Posted on Monday, June 15, 2020 by DBRL Kids
Today is a very exciting day—it’s the first day of Summer Reading! This year’s Summer Reading theme is “Imagine Your Story.” It’s all about fantastic fantasy, fables and fairy tales. If your kids love magical tales, then we’ve got some amazing reading suggestions for them.
The more you read, the quicker you’ll finish Summer Reading and get your reward!
For more information on our Summer Reading program this year, check out our Summer Reading 2020 page.
Posted on Monday, June 8, 2020 by Jerilyn
My grandkids love to build things—they’re young engineers in the making! I keep boxes, paper tubes and empty food containers (like oatmeal cartons and potato chip cans) in a big plastic tub. When they visit, my grandkids love to go through it and figure out something they can create. The most recent creation is a fairy town. (Scroll to the bottom of the page to see what they made!)
If you have a child who loves to imagine, build and create, then try out these fantastic resources on engineering! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Engineering”
Posted on Monday, June 1, 2020 by Megan
Kawaii is one of my favorite types of art. What is kawaii, you ask? It’s the culture of cute in Japan! (Warning: the word “cute” will appear approximately a bajillion times in the blog.) When I think of kawaii, I think of cute things with cute wittle (cute way of saying little) faces. You can make anything kawaii—animals, vegetables, minerals, you name it! I especially like making food with cute faces. Below, I’ll show you how to make kawaii pizza, ice cream and a cupcake.
Supplies:
Here are the step by step instructions for the pizza:
Start with a triangle, making the top line wavy.
Posted on Thursday, May 28, 2020 by Tess
Growing up, my family didn’t own gaming consoles. They were expensive, and, according to my parents, a waste of time. Thus, going into my teen years, I had a rather disdainful outlook toward the “gamers” of the world. I couldn’t understand the obsession with sitting in front of a TV for hours on end, mashing buttons.
But then I met my (now) husband. He was funny, an accomplished musician, an A student, active in his scout troop and yet he still played video games. After a few years of dating, he finally convinced me to play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. To say I was skeptical was an understatement; really I was just doing this for him as a birthday gift. I figured, elementary school kids can do it, how hard can it be? Oh boy, was my snooty little patootie about to learn just how much I’d been misjudging gamers. Continue reading “The Case for Video Games”
Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2020 by Brianna
Here’s the next round of digital goodies that I’ve purchased recently!
“The Button Book” written by Sally Nicholls, illustrated by Bethan Woollvin
I LOVE interactive books! In this book, the characters come across buttons that do different things. A button may cause them to clap, or sing, or bounce—actions that the readers and listeners can gleefully participate in. Not only does this book highlight fun actions, it also reinforces colors and shapes as each button is different.
“Boxitects” written and illustrated by Kim Smith
Cardboard boxes are serious business. Meg is a boxitect, someone who creates astounding things out of cardboard boxes. When a new boxitect arrives at her school, she learns important lessons about teamwork. If you have any spare boxes laying around your house, this STEAM book will be a great inspiration for some creative time away from screens.
“Tomorrow Most Likely” written by Dave Eggers, illustrated by Lane Smith
Here’s a bedtime book that focuses on tomorrow. A child and his mom imagine all the things they’ll see and do tomorrow, from ordinary things like admiring blue skies to outrageous things like riding whales and eating clouds. The multimedia illustrations are full of energy and humor, and the book celebrates living with anticipation and hope. Continue reading “Brianna’s Books: Excellent eBooks (Part 3)”
Posted on Monday, May 11, 2020 by Megan
I have a confession: I love to doodle. Just ask anyone who sits next to me during meetings. Chances are good that you might have a doodler in your life too. If you are looking for some fun ways to amp up your doodle game, I’ve got three words for you—add a face. Everything is so much cuter with a face on it! Below, I’m going to show you some fun ways you can add faces to shapes. Doodling with shapes is a great way to combine math and art. Bonus: If you talk about the names of shapes or label them, you can also practice vocabulary.
Supplies
I like to draw and fill in my shapes first. I’m going to make a square, but you can see octagons, circles and triangles are fun too.
Then you add a mouth. Continue reading “Megan Doodles: Fun with Shapes”
Posted on Thursday, May 7, 2020 by Kristy
Did you know that 1 in 5 people will experience mental illness during their lifetime? And everyone, kids included, faces challenges that can impact their mental health. May is Mental Health Month, and this is an important topic for kids to learn about and discuss. Maybe your child is dealing with mental health issues of their own or perhaps they know someone who struggles with mental illness. As with all important topics, books can do a great job of exploring these ideas in a way that is both compelling and helpful.
Below are some powerful middle grade books concerning mental health. All of these books are accessible in electronic format through OverDrive using your library card. I recommend these titles for kids in the 8-12 age range. (These books do cover complex and sometimes dark topics, so you may want to read them first or be on standby if your child has questions.)
“After Zero” by Christina Collins
Elise carries a notebook full of tallies, each page marking a day spent at her new public school, each stroke of her pencil marking a word spoken. A word that can’t be taken back. Five tally marks isn’t so bad. Two is pretty good. But zero? Zero is perfect. Zero means no wrong answers called out in class, no secrets accidentally spilled, no conversations to agonize over at night when sleep is far away.
Elise isn’t sure she could speak even if she wanted to—not to keep her only friend, Mel, from drifting further away or to ask if anyone else has seen her English teacher’s stuffed raven come to life. Suddenly, the discovery of a shocking family secret helps Elise realize that her silence might just be the key to unlocking everything she’s ever hoped for. This book takes you along Elise’s journey, covering subjects such as anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. Continue reading “Middle Grade Fiction Featuring Mental Health”
Posted on Monday, May 4, 2020 by Kristy
Welcome to our very first virtual activity bundle! For many years, we’ve been creating book bundles for our patrons. Books bundles are a stack of our favorite books on different subjects, all lovingly bundled together and ready for you to grab and go. They’re a great way for parents and caregivers to quickly pick up quality books without looking through our huge collection of picture books.
While we still plan on making (and possibly even expanding) book bundles, the youth services team is extending this idea so that you have access to great materials from the comfort of your home. That’s where virtual activity bundles come in! In these bundles, we will compile a list of books, songs, videos, at-home activities and other resources that you can use to explore different subjects with your child. Each virtual activity bundle will be based around a theme and will be geared towards a certain age group.
Without further ado, let’s get started with our first virtual activity bundle!
Chirp! Cheep! Caw! These are some of the happy sounds you might hear outside your window from our favorite feathered friends—birds! Birds are such beautiful and interesting creatures; my little one can watch the birds eating from our bird feeder all day long. If you and your child want to explore the fascinating subject of birds, check out the resources and activity below. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Birds”
Posted on Thursday, April 30, 2020 by Kristy
Having trouble explaining to your kids just what exactly is going on these days? The current pandemic can be confusing and emotional for us adults, which makes discussing it with kids challenging at best. There’s a fine balance between telling children the facts and over-explaining the pandemic to the point of panic or confusion. To help parents out, there have been several picture books quickly created to discuss COVID-19 in a realistic way that is also hopeful and kid-friendly.
Here are two eBooks that I have found helpful when explaining COVID-19 to kids. (You’ll want to read these with your child to explain concepts and field questions.)
“Coronavirus: A Book for Children” written by Elizabeth Jenner, Kate Wilson and Nia Roberts; illustrated by Axel Scheffler
This informative and accessible guide for young readers defines the coronavirus, explains why everyday routines have been disrupted and lays out how everyone can do their part to help. With child-appropriate answers and explanations, the book addresses key questions such as:
Posted on Monday, April 27, 2020 by Kristy
Running out of ideas to keep your kids entertained? If so, try out salad spinner art! It’s a fun and creative STEAM project that will have your kids amazed at the results. The artwork always turns out beautiful and unique, and it makes for great gifts or fridge decor.
What you need:
What you do:
