Julia

Coming soon – Storytime OnDemand!

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We are so excited to tell you about a new storytime series coming this fall 2020: Storytime OnDemand!

With Storytime OnDemand, you can enjoy storytime from the comfort of your own couch any time of day. Sing and play along with this exciting collection of songs, fingerplays, stories, and more!

Storytime OnDemand videos will be released bi-weekly this fall 2020. Each release will include a full storytime recording, as well as a video of each individual activity for you to enjoy a la carte!

View Storytime OnDemand!

For even more storytime fun, check out our live Storytime Online series.

Jerissa

Storytime is BACK!

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The storytime train is coming. Hop on board! Choo! Choo!

We are excited to begin our Fall Storytime Online series the week of September 7! Please join us for:

  • Baby/Toddler Storytime: Tuesdays, 10 a.m. (geared toward ages 0 through 2 and their caregivers)
  • Family Storytime: Wednesdays, 10 a.m. (geared toward ages 3+ and their caregivers)

Featuring stories, songs, rhymes, and more, these interactive storytimes foster of a love of reading and promote the development of early literacy skills. Storytime will take place live via Zoom—a free online and mobile video conferencing app. Registration is required. Registered participants will receive a Zoom link. During registration, participants can also choose to reserve our all-new baby/toddler storytime kit and/or family storytime kit. Each kit contains materials that will enhance your storytime experience at home. A new kit will be made available for storytime families each month during this series.

The September baby/toddler storytime kit contains a board book, scarves, bubbles, and song/rhyme sheets. The September family storytime kit contains a STEAM activity bag, scarves, and song/rhyme sheets. After you register for storytime and a kit, please contact Youth Services to arrange a kit pick-up.

It doesn’t stop there, folks! In addition to Storytime Online, we are pleased to offer Storytime OnDemand which will be available to you anytime starting Monday, September 7. You can access these videos via the Kids Page of the library website, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.

We look forward to connecting with you and your children during storytime this Fall! Questions? Contact Youth Services at 715-839-5007 or ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us

Go ahead! Register for storytime now!

Julia

Dice Game

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I love to write and illustrate my own stories, but am occasionally stuck for inspiration. This silly dice game is a fun way to spark your creativity! All you need to grab is one die, and writing or drawing tools.

Roll a Story / Roll a Drawing Printable (PDF)

You can also contact Youth Services for a program bag with all of the materials that you will need to complete this activity.

Call us at 715-839-5007 or send an email to Youth Services.

Jerissa

Storytime Fun

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It was such a pleasure to connect with families and share the joy of reading, singing, and playing during our virtual storytime from April – July. While there will be no new storytime events in August, you and your kiddos can still enjoy recordings of both Baby Storytime and Family Storytime on our Facebook page anytime through August 30.

Youth Services staff is busily and excitedly planning a brand new series of storytime fun for the Fall which will run from September 7 – November 25. Please check back in August for more detailed information. For now, we can happily share with you that we are planning three weekly virtual storytime events: a pre-recorded storytime that will premiere every Monday and be available anytime thereafter, a live baby/todder storytime on Tuesdays at 10 AM, and a live family storytime on Wednesdays at 10 AM.

We will also have a limited number of optional storytime kits available for participating families to check out that will contain supplies for enhancing the storytime experience.

Happy reading! Happy August! And we look forward to having your family join us for storytime in September.

Julia

There’s still time to catch Ken Lonnquist!

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For my family, summer in the Chippewa Valley is all about music, so we were so excited to watch the Ken Lonnquist concert as part of the Summer Library Program. There is still time to watch the show with your family this week!

We’ll also be tuning in next Thursday, July 30th at 6 pm to hear the show on Converge Radio 99.9.

Our favorite spot to listen to the radio is on a blanket in the yard, under the trees. Where is your favorite place to enjoy a great song?

3 Ways to Watch/Listen

  • Click to watch online! 
  • Chippewa Valley Community Television
    • Monday, July 20 – Saturday, July 25 | 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
  • Converge Radio 99.9 FM
    • Thursday, July 30 | 6:00 p.m.
Julia

A Touch of Magic Comedy Show

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Join the Summer Library Program as we welcome A Touch of Magic: Mixed Nuts Comedy Show next week, Wednesday, July 29th at 1 pm. Head to the library’s virtual performances page to get your Zoom access link.

Until then, warm-up your funny bone by impressing your family with your own comedy routine. Hoopla has an awesome assortment of joke books to get you started. The library also has a round-up of silly books and e-books to keep you giggling.

 

Julia

Dog Man Virtual Meet-Ups

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Hey, supa-buddies! Sarah Hatoff has an important report on Dog Man Virtual Meet-ups set for NEXT WEEK. Don’t forget to sign up!

Sign Up Link!

More information on this awesome event is available on our DIY Discovery page.

Julia

Riddle Me This

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Over the last few weeks, I’ve been inspired by the creativity and positive spirit of our community. One of my favorite examples of this is a house in my neighborhood that hangs a daily riddle, written in marker on white paper, on their front door. My family is always eager to see what the new riddle will be and to test our collective wits.

In this spirit, I encourage you to try these brainteasers from Riddles at Home by Lisa Regan, part of the Riddle Me This! series, available on Hoopla at the time of this post (pages 7, 12).

Try this! Make your own riddle

1. Choose an answer
For example, choose an animal, a famous book character, or an object from your house.

2. Write down a few clues that describe your answer
Can you think of creative ways to describe it? What does it look, feel, smell, taste, sound like?
Add a second part to some of your sentences that starts with “but not.” For example, I am tall, but not large.

3. Share your riddle!
Can you stump your friends or family members?

4. Ready to take it up a notch?
Check out these wordplay tips from Reading Rockets!

Looking for more puzzles, brainteasers, and riddles? Take a peek at these activities from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Riddle One Answer

Riddle Two Answer

YS Librarian

Try-It Tray: Toilet Paper Roll Book Festival

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Have you ever heard of an edible book festival? The library has hosted a few. You make a cake inspired by a favorite book. A few photos from past library festivals are shown here.

Well, I’m no baker, but I do like crafts. I decided to take a common household recyclable—the toilet paper roll—and see if I could turn that into a representation of a favorite book. First I made a hobbit house to celebrate the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which my daughter and I are reading aloud right now. See the round door?

Then I made another. And another. Then my daughter made a few. So, what we really have here is The Shire!

Now it’s your turn to use your imagination! Bake a cake. Turn a toilet paper roll into Pete the Cat. Or Jack and Annie’s treehouse. Are you having trouble imagining how to do that? No worries. Just give your child a toilet paper roll and whatever materials you can find, from extra buttons to sticks in the yard. Kids can do amazing things, and they really like trying!

Whatever you do, send your pictures to us—we’d love to see them. Send us your project photos via email or post them to our Facebook page. They may end up in our Community Photo gallery!

 

Jerissa

Parent Play & Learn: Make a Wish

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May there always be…wishes!

For the month of May, Jim Gill—an award-winning children’s musician—is collecting wishes from children around the country which he will share while performing his song “May There Always Be Sunshine” on his YouTube channel.

To participate in this special opportunity, start by talking with your child about their favorite things. What people, places, activities, and objects do they love? What makes those things special? Then, invite them to select their favorite thing to complete the sentence “May there always be….” Have your child write (or help them write) their sentence on a piece of paper, and encourage them to draw a picture about it.

View the explanation of the activity on Jim Gill’s YouTube channel.

Find the complete instructions under the News section of Jim Gill’s website.

Early Literacy Connection

Serve-and-return or back-and-forth conversations with children are brain-building activities. While you talk to them, they are exercising their listening and comprehension skills, and when they talk to you, they are building their capacity for expressive vocabulary. Early writing strengthens fine-motor skills, letter knowledge, and helps children understand that print on a page is associated with spoken language.

We’d love to see your wishes! Email your photos to Youth Services and we may feature them on our Community Photo gallery.