Library Blog
Posted on Mon, June 22, 2020 - 08:00pm
Writing…the most difficult to understand of the pre-literacy skills. How can I work on writing when my baby can’t even hold her own bottle? Writing definitely comes later when preschoolers have refined their motor skills and strengthened their muscles – but pre-writing skills are anything that can…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, June 21, 2020 - 08:00pm
Although our summer events look different this year, we are still hosting a variety of family and children’s activities and events. The Family Fun events that are usually held in our garden will instead be held in YOUR garden (or living room)! Our traditional season opener, Mr. Wayne Potash, will…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 18, 2020 - 08:00pm
If you’ve ever played Pictionary or Telestrations, you’ll probably love this family activity! If you haven’t played those games, this is a good substitute (it’s basically a homemade, simplified version of Telestrations).
Everyone starts with a piece of paper (scrap paper is fine) and a pencil, and…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, June 15, 2020 - 08:00pm
Lazy days of summer are perfect for spreading out a blanket in the shade and sharing some books with your baby. Picture books – even those written for very young children – are perfect for building your little one’s vocabulary, which in turn expands their entire world view. You might not use the…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, June 14, 2020 - 08:00pm
School’s out!! This year did not exactly shape up the way anyone was expecting when we started last fall, but here we are. Whether you (parent or student!) limped across the finish line or sprinted – you did it. Take a deep breath, pat yourself on the back, and take a few days to just take a break…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 11, 2020 - 08:00pm
Ever thought about writing a book? Maybe a really short one? Literally… short…
Seasonal AFL Author-in-Residence Kate Klise recently shared this fun article about making tiny books. Consider collaborating with your kids and making this a true family project! Depending on their ages, you might need…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, June 08, 2020 - 08:00pm
Do you find yourself tapping your toe to the beat? Dancing in the car? Just “can’t stop the feelin’?” Well, little ones do too! Besides supporting language growth, music is great for working on large and fine motor skills, among other things. From the first time they’re rocked to a lullaby, to…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, June 07, 2020 - 08:00pm
It might be a while before we can host our once-a-month Lego Club again, but you can use whatever you’ve got at home to recreate some of the fun! Sometimes the fun of Legos is building whatever it is that your set makes - but once you’ve done a few of those, it can be fun to go rogue! If you’ve got…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 04, 2020 - 08:00pm
We’re all about books around here…but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy a good screen time break every now and then! Now that you can pick up materials from the library, check out our video game selection. We have games for the Nintendo Switch, Wii, DS/3DS, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Whether you use one…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, June 01, 2020 - 08:00pm
Talk, talk, talk… once your child starts talking, you start wishing they would stop! But since talking is such a foundational part of human communication – including literacy (reading) – the best thing you can do is… well, talk it up! We’ve written about how to talk with your baby or toddler, but…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 31, 2020 - 08:00pm
Hey, have you heard the good news??! The library’s not open yet… but you can check out books to keep your at-home storytime and learning fun going! We all need to follow a few rules to make it work properly; this explains the procedure for Contactless Curbside Pickup.
The short of it is – if you…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, May 28, 2020 - 08:00pm
This month, our spotlight is on picture book author Todd Parr! Todd’s books are very simple and in many ways each book is alike – but all are completely irresistible! Todd uses bright two-dimensional illustrations to spread positive messages on a variety of topics. His books are silly but relatable…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 25, 2020 - 08:00pm
Here’s the great thing about babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, and playing - it’s what they do! There’s no learning curve involved on “how” to play; give a baby a toy, and they will feel it, turn it, maybe even taste it. They’re like little scientists in the making!
The best way to play is simply…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 24, 2020 - 08:00pm
In case you missed it – we’re running a Spring Reading Challenge to get you through these last few weeks before our SUMMER programming starts! Soon you’ll be able to pick up books we’ve got here in the library, or you can always keep working on those ebooks that we have available through Hoopla,…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, May 21, 2020 - 08:00pm
We’re living through a global pandemic – a situation which almost no one still living has experienced before. Many people are keeping “COVID Journals” to record their thoughts, feelings, challenges, and small triumphs as we carry on, day by day. (Have you seen these coloring pages? Or consider…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 18, 2020 - 08:00pm
It can be hard to see how you might introduce your baby or toddler to writing. The fine motor skills required are well beyond their grasp (pun intended)! However, the underlying knowledge behind writing is about knowing shapes. Letters are made of mountains, bumps, and lines. So are shapes!
…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 17, 2020 - 08:00pm
Although we all have new routines now, things are still so different from “normal” that it’s good to slow down and have some quiet time once in a while. Coloring might be just the ticket! You don’t need any special materials; any kind of paper will do, and you can use crayons, markers, or colored…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, May 14, 2020 - 08:00pm
Letter writing has become a bit of a revived craft over these past months as people are looking for creative ways to connect with loved ones near and far. It’s also a great practice for kids learning how to organize a letter, work on their handwriting, or just learn a life skill (stamp goes on the…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 11, 2020 - 08:00pm
Hopefully you’ve all been following along with our virtual storytimes lately! Although we aren’t reading books right now, you & your little one can enjoy the fun routines, songs, & rhymes of your favorite storytime group, and then check out ebook copies of titles we’ve recommended. One…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 10, 2020 - 08:00pm
My hairdryer broke recently. It’s not a big deal; I almost never use it. But now what do I do with it? Well… a few times a year, we run a “take apart table” at the library – a chance for kids to look under the hood, so to speak, of common electronics and devices. We’ve dismantled a computer, a…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, May 07, 2020 - 08:00pm
Mother’s Day is right around the corner (psst! It’s this Sunday, May 10!). If there is ever a time for a homemade card for someone who helps keep your household together, it is now! Or maybe you’re looking for a fun way to brighten someone’s day, or something different to mail to a loved one you…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, May 04, 2020 - 08:00pm
Make a joyous noise! You’ll be doing your baby’s brain good. Of course, singing is also fun! Songs make language accessible and memorable for young children. (See our last SINGING post about using new words in old tunes, particularly when trying to get children to do a task.)
Children’s songs and…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, May 03, 2020 - 08:00pm
If you’ve somehow missed it, here’s your reminder to check out our virtual storytimes! It’s been hard not being able to see our favorite smiling faces every week, but we’re trying to keep your kiddos engaged with some online entertainment instead. If you’re a storytime regular, you’ll find a lot of…
Category: Youth Services, Kids, Story Times Online
Posted on Thu, April 30, 2020 - 08:00pm
Spring has been teasing us for quite some time now, but one of these days it will stick! It’s on us to create entertainment for our kids these days, so how about taking your family outside for some good old-fashioned backyard fun? These games may not look like traditional “literacy,” but chances…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Mon, April 27, 2020 - 08:00pm
Have a conversation with your child today. Boy, that sounds easy… maybe? Talking at or to someone isn’t the same as talking with someone. Obviously young children aren’t the best conversationalists, but in order for them to learn how a conversation works (back and forth interaction), and to hear…
Category: Youth Services, Kids