippy noses!

Maybe it’s a bad case of the sniffles, a runny nose, a scratchy throat or a dreaded short-term fairytale curse? Either way, we’ve got some great reads to help your young ones navigate their sick day woes.

Sick Day Picture Books


A Bad Case of Stripes

A Bad Case of Stripes” written and illustrated by David Shannon

In this fun sick day classic from David Shannon, poor Camilla Cream is worried about pleasing everybody. Camilla loves lima beans, but she decides not to eat lima beans at school in case the other kids make fun of her. Once she makes this decision, Camilla suddenly comes down with a bad case of stripes. No one knows where it came from or how to cure it. As the case of stripes gets worse, Camilla is changing at every person’s suggestion. It cannot be stopped until Camilla decides to just be herself. Continue reading “Sick Day Picture Books”