4 - 2020 - Kids

Preschool STEM: Build a Fort

April 15, 2020/in Learn, Play/by Alisha

ENGINEERING is this week’s focus for Preschool STEM, with a great family fun activity: fort building!

Fort Building: Activity & Conversation Starters

Engineering is all about finding out how things are built and why. Sometimes trial and error is the best way to see what works and what doesn’t!

1. Find materials to build a fort. You could try bed sheets, blankets, furniture, a tarp, or a clothesline.

2. What did you find? Are you going to build a fort inside or outside?!

3. What could be used to secure the different parts of the fort so they stay standing? I can think of clothespins, string, chip clips, rubber bands.

4. What else? Does your fort require a secret password to enter?

Share a picture of your fort creation! Send to ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us

Click here to download instructions (PDF).

Free Teen eBooks & eAudiobooks

April 15, 2020/in Community/by Andria

Parents, is your middle or high schooler a big reader? Have they “read everything in the house?” In addition to the library’s Digital Media resources (downloadable books, audiobooks, magazines, music), explore the links below for free digital content for teens, including books, comics, and audiobooks. Some content is only available during the COVID-19 crisis.

Audible Stories (via Audible) has opened access to some Audible eAudio titles. Audible also offers a paid subscription service

Comixology Free Comics (via Comixology) offers access to a selection of eComics, from popular to lesser known titles. Comixology also offers a paid subscription service

LibriVox (via Public Domain) is an audio collection of books in the public domain, recorded by volunteers. This site also offers a volunteer opportunity; you can record yourself reading literature in the public domain to add to their collection.

Marvel Unlimited – Free Comics (via Marvel) provides access to certain popular Marvel comics online. Marvel also offers a paid subscription service.

Project Gutenberg (via Public Domain) is one of the largest collections of free eBooks online. All books on Project Gutenberg are in the public domain. Take a look at the current Top 100 downloads.

Riveted Free Reads (via Simon Teen) offers free eBooks and chapter excerpts. This publishing company offers a selection of free titles all year.

Shonen Jump (via VIZ) provides a selection of digital chapters/issues of popular manga. VIZ also offers a paid subscription service.

SYNC Audiobooks for Teens (via Audiofile) is an annual service from Audiofile magazine and partners that provides two free eAudiobooks per week to teens 13+ (and adults) between April 30 and July 29. A list of 2020 titles is available here. The free Sora app is required.

Teen Book Cloud (via Tumblebooks) offers simultaneous unlimited access to their library of eBooks.

List originally compiled by Teen Zone @ CDA Library.

Read This: Infinity Son

April 15, 2020/in Read/by Andria

Read This is back this week with a recommendation for Infinity Son by Adam Silvera. I may have had a difficult time keeping rival factions straight…can you tell? Let us know your thoughts on the book through email or our social media pages. Enjoy!

Infinity Son is available for download from the our Digital Media page. At the time of this video, the book was available through Hoopla and Freading. Happy reading!

LEGO Challenge: Scavenger Hunt

April 10, 2020/in Play/by Julia

Are you ready for a LEGO Building Challenge? We sure are!

LEGO Scavenger Hunt

Create ten LEGO objects (cars, animals, buildings), then hide them around your house for a scavenger hunt! No LEGOs? No problem! Use any materials you have to complete the challenge.

As always, we’d love to see your photos! Email photos of your completed challenge to ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us. Your photo may be featured right here, on our Kids website, soon.

– Julia, Youth Services

Try-It Tray: Cardboard Cats

April 10, 2020/in Learn, Play/by YS Librarian

We have a new Try-It Tray this week! Create your own clowder of Cardboard Cats using just cardboard, yarn, and your creativity. Snap a pic and send it to us – we love to see your imagination at work! Your picture may be featured right here, on our Kids website.

Cardboard Cats

This Try-It Tray activity is sweet and simple. Make it with just some cardboard, yarn, and creativity. Or adapt it to materials you have in your home, like an old paper bag for the kitty and crayons for the clothes. I used fabric torn into strips for the example to the left. Have fun and use what you’ve got!

If you do use cardboard, keep the shape simple and large enough to cut easily with a scissors. I made all straight cuts in the example above. Keep the bottom of the cat flat so that you can make two small, upward cuts along the bottom to form the paws on either side and a tab in the middle that can be folded back into a stand for your cat. The face you draw and the clothes you create will make your cat one of a kind!

Alternative idea: Be a rebel and make a dog!

-Sam, Youth Services

Family Resource Center Eau Claire

April 9, 2020/in Community/by Jerissa

For more than twenty years, the Family Resource Center has been a trusted source of education and support for local parents. Check out their website and follow them on Facebook to learn about their programs and services that build on family strengths. Join their newly-formed Family Resource Center Inc. Family Group on Facebook to ask questions and get advice from their Parent Educators and to connect with other local families.

-Jerissa, Youth Services

Parent Play & Learn: Play

April 9, 2020/in Learn, Play/by Jerissa

Parents, do the words, “Do you want to play with me?” secretly make you want to take a nap? Parent Play & Learn is back with a project that is sure to spark playtime joy for you and your children.

Tip 1: Delight in sending and receiving letters to and from your kiddos. Visit the link below for ideas on setting up this space in your home.

Tip 2: This activity is an opportunity to develop essential early literacy skills like print awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary, and more.

View a sample of the project here: https://buggyandbuddy.com/post-office-pretend-play-discover-explore/
Want more playtime inspiration? Check out these playful ideas: https://handsonaswegrow.com/pretend-play-ideas/

Send us your pics of what pretend play looks like at your house!

-Jerissa, Youth Services

Parent Play & Learn: Art

April 9, 2020/in Learn, Play/by Jerissa

Art is a creative and engaging process that helps develop important skills. Bring more art into your home by exploring COLLAGE with your family. Be sure to talk about the process, play with the materials, and share your collage-making pics with us by email.

Tip 1: Build your child’s vocabulary and narrative skills by making observations and asking open-ended questions about their work.

Tip 2: Help your child develop a growth mindset and understand that success comes from practice by celebrating their effort.

Need inspiration? You can find 50+ collage art ideas from the Artful Parent here: https://artfulparent.com/collage-art-ideas-kids/

-Jerissa, Youth Services

Preschool STEM: Money Muncher

April 9, 2020/in Learn, Play/by Alisha

Parents, Preschool STEM is back this week with a fun math activity! Early math skills can be incorporated into many simple activities. This “Money Muncher” activity includes lots of math skills. Colors, shapes, sizes, counting, sorting, and measuring by identifying what is bigger or smaller…this is all early math! Let us know how it went, and share a pic with your “Muncher” creation. Pictures may be featured on our Kids website!

MATH Money Muncher (PDF)

ARTmobile

April 9, 2020/in Community/by YS Librarian

Parents, are you looking for at-home art activities for your kiddos? Explore the Pablo Center at the Confluence’s ARTmobile for easy art project ideas and instructions.

We love this wellness banner project! Send us your photos of your finished projects and we may feature them on our website.

Wellness Banner