I spy with my little eye…a remarkably simple and entertaining craft! You can create this craft with discarded objects from around the house. All you need is an empty plastic bottle, some uncooked beans or rice and an array of unused trinkets. When complete, the “I spy bottle” can be interactive, with you and your child searching for and talking about the contents. It can also be a thought-provoking toy for kids to play with on their own.
Here’s how to make the “I spy bottle” in 6 simple steps.
1. Clean a clear plastic bottle and lid.
2. Gather small toys and trinkets. For example, you can add
pom poms, charms, birthday candles, paper clips, buttons,
coins or even old keys.
3. Take a photo or make a list of the items you plan to “hide” in the bottle.
4. Add the items to the dry bottle.
5. Add beans or rice to cover the items. (You may need a funnel.)
6. Screw on the cap and hot glue the bottle shut. Continue reading “I Spy Bottles”
While I was browsing the new children’s book shelves the other day, I came across a super cute new book called “Explorers of the Wild,” which is written and illustrated by Cale Atkinson.
I am probably not the first library employee to admit that often it’s a book’s cute illustrations that grab my attention. And the adorable cover of “Explorers of the Wild” did just that! Atkinson uses wonderful, bright colors to tell the tale of a young boy off on an adventure in the wild. With the turn of each page, he goes deeper and deeper into the forest. He crosses streams and explores all there is to see under tree stumps and rocks until he comes across another explorer…a BEAR! Continue reading “Books We Love: Explorers of the Wild”
Many families are now facing the sometimes daunting task of starting a new school year. Older children have picked out school supplies, are looking over class schedules and are getting reconnected with peers. Many young children are starting kindergarten, preschool or daycare for the first time.
For those little ones who haven’t experienced big transitions before, this can be both a thrilling and scary time. Kids might be excited to get a new lunch box, new shoes or a fresh box of crayons. However, they might dread changes to their routine. It can be hard to adjust to new places, people and rules. Continue reading “New School Year Book List”
As I type this, Halloween is only 79 days, 6 hours, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds away, not that I’m counting. However, this didn’t stop us from celebrating the end of summer with our 2nd Annual Cosplay Costume Con on August 8! We packed the Columbia Friends Room with people of all ages dressed as their favorite characters. For one night only, heroes and villains were able to put aside their differences and come together to strut their stuff down the catwalk.
We had a panel of four judges who appraised each participant on their creativity and embodiment of the character. Prizes were provided by the library, Distant Planet Comics & Collectibles and Ragtag Cinema. During the judges’ final deliberations, the audience was surprised when a Sith Lord showed up and challenged our emcee! Thankfully, Dana was able to defeat him and save us from the Dark Side.
Continue reading “2nd Annual Cosplay Con”
There are eBooks and there are eAudiobooks, but have you ever seen a eBook and eAudiobook combined? Meet
OverDrive Read-along! Read-along books are eBooks that are professionally narrated while you read along with the highlighted words. These eBooks are easy to use. Once the book is open, you click “Play Narration,” and off it goes! Going back and playing a section again is simple. Just click on the words where you want to start, and the narration will begin where you clicked. If you need to stop, simply click “Pause Narration.”
Continue reading “New OverDrive Read-Along Books”
We had a great time hosting Life-Size Candy Land at our Columbia and Fulton library branches! We had almost 400 people come through the giant game board at the Columbia Public Library alone, and we would like to thank you for coming and sharing in our magical land of sweet surprises.
Continue reading “Life-Size Candy Land”
For most folks summer reading means fun, lighthearted beach reads. However, as summer winds down, you may find yourself in need of a break from the saccharine. If you are looking for a summer read with some substance and meaningful discussion, then look no further than Tara Sullivan’s “The Bitter Side of Sweet.”
This is Sullivan’s second novel and her first title for middle grade readers, but make no mistake — the subject matter in “The Bitter Side of Sweet” is not for the faint of heart. This novel deals with child slave labor in cacao farms along the Ivory Coast. Brothers Amadou and Seydou go to work one season on the farm in order to help bring in money for their family in a small Malian village. However, two years later they are still on the farm with no idea how much money they have earned or if it will be enough to pay off the debt they’ve incurred for living and working on the farm. Then one day a new girl, Kadisha, is brought to the farm. After several failed escape attempts on her own, she enlists the help of Amadou and Seydou to plot another escape. You’ll have to read to find out what happens next! Continue reading “The Bitter Side of Sweet”
For many of us, summer vacation is drawing to an end, and the new school year is just around the corner. Before you start packing those backpacks, there is one last major event to celebrate this summer – the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro! Here are some fun facts to share with your children about the Summer Olympics. Continue reading “Winning Books for the Summer Olympics”
Wow! The summer heat is already in full swing, and August is promising to be even hotter! One way that I like to beat the heat is to face it head on by going outside and splashing around. You can do this too by going to the beach or the pool to catch some waves, or you can even turn to your own yard! Here are some ideas that will help you cool off at home. Continue reading “Beat the Heat”
One aspect of our Summer Reading theme “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!” concerns eating good food that will fuel your engine. Sometimes families decide to change their eating habits, especially if a child is diagnosed with food allergies. Changing diets can be a hard task to accomplish for both kids and adults. While every situation is different, the library provides many books that may help ease that transition. Here are a couple books that I recommend.
“Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipes & Guidebook for Gluten-Free Kids
” by the Paleo Parents is a great resource to use when introducing a gluten-free diet to your kids. This cookbook starts with a story that you can read to your kids about why this family changed their lifestyle. The narrator tells the reader that while change is hard, the benefits outweigh the struggles. In every recipe there are pictures and detailed directions that show what steps children can help with. Allowing children to have a hands-on approach may help the food transition go more smoothly. Every recipe is free of grains, dairy and legumes.
Continue reading “Fuel Your Engine With Allergy-Free Recipes”
I spy with my little eye…a remarkably simple and entertaining craft! You can create this craft with discarded objects from around the house. All you need is an empty plastic bottle, some uncooked beans or rice and an array of unused trinkets. When complete, the “I spy bottle” can be interactive, with you and your child searching for and talking about the contents. It can also be a thought-provoking toy for kids to play with on their own.