Posted on Monday, July 10, 2023 by Laura
Summer Reading 2023 is in full swing! This year’s theme is “All Together Now,” and all summer long, we’re celebrating our connections with family, friends and community. In this virtual activity bundle, you’ll find books, music, videos and more for kids ages 5 to 8, all focused on togetherness and inclusivity. Read, listen, watch and create along with us! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: All Together Now”
Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2023 by Laura
2023 is officially underway, and the start of a new year is a great time to begin prioritizing mental health and self-care practices. Laying a strong foundation for a healthy emotional life starts in childhood. Babies begin to recognize facial expressions, toddlers learn to identify feelings and preschoolers and school-age kids can develop healthy habits like anger management and deep breathing techniques. Unfortunately, many of us didn’t gain these valuable skills growing up. But luckily, the conversation around mental health has exploded in recent years, and we’ve seen a huge uptick in books and other resources to help give kids the tools they need to process and express their emotions. In this virtual activity bundle, you’ll find a number of online resources to promote education, encouragement, comfort and calm. Get the conversation started and show your mind some kindness with a little help from this selection of eBooks, songs, videos and activities! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Be Kind to Your Mind”
Posted on Monday, November 14, 2022 by Laura
The holiday season is quickly approaching, and this time of year is all about spreading warm, fuzzy feelings like kindness, gratefulness and generosity. There’s no better time to emphasize these year-round virtues, as the holidays offer a multitude of tangible ways to point out and practice kindness with our children. As Dr. Patty O’Grady, an expert in positive psychology and childhood development, puts it: “kindness changes the brain by the experience of kindness. Children and adolescents do not learn kindness by only thinking about it and talking about it. Kindness is best learned by feeling it so that they can reproduce it.” Research shows that kids who regularly practice and experience kindness have higher self-esteem, better physical and mental health and stronger relationships with their peers. Furthermore, they are much less likely to engage in bullying behaviors.
It’s clear that kindness is a crucial factor in growing happy, healthy kids. This virtual activity bundle is full of eBooks, songs and videos for creating an ongoing conversation about kindness, as well as some fun activities to put these skills into action! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Kindness Counts”
Posted on Thursday, June 30, 2022 by Otter
Summer is a great time to interact with water! Rivers, creeks and oceans beckon when the temperatures get hot, and it’s important to drink a lot of clean water, too. Sometimes bodies of water are less than ideal places; they may be polluted or littered with garbage that humans have left behind. Check out these resources to see what you can do to help keep these vital waters clean and healthy for all of the creatures that live there. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Keep Water Clean”
Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2022 by Jerilyn
The ocean is a great place to visit in the summer. You can play on the beach, watch the waves roll up on the sand and swim in the water. The ocean is fascinating, full of interesting animals and plant life. If you can’t travel in person, dive into these online books, music, videos and activities instead. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Visiting the Ocean”
Posted on Thursday, May 5, 2022 by Adam
In case you didn’t already know, Mother’s Day is May 8! Since 1908, when it was created by Anna Jarvis, this has been a day to celebrate the mothers in our lives and all that they have done for us (this could also include grandmothers, aunts, godmothers and any other mother figures). Here are some eBooks, songs, videos and an easy, fun craft to help commemorate this special day. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Mother’s Day”
Posted on Thursday, December 2, 2021 by Adam
Brrr! Can you feel the chill in the air? It’s almost wintertime again! Time to pull out our wool socks, heavy coats and gloves. Time to turn up the heat in our homes and maybe dust off our sleds and inner tubes in preparation for the first snow day of the school year! And time to perhaps prepare gifts and/or decorations for the upcoming holidays. Whatever your favorite part of the season, these wonderful books, catchy songs, informative videos and fun craft projects can hopefully serve as a complement to your winter fun.
“Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter” by Kenard Pak
A brother and sister take a walk through their town on a late autumn afternoon, greeting the signs of the coming winter and wake the next morning to a beautiful snowfall. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Winter”
Posted on Thursday, September 30, 2021 by Jerilyn
“Old MacDonald Had a Farm” was always a favorite with my kids, and now my grandkids like singing it too! Making animal sounds is so much fun. Want to learn all about farms and farm animals? Here are resources to share about the work it takes to run a farm. I’ve included some fun farm songs and hands-on activities too! Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Farms”
Posted on Monday, September 13, 2021 by Jerilyn
Kids love to watch construction equipment in action. My very active grandson stopped what he was doing to just stand and watch a backhoe at work right outside his house. There is something fascinating about big machines and their movements. Even my brother-in-law said he watched a machine working outside his window for at least 30 minutes. If your child loves big machines and trucks, here are some fun resources to enjoy. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Construction Vehicles & Trucks”
Posted on Thursday, September 2, 2021 by Adam
Ugh, I know it’s painful to admit, but summer is almost over! If you love the freedom of long summer days of no school, the transition to fall can be a bit of a challenge. But I, for one, love the approach of crisp autumn nights and the beautiful yellows, oranges and browns of the changing leaves. What is your favorite part about fall — the first days of school, hay rides, corn mazes, apple cider, falling leaves, haunted houses, Halloween, Thanksgiving? It always seems like the autumn months are packed full of so many different things and new experiences, so here are some books, songs, videos and an activity to help celebrate all of the colorful change that autumn brings. Continue reading “Virtual Activity Bundle: Autumn”