By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris
Welcome back and happy autumn! Recently, Miss Jenny shared a book about a day that should have been exciting and wonderful turning into a big disappointment.
Those days feel pretty common right now. Our kids want to go to school and learn and play with their friends—but right now, it can’t look like it used to. Things they might love to do look different right now, too, from sports to movies to playgrounds. Plus, kids are spending more time on screens in order to learn and see their teachers and friends.
Try these activities below to help kids balance those changes with some screen-free fun!
Watch these videos
In this first video, I share my sadness about not being able to read my favorite books, which were shut inside the library at the time. Instead, I retell my favorite book. Can your kids draw or make puppets and retell their favorites, too?
In this second video, Jenny and I share some of our favorite books that can all connect together. Say Hello models a lot of different languages, which could lead you to books about characters who also speak those languages. What stories can you tell about your family? How can you say hello?
Read these books
Sometimes, though, stories aren’t what kids need. With so many changes and so much time on screens, brain and body breaks are important for all ages! Check out these books for movement and mindfulness.
- Mariam Gates has yoga books in print and on Hoopla. Miss Jenny and I love Good Night Yoga and Good Morning Yoga.
- Breathe Like a Bear, in print and on Hoopla, has alerting and calming breaths in story formats.
- Molly Idle’s Flora series are wordless books, in print and on Hoopla, featuring a little girl mimicking animals she sees. Follow her actions, and make up your own!
About Shelley
Shelley is a children’s librarian with a passion for early literacy, serving and celebrating the disability community, and exploring technology. She can often be found practicing storytime songs with her black lab, Bingo.
