Families

September 22 2020

All the Feels: Easy Sensory Play Tips for Little Hands

STPL Children’s Staff Families, Parenting

What is Sensory Play & Why it’s Important:

Sensory play is any activity that helps children focus on their sense of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling. It is play designed to encourage kids to really be hands on and explore their world and use their senses. They learn so much just by being present and sensing and they retain the information better when they are more engaged.

Sensory activities help children with brain development, vocabulary growth, problem solving skills and more!

My favorite part of sensory play is how easy and simple it can be and it’s just fun!

In this blog I will give you some fun super simple sensory play ideas and tips to try with your kiddos.

Three Main Things to Remember:

Always supervise sensory play.
Let it be child led, let them make the decisions and choices.
Be prepared for a mess. Allow your child the freedom to be messy. Choose a place where it is easy to clean up then use tools and equipment that can get ruined like an old table. Put a mess mat (plastic sheeting, table cloth, shower curtain) on the floor, wear old play clothes.

How to Create a Sensory Bin:

Large plastic bin or sensory table
Sensory base, such as water, sand, dry or cooked pasta, rice, dry beans, dry cereal, water beads, or play-doh.
Tools for the bin that will help them scoop, pour, stir, and dig. If you are doing a theme based sensory bin you can add extras like people figures, animals, tubes, popsicle sticks, cars, etc.

Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do sensory play. Creating sensory bins is one of my favorite learning centers to set up. They don’t always have to involve a lot of prep work. The kids love it either way and it will keep them busy long enough for you to sit and enjoy your coffee!

Below is a list of the top 5 favorite sensory bins I have used in my classroom. Be sure to check back for more fun sensory play ideas!

All the Feels: Easy Sensory Play Tips for Little Hands

Base: Water beads Tools: cups, spoons, funnels, marble run tubes, & water bottles
Base: sand Tools: buckets, shovels, sand molds Extras: gems(buried treasure)
Base: planting soil Tools: flower pots, shovels, rakes, water cans Extras: take flowers
Base: Soapy water (water & dish soap) Tools: play dishes and sponges (They love to wash dishes. You can use your kitchen sink for this sensory bin)
Base: rice Tools: alphabet magnets Extras: magnet wand and cookie tray. (Hide alphabet letters in the rice and have them find the letter and put it on the matching letter on the cookie tray)

For even more easy sensory fun, join Ms. Lori for a virtual Sensory Sensations on October 8, 2020. Register here: https://bit.ly/2DJ2YqE to reserve your spot and your supply kit!

Written by Ms. Lori, STPL Children’s Programming Coordinator

September 10 2020

Get A Clue: Mysteries for Middle Graders

STPL Children’s Staff Book Talks, Families, Reading Recommendations

The world of middle grade graphic novels has expanded exponentially over the last few years! Regardless of what genre your child is interested in, there is certain to be a book they’ll love!

This week, we wanted to highlight our top four favorite middle grade mysteries. As always, titles will be linked to make placing a hold quick and easy! Simply click on the image of the cover photo to be taken directly to STPL’s Catalog.

The Pathfinder’s Society, Book 1

Perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth, Lumberjanes, or Tales from the Five Worlds, The Mystery of the Moon Tower is sure to delight and capture readers’ attention!

In this first book of the series, readers will meet five kids who are unlikely to form a team, or become best friends for sure. However, they soon find there is indeed “more beyond” in their pokey town with its weird weather and sudden geysers of smelly air. Deciphering a route of historical markers leads them to Merriweather’s old castle, which is lined with ornate, beautiful tiles in hallways that lead to secret rooms full of odd objects–and where time itself is warped!

This is the path our heroes are meant to follow, on a journey that will take them back and forth through time, through woods, and across waterways revealed by moonlight, right up to the looming Moon Tower itself–which holds Merriweather’s secret . . . and the treasure

The Dam Keeper, Book 1

First in a three book series, readers who are fans of mysteries with a spooky edge will enjoy The Dam Keeper.

Life in Sunrise Valley is tranquil, but beyond its borders lies certain death. A dangerous black fog looms outside the village, but its inhabitants are kept safe by an ingenious machine known as the dam. Pig’s father built the dam and taught him how to maintain it. And then this brilliant inventor did the unthinkable: he walked into the fog and was never seen again.

Now Pig is the dam keeper. Except for his best friend, Fox, and the town bully, Hippo, few are aware of his tireless efforts. But a new threat is on the horizon―a tidal wave of black fog is descending on Sunrise Valley. Now Pig, Fox, and Hippo must face the greatest danger imaginable: the world on the other side of the dam.

Shirley & Jamila Save Their Summer

Jamila Waheed is staring down a lonely summer in a new neighborhood–until she meets Shirley Bones. Sure, Shirley’s a little strange, but both girls need a new plan for the summer, and they might as well become friends.

Then this kid Oliver shows up begging for Shirley’s help. His pet gecko has disappeared, and he’s sure it was stolen! The mystery of the missing gecko turns Shirley and Jamila’s summer upside down. And when their partnership hits a rough patch, they have to work together to solve the greatest mystery of all: What it means to be a friend.

The Montague Twins: The Witch’s Hand

Pete and Alastair Montague are just a couple of mystery-solving twins, living an ordinary life. Or so they thought. After a strange storm erupts on a visit to the beach, they discover there is more to their detective skills than they had thought. Their guardian, David Faber, a once prominent professor, has been keeping secrets about their parents and what the boys are truly capable of.

At the same time, three girls go missing after casting a mysterious spell, which sets in motion a chain of events that takes their small town down an unexpected path. With the help of David’s daughter, Charlie, they discover there are forces at work that they never could have imagined, which will impact their lives forever.

Written by Ms. Mara, STPL Children’s Outreach Librarian

September 8 2020

Simple Ways to Increase Your Family’s Mindfulness

STPL Children’s Staff Families, Parenting, Reading Recommendations Families, Mindfulness, Parenting, Reading Recommendations

As we move into the third week of school for our Shorewood-Troy area kids, we wanted to provide some easily accessible, simple resources for both parents and their children to help practice mindfulness during what can often be a stressful adjustment.

Participate in an Act of Kindness:

Studies have shown that participating in acts of kindness can help lower stress and anxiety levels.

This summer, the Children’s Dept at STPL started a kindness rocks garden in front of the Library! Decorating a rock to add to the garden is a simple, and creative way to practice a random act of kindness!

Simple Ways to Increase Your Family’s Mindfulness

Another easy way to practice kindness is to visit Random Acts of Kindness and participate in their “make kindness the norm” challenge for kids. Simply download the free printable HERE, and complete all the activities! If you don’t have a printer at home, you can also stop by the STPL Children’s Dept to pick up a free copy!

Books:

The Children’s Dept has some wonderful books to help facilitate mindfulness practices! The following are my 5 favorite titles we currently own:

1) Just Breathe: Meditation, Mindfulness, Movement, and More by Mallika Chopra

This meditation guide for middle graders and young adults offers specific mindfulness exercises to help deal with day-to-day challenges and includes tips to lead a happier, healthier, and more connected life.
Call Number: J 158.1 CHO

2) Mindful Moments at Bedtime by Paloma Rossa

This board book for littles features soothing bedtime rituals to read together. It helps offer moments of thoughtful conversation and restful reflection, both for children and their grownups.
Call Number: BB ROSSA

3) Stress Less : How to Achieve Inner Calm and Relaxation by Aubre Andrus
It can be easy to get bogged down in stress. Luckily there are countless strategies to beat it. When you’re feeling anxious or overloaded, the projects in this book can help. Calm down by following a guided meditation. Boost your mood with a healthy snack. Take a break from social media. Get your blood pumping with a guided 20-minute workout. Before you know it, you will be less stressed! Your mind – and body – will thank you
Call Number: J 155.9 AND

4) Bee Still: an Invitation to Meditation by Frank Sileo
Illustrations and rhyming text tell of Bentley, a bee from a busy, crowded, and noisy hive who teaches others to meditate in order to handle stress. Includes a guide for parents.
Call Number: GROWING & LEARNING / FIRST STEPS / SILEO

5) I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde
When the world feels chaotic, find peace within through an accessible mindfulness practice. Express emotions through direct speech. Find empathy through imagination. Connect with the earth. Wonder at the beauty of the natural world. Breathe, taste, smell, touch, and be present.
Call Number: GROWING & LEARNING / FEELINGS / VERDE

Young viewers will join our heroine Lyla as she learns ten yoga poses from her friends at the zoo, receiving helpful tips along the way from each animal she encounters. Using rhyming and counting to make memorization easier, this imaginative story combines the benefits of yoga with kids’ natural love for animals to create a magical learning journey that parents and kids can enjoy together.

This beautifully illustrated collection of mindfulness exercises is designed to teach kids techniques for managing their bodies, breath, and emotions. Best of all, these thirty simple, short breathing practices and movements can be performed anytime, anywhere: in the car on the way to the grocery store, during heavy homework nights at home, or even at a child’s desk at school.

Childhood is full of overwhelming emotional challenges–navigating school, making friends, getting along with parents, and learning to love who you are. This audiobook empowers youngsters to utilize the practices of mindfulness and meditation to meet those challenges head-on in a way that is healthy, balanced, and compassionate.

These stunning meditations vary from four to ten minutes each in length and can be used separately or run together as one track. Beautiful calm journeys to help children with confidence, self-esteem and creativity

Breathe with Me guides young ones ages four through eight through eleven exercises to promote body awareness, calm anger and temper tantrums, self-soothe in fearful new situations, energize in the morning, and relax at bedtime. Through visualization and play, this engaging breath-by-breath journey teaches children an essential set of self-care skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.

As always, the STPL Children’s Department is happy to help you find any other books or resources you might need along your mindfulness journey. Give us a call at (815) 725-4368 or email us at childrensdept@shorewoodtroylibrary.org

And last, but certainly not least, take some time to laugh at this fabulous meditation joke! Laughter is a fantastic way to bring some happiness into your life!

September 1 2020

Remote Learning Tips from a Veteran Teacher

STPL Adult & Teen Staff Families, Parenting, Slider

By: Melissa
Shorewood Troy Library
Adult Services Assistant

Are your children starting the school year remotely? Here are a few helpful tips to start the school year off on the right foot for both you and them!

1. Create a home learning space and personalize it!

Is there an outlet nearby to keep the laptop charged?
Is the sun directly hitting the computer screen? Is there not enough light to work by?
Is the workspace big enough for the computer as well as scratch paper and other supplies?

2. Post a copy of the daily school schedule so it’s easily accessible for everyone.

Print out the schedule with times.
Make sure to note what is a live session or pre-recorded session.
Have a daily to-do list and mark off assignments as they are completed.

3. Have all regular school supplies on hand. Students will need them.

Loose leaf paper
Writing utensils
Coloring supplies

4. Encourage movement breaks.

Everyone needs to get up and stretch! Take a few minutes to refresh!

5. Reduce other distractions, if possible.

Try to isolate children from each other, if possible.
Have children who are close together use headphones to block out other noise.

Looking for more resources? Check out these articles!
22 Remote Learning Tips for Parents Helping at Home

8 Tips to Help our Child Focus and Stay Engaged During Distance Learning

Home Classroom Design Ideas for Online Students

August 26 2020

Online Back-To-School Resources

STPL Children’s Staff Book Talks, Families, Parenting E-Learning, Families, Kids, Parenting

As we move into the start of the 20/21 school year, and depart from the traditional back-to-school routine, we have put together this blog post to help out with your school journey. In this post, you will find resources for remote learning, hybrid learning, or homeschooling!

Get A Library Card:

In order to access the following resources, make sure you have a library card! If you’re new to getting a card, click here to fill out our online card application. A library card will be your most important back-to-school tool!

With your library card, you will be able to put holds on any print materials through our catalog, access the databases and online book platforms below, and submit requests for additional materials to supplement your student’s learning through our Homework Help form!

Try Our Databases:
Did you know that with your library card you can access a variety of educational databases, all filled with helpful resources for students?

Use Explora Primary Schools for topics such as:

Animals
Arts and Music
Biographies
Geography
Language Arts
Math
Science and Health
Social Studies

Use BiblioBoard Library for topics such as:

Architecture
Art
Biography & Autobiography
Computers
Cooking
Foreign Language Study
Health & Fitness
History
Music
And more!

Try NoveList K-8 Plus for:

Recommended reads for grades K-8

Try Primary Search for:

Primary sources for grades 1st-6th on a variety of subjects

Check Out An E-Book:
eBooks and eAudiobooks are a fantastic way to keep your child reading from home! STPL currently has the following e-content platforms available:

Tumblebooks:
This platform features a large selection of English, Spanish and French eBooks and games for children and tweens. You can access Tumblebooks through your browser or download the app to your mobile device!

OverDrive/Libby
OverDrive/Libby has a fantastic selection of eBooks and e-Audiobooks from a wide range of authors!

Hoopla
Access thousands of movies, TV shows, music, eBooks, audiobooks and graphic novels when and where you want!

If You’re Homeschooling:

If you’ve decided to homeschool your child, we’ve created this handy virtual homeschool resource guide, filled with online and print materials, all available at STPL! Click HERE to access the guide.

Get in touch:

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at (815) 725-4368 or email us at childrensdept@shorewoodtroylibrary.org!

May 2 2020

Neighborhood Treasure Hunt

shorewoodtroylibrary Families Activities

By Lesley Rose, Children’s Department Assistant

Looking for a safe #SocialDistancing family activity that will get your kids outside and moving? Try this Neighborhood Treasure Hunt!

Print out a copy of the hunt from the link below.
Bring your cell phone to snap a pic of you and your most unusual find and post it in the blog comments or on our Facebook or Instagram so we can see what you found (or email to childrensdept@shorewoodtroylibrary.org). Be sure to tag us – @shorewoodtroylibrary or #shorewoodtroylibrary
Good luck with your hunt!

→ Neighborhood Treasure Hunt PDF

***Bonus Treasure: Check out these super fun books about finding different kinds of treasure…

From OverDrive

Mermaid Treasure Hunt

Thomas And The Treasure

On Hoopla

The Seven Treasure Hunts

The Hunt For Hidden Treasure

On Tumble Book Library

The Treasure Of Captain Read

Pirate Island Treasure