Parents, teachers, special education service providers, and everyone who works with children are doing everything they can during these unprecedented times to help our children thrive. One thing many younger children are missing out on in this at home environment is sensory input. This is important for not only our children who have sensory issues (most common in children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD), but also for typically developing children. As a parent whose son seeks sensory input constantly, I have been working with his service providers to give him as much as possible. I started out this quarantine
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Archives for Homepage Kids
Hoopla Creative Writing Resources
Writing can be a cathartic and stress-reducing activity, making it well suited to our current reality. Just as reading a good book can be a comfort right now, getting lost in a writing prompt can also be a portal into another world. Luckily, Hoopla offers a wealth of resources for writers of all ages, from children to adults. I’ll start by recommending a creative writing book by one of my favorite authors, Gail Carson Levine. I’ve loved her books since middle school, when I read Ella Enchanted, an original fairy tale about a girl who is cursed with the gift
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creative writing, hoopla, and writing.
STEAM at Home: Trove Kinetic Sculpture
I know there are a lot of people out there who are big fans of the kinetic sculpture in the Trove. The sculpture was created by Jeffrey Zachmann, a kinetic sculptor from Minnesota. Interested in knowing more about the creator of the Trove’s kinetic sculpture? Watch this interview where Mr. Zachmann discusses his work. At the end of each week’s What’s the Story? Safe At Home newsletter, I’ve been sharing videos of a variety of really cool kinetic sculptures and marble runs as an homage to the kinetic sculpture in the Trove. Those videos I have shared so far have
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Mother’s Day Book Display
Mother’s Day is traditionally celebrated on the second Sunday in May, which falls on the 10th of May this year. Usually in the Spring, Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world! The day honors mothers and grandmothers for their love, nurturing, and care. If you are interested in creating some lovely hand-made flowers for the special moms and grandma’s in your life join Lina Cavalcanti’s craft program by watching the video here. To celebrate the mothers and grandmothers in our lives, I have gathered a collection of fun and noteworthy titles below:
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Make a Flower Gift for Mother’s Day!
Mother’s Day will be here soon! If you’d like to make something for your mom(s) or grandma(s), watch the video below as Lina Cavalcanti shows you how to create hand-painted, paper flowers for your special someone(s). Looking for some books to read with your loved ones? Then check out this collection of Mother's Day themed eBooks I recommended. Using a few basic materials, you can create a unique gift – and have fun in the process! In this craft program video you’ll learn how to hand paint the paper, cut out the petals, and embellish your flowers to make something
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STEAM at Home: Lava Lamp
Make a Lava Lamp using materials found around your home. Then experiment with it. Materials: Clear glass cup Water Vegetable oil Food dye Alka Seltzer Light – flashlight or lamp Procedure: Fill the glass ¼ full with water. Add some food dye. Fill the rest of the glass with vegetable oil (but not all the way to the top). Break up the Alka Seltzer tablet into 4 pieces. Drop 1 piece of Alka Seltzer into the glass and see what happens. Once it has worked, turn off the rest of the lights in the room and place the glass over
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STEAM, STEAM activities, STEAM at home, and STEM.
National Paranormal Day
As a kid, my journey into reading and loving books began with the paranormal. I devoured Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books along with R.L Stine’s Fear Street. I quickly moved to comic books like The Maxx, horror books by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and my favorite author Robert R. McCammon. I also began to venture into manga, especially CLAMP, an all-female Japanese writing group that wrote Cardcaptur Sakura, xxxHolic, and Tsubasa. Most of their manga has elements of Japanese mysticism and the occult. With the popularity of Stranger Things, we can see that the paranormal can be a coming
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Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo, or the fifth of May, is a holiday that celebrates the date of the Mexican army’s May 5, 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Enjoy these books about the holiday and more books that celebrate Mexican culture. Books About Cinco de Mayo/May 5th: Celebra el Cinco de Mayo con un jarabe tapatío, by Alma Flor Ada, F. Isabel Campoy (Spanish) (OverDrive) Marco’s Cinco de Mayo, by Lisa Bullard (Hoopla) Cinco de Mouse-O!, by Judy Cox (Audio-Book) (Hoopla) Cinco de Mayo, by Rachel Grack (Hoopla) Cinco de Mayo, by M.C. Hall
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Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, “celebrating the achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States….The month of May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.”—APAICS Here is a list of eBooks, Audiobooks, and a Graphic Novel celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. All these books can be found on OverDrive on
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Virtual Table Top Gaming Programs
Do you miss playing fun games with your friends at the library? Join Ashley and Erik from the Trove and the Edge to play virtual table top games! Before our first program, please have your parent or caregiver help you create a free online account on boardgamearena.com. Note: Boardgamearena.com does have a for-pay premium service. Please take care when creating your account to not incur any unwanted charges. We will host the game on Zoom and play the games on boardgamearena.com. We’ll play Kingdomino, Solo, and Sushi Go! For children and teens in grades 4 and up! Our first session
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events, programs, and Virtual Table Top Gaming.
May the Fourth Be With You: Josh’s Picks
Here’s a list of interesting and different Star Wars related content to help you celebrate May the Fourth! Plastic Galaxy – The Story of Star Wars Toys (movie on Hoopla) Star Wars toys helped to redefine toys and merchandising forever. Learn more about their origins, collectability and more in this interesting documentary. Are You Scared, Darth Vader? By Adam Rex (available on Hoopla, Overdrive, and Libby) This hilarious picture book is fun for kids, but possibly even more fun for their Star Wars fan parents. Music Inspired by Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk by Mecco (music on Hoopla) A
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STEAM at Home: Origami Yoda
I had never seen Star Wars until my freshman year in college. My roommate, Elizabeth, decided that we needed a marathon. So it began-my introduction to The Force, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Obi One Kenobi, Han Solo, Jabba the Hut, R2D2, Darth Vader, Ewoks and many phrases that everyone is familiar with: “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.” and “May the Force Be With You.” I also became fascinated with Joseph Cambell’s “The Hero's Journey,” from his seminal work, The Hero With a Thousand Faces, which George Lucas used as inspiration for creating Star Wars. If you’re
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Star Wars Kids Titles
“Star Wars Day, May 4, celebrates George Lucas' Star Wars. It is observed by fans of the media franchise. Observance of the commemorative day spread quickly through media and grassroots celebrations. The date was chosen for the pun on the catchphrase ‘May the Force be with you' as ‘May the Fourth be with you'. Even though the holiday was not created or declared by Lucasfilm, many Star Wars fans across the world have chosen to celebrate the holiday. It has since been embraced by Lucasfilm and parent company Disney as an annual celebration of Star Wars.” Origami Yoda Series, by
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STEAM at Home: DIY Lightsabers
May the Fourth Be With You! In this fun project, we will make some DIY Lightsabers, safe for bopping each other with and having duels (of the fates)! Just don’t bop too hard. Materials Needed Pool noodles or long paper tubes (such as wrapping paper tubes or a few paper towel tubes taped together) Duct tape Sharpie/indelible markers Scissors or a utility knife For paper tube lightsabers, you may also want: paint, construction paper, scotch tape and glue in order to make your lightsaber blade have a color My daughter and I made our two lightsabers from one pool noodle
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eBooks to Help Children Understand COVID-19
This crisis is difficult for everyone to comprehend. Children, especially, may be having a hard time understanding what is going on – what the virus is, why we are isolating at home, and how to deal with their anxieties and fears. Below are some free downloadable ebooks that talk about what the pandemic is and responses to it. Rainbows in Windows – A Book about Big Imaginations, Big Feelings, and Sheltering in Place During a Pandemic. Link also includes a video of Donald Sutherland reading the book. Coronavirus: A Book for Children St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Learn About Coronavirus
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Haitian Heritage Month
“Haitian Heritage Month is a nationally recognized month and an opportunity for individuals including Haitians and lovers of the Haitian culture to celebrate the rich culture, distinctive art, delicious food and learn the traditions of Haiti and its people.”—Haitian Heritage Museum Get to know Haiti, its people, and its culture with these books available on Overdrive and Hoopla. Enjoy! Behind the Mountains, by Edwidge Danticat (Available on Overdrive) Eight Days, by Edwidge Danticat (Available on Overdrive) Mama’s Nightingale, by Edwidge Danticat (Available on Overdrive, as eBook and Audiobook) Sélavi, That is Life, by Youme Landowne (Available on OverDrive and Hoopla)
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Graphic Novels and Chapter Books in Spanish
Practice your Spanish with these fun Graphic Novels and Chapter Books from our digital resources. Have fun! ¡Bravo!: Poemas Sobre Hispanos Extraordinarios, by Margarita Engle (OverDrive) El Diario de Anne Frank, by Anne Frank (OverDrive) Ciudades de Papel, by John Green (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 2: La Ley de Rodrick, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 3: Esto es el Colmo, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 4: Días de Perros, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 5: La Horrible Realidad, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 6: ¡Sin Salida!, by Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de
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Novelas gráficas y libros de capítulos en español
Practica tu español con estas Novelas Gráficas y Libros de Capítulos de nuestros recursos digitales. ¡Disfruta! ¡Bravo!: Poemas Sobre Hispanos Extraordinarios, de Margarita Engle (OverDrive) El Diario de Anne Frank, de Anne Frank (OverDrive) Ciudades de Papel, de John Green (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 2: La Ley de Rodrick, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 3: Esto es el Colmo, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 4: Días de Perros, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 5: La Horrible Realidad, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg 6: ¡Sin Salida!, de Jeff Kinney (OverDrive) Diario de Greg
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Sora Access to Library eBooks
Did you know that White Plains students can access White Plains Library ebooks via their school Sora account? They can thanks to a new partnership between the Westchester Library System and Southern Westchester BOCES. All your student needs to do this is enter their school ID/credentials in the Sora app they already have, and voila! You can borrow age appropriate content from the White Plains Public Library’s eBook collection. In order to search the Library’s collection of eBooks, you simply need to add the Library to your Sora account. Add Westchester Library System as a library, if it is not automatically
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eBooks, Sora, and white plains schools.
Arab-American Heritage Month
April is Arab-American Heritage Month! To celebrate, I invite you to read or listen to some of the following picture and chapter books on either Hoopla or OverDrive! The Arabic Quilt: An Immigrant Story by Aya Khalil and illustrated by Anait Semirdzhyan For children in kindergarten to grade 2. Hoopla: Audio OverDrive: eBook “The story highlights the role of a supportive and creative teacher and the importance of instilling acceptance in children…The story ends with a powerful poem with a compelling message of taking pride in one’s mother tongue.” –School Library Journal Yo Soy Muslim: A Father's Letter to His
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