We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Callaway County Youth Poetry Contest, sponsored by the Callaway County Public Library and the Auxvasse Creative Arts Program! The theme for this year’s contest was “Words That Whisper, Stanzas That Sing” — youths were encouraged to write poems about sound. Congratulations to our winners!

Ages 5-8
1st: Brooke Giboney
2nd: Lillian Billey
3rd: Taylor Jones Continue reading “2016 Callaway County Youth Poetry Contest Winners”

I recently discovered a simple and fun preschool letter matching game.The more I thought about the game and about the different ways you could play it, the more I liked it. It’s great for quiet play time, letter recognition practice and sensory play.

The original game calls for an adult to write letters on rocks with a marker, then write the same letters (either all capital or all lowercase) on the inside of a muffin liner, then place the liner in a cupcake pan. You let a child (who is old enough to not chew the rocks) match the letters and place the rocks in the tin. Continue reading “Letter Matching Game”

Summer is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to get your kids engaged with some great summer reads. Research proves that children who don’t read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress. Combat this brain drain by signing up for the library’s Summer Reading program! This year’s Summer Reading theme is “On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!” This program is free, and we have versions for all ages. You can sign up at your library or at a bookmobile stop. Registration for all ages begins on June 1.

What do stuffed animals do when you turn out the lights? Last week 22 stuffed animals attended the Stuffed Animal Sleepover program at the Columbia Public Library. After a special stuffed animal story time, kids tucked their stuffies into bed, gave them one last kiss goodnight and turned out the lights. All the stuffies promised to behave and go right to sleep.

We quickly learned while the kids are away, the stuffed animals will play.
Soon after the kids left, the stuffies begged for one last bedtime story. Thankfully Officer Stoer from the Columbia Police Department stopped by the library to read “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.” Continue reading “Stuffed Animal Sleepover”

It is a sad day indeed when a favorite author ends a very popular series. Mo Willems published the first Elephant and Piggie book in 2007. In nine years he has created 25 books with favorites such as “There is a Bird on Your Head” and “Are You Ready to Play Outside?”, both of which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. Even though Piggie and Elephant will no longer star in their own books, their faces will still be around in a new series called Elephant & Piggie like Reading! While these books will not be related to the Elephant and Piggie series, Gerald and Piggie will give them their stamp of approval! Continue reading “Thank You, Elephant and Piggie”

Did you know that you can grow celery, radishes and even pineapple in your own kitchen? As we wrap up spring and dive into summer, you might be looking for fun and educational activities to keep those young minds engaged. As the old adage goes “Make hay while the sun shines!” Or, in our case, make celery!

Worried about your green thumb? Don’t be. Gardening can be as simple as planting the tops or bottoms of plants in a small container and watching the magic happen. Gardening is a great way for children and adults to come together and learn something new. Here are some simple ways you can get the plants rolling.

Continue reading “Gardening for Kids”

In our technology-based society, it’s easy for kids to get caught up in their favorite video games and TV shows, resulting in too much screen time. However, there are many fun ways to enjoy our favorite video games and TV shows while actually reducing screen time.

1. Bead Art

Bead art is a great entry-level form of crafting, especially when it comes to the classic 8-bit style of video games. It only requires a few materials: Perler beads, an iron, ironing paper, tweezers and a Perler pegboard. Bead art is as simple as placing the beads next to each other and then melting them together.

2. Minecraft Crafts

Continue reading “Step Away From the Screen: Video Game- and TV-Themed Crafts and Activities”

One new book that has recently caught my eye is “If I Had a Gryphon,” written by Vikki Vansickle and illustrated by Cale Atkinson. After reading just a few pages, I was already in love with both the text and the illustrations. Continue reading “Books We Love: If I Had a Gryphon”

Spring is such a wonderful time of year for a picnic in the park. Here are some fun ideas to try on your next picnic adventure!

Start out your picnic with some rhymes:

We’re Going on a Picnic

We’re going on a picnic.
Gonna pack a lunch.
What should we get to munch munch munch?
(Ask kids to name some yummy foods for a picnic, and then chant the song again.)

Carrots, Peas and Broccoli

Carrots, peas and broccoli,
Vegetables are good for me.
For my snack and in my lunch,
Veggie sticks are great to munch.
Carrots, peas and broccoli,
Vegetables are good for me

Next, make some picnic snacks:

Continue reading “Are You Ready for a Picnic?”