Archives for Kids

Offline Tech Activities

Offline Tech Activities

Digital Media Specialist Austin Olney put together this list of fun and education offline tech activities. If you're looking to learn more online, check our virtual calendar for a schedule of tech programs that Austin will be leading throughout April. ANIMATION DESIGN How to Create a Phenakistoscope How to Make a High-Quality Flip Book AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) How to Make a Holographic Illusion Pyramid CODING Code a Lego Maze GAME DESIGN DIY Maze for Kids to Make How to Make a 3D Topographic Map GRAPHIC DESIGN How to Make Collage Art Using Magazine Clippings HACKING DIY Cipher Device LOGICAL THINKING
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April 2, 2020 2:49 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, Technology, and Teens.
Tags: covid-19 and offline tech.

Parenting in a Pandemic

Parenting in a Pandemic

Are you the parent of a child with special needs? Chances are you feel like you have been abandoned by everyone in this quarantine climate. Quite honestly, in some cases, that is true. Everyone, teachers, students, special education providers, work at home parents—we are all struggling to adjust. Children with special needs often have way more trouble adjusting and this is our struggle. We are going to see behaviors we thought our children had outgrown–they are going to be frustrated, we are going to be frustrated. There is some good news. If your child is under three, under the jurisdiction
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April 2, 2020 2:01 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: covid-19, parenting tips, and special needs parenting.

Stress, Anxiety, Your Child, and COVID-19

Stress, Anxiety, Your Child, and COVID-19

By Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Is it all getting to be a bit much? Trying to balance #WFH; home learning; shared space; concern about safety, health, wellbeing; social distancing – the list goes on. Do you feel like your children are driving you insane? If online memes and videos are anything to go by, families went crazy within one day of being at home together. Take a deep breath. This pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives immeasurably, but consider the disruption to your child’s life: routines, school, activities, friendships, and their mental and emotional health. Your child may not
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April 1, 2020 3:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: anxiety and covid-19.

Virtual Museum Visits

Virtual Museum Visits

While local museums may be closed (meaning our museum pass program is temporarily unavailable), many of them have virtual tours and other programs you can experience from the comfort of your own home. Take a virtual trip to one of our participating museums listed below: Boscobel House and Garden Highlights of the House, the Collection and the Gardens and Grounds. Children’s Museum of Manhattan Videos, sing-a-longs, games and so much more for you to do together with your family. Cooper Hewitt Museum View collection online. Videos on interviews with designers, public programs and stories from behind the scenes. Frick Collection
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April 1, 2020 12:00 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: museums.

PandemiComic

PandemiComic

Calling all writers and artists! White Plains Public Library is collecting comic strips that illustrate a day in the life of social distancing. We're accepting submissions from adults, kids, and teens. Check out the prompts below for your age group. KIDS/TEENS: Here are some things to think about… How are you learning from home? Is it interactive/fun? Have you picked up any new hobbies like cooking, reading, playing a new game? How are your caretakers/siblings/relatives dealing with the pandemic? What are some pros and cons of spending so much time with family? Aside from the big stuff, what unexpected changes
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April 1, 2020 10:00 am | by | 1 Comment
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: art, comic submissions, comics, kids, and teens.

April 2020 Children’s Calendar

April 2020 Children’s Calendar

Yes, our beautiful building at 100 Martine is temporarily closed, but it turns out there are plenty of other ways we can keep the Library open and still serve White Plains. Join us on Zoom with a variety of virtual events presented by Library staff and local experts. Find a full listing of events below with details on registering. And don't forget, you can reach us Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at our new number 914-448-4859, by texting WPPL to 66746, or by emailing us anytime. Ideas for programs or activities? Send them my way. Take care,
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March 30, 2020 3:36 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Homepage Kids and Kids.
Tags: events calendar and trove events.

Stuck at Home: Staff Picks Part 2

Stuck at Home: Staff Picks Part 2

Stuck at home with kids and teens due to the virus? The White Plains Public Library has you covered with these suggestions from Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Some of the sites listed here may be offering some content free of charge or may be offering free access currently in response to the virus, but will move to a charge model again in the future. Please take care when using these sites to avoid unwanted charges. Great Ideas for Activities and Experiences Family Maker Camp – free projects and ideas Smithsonian’s Fun Stuff for Kids Cincinnati Zoo Home Safaris
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March 26, 2020 10:50 am | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: at home learning, safe at home, staff recommendations, and stuck at home.

#WPPLreads: Kids Stuck at Home Reading Program

#WPPLreads: Kids Stuck at Home Reading Program

How many books do you think White Plains kids ages 0-12 can read before the pandemic crisis is all over? 1000? More?!?! Let’s find out. While this is mostly for fun and to put forth a challenge to the community to engage in reading while at home, participants will earn badges for their reading, and the Library is working on coming up with ideas for fun digital/virtual prizes. Stay tuned. Need a book? Check out White Plains Public Library's website for access to eBooks,  digital audiobooks, and more on Overdrive or Libby, Hoopla, TumbleBooks, and other digital resources! Need a
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March 25, 2020 2:53 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, and Kids.
Tags: #WPPLreads, reading program, safe at home, and stuck at home.

RPGs at Home

RPGs at Home

By Joshua Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Role Playing Games are a fantastic way to work on creative, shared storytelling. Allowing all players to build their characters, help to direct the story, and use their imaginations, RPGs are not only fun, but a wonderful way to engage each other while stuck at home. And, you don’t have to even be stuck at home together! Apps such as Discord provide an easy-to-use system with text and chat to allow the game to take place virtually, as if you players were in the room together. No dice? There are apps for that,
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March 25, 2020 2:38 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: RPGs and tabletop games.

April Funny Stories in TumbleBooks

April Funny Stories in TumbleBooks

By Tata Cañuelas, Trove Librarian. April brings us April’s Fool, meaning jokes and silliness for us all. Try these stories and a song in TumbleBooks and start laughing with us. Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance, by Keith Graves Frank the monster indulges his love of dancing by strutting his stuff on stage. That’s it, until his head unzips, his brains flop out and he continues to lose body parts on stage. Down by the Bay, Folk Song This traditional folk song gets the Tumblebooks treatment! Sing along and have some fun “Down by the Bay.” He Came
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March 24, 2020 11:24 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: TumbleBooks. April Fool's.

Music-Themed Picture Book Read-Alouds on Libby

Music-Themed Picture Book Read-Alouds on Libby

Some of you may ask what is Libby? Libby is an easy-to-use app that allows you to borrow eBooks and digital audiobooks with your library card for free. Libby has thousands of Adult, Teen, and Children’s titles that you can borrow using your iPad, tablet, or phone by downloading the app from your app store. One of my favorite types of content available on Libby are the Read-Alouds that with their narration and word highlighting make them perfect to share with pre-readers and beginning readers. For fun, I have highlighted 3 of my favorite Read-Alouds that share the subject of
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March 19, 2020 2:52 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: libby, music, picture books, and read-alouds.

Nowruz: Persian New Year

Nowruz: Persian New Year

For many Iranian-Americans, Nowruz is a time of celebration, spring and fertility. It is also a time of letting go of any negativity, and starting fresh, with a sense of hope and new life. Nowruz also has some ancient folkloric rituals, including creating a Haftseen–which literally means the Seven S’s in Farsi. All of the items have symbolic representation for the coming year; for example, Sabzeh (wheat or lentil sprout growing in a dish) symbolizes rebirth. The rest of the items include Samanu (sweet pudding from wheat germ representing affluence), Senjeh (dried silverberry for love), Sir (garlic for medicine), Sib
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March 19, 2020 2:51 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: Nowruz, Persian new year, and spring.

Dive Into Diversity: Girl Power for Grades 4-6

Dive Into Diversity: Girl Power for Grades 4-6

White Plains is a wonderfully diverse community! Parents, children and teens have expressed an interest in titles that reflect the diversity in the community, and Ashley, Kathlyn, and Raquel's “Dive Into Diversity” column will spotlight noteworthy children's and teen titles that are inclusive, diverse and multicultural to fulfill that interest. Ashley's portion is aimed at readers in grades 4-6. March is Women's History Month so I’ve put together a list of some books that feature diverse strong female characters that I’ve been wanting to read! Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee (Available in eBook format on Hoopla) For children in
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March 19, 2020 9:19 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: children's books, Dive into Diversity, juvenile fiction, Observances and Celebrations, staff picks, staff recommendations, Women's History, and womens history month.

Stuck at Home: Staff Picks

Stuck at Home: Staff Picks

Stuck at home with kids and teens due to the virus? The White Plains Public Library has you covered with these suggestions from Josh Carlson, Manager of Youth Services. Some of the sites listed here may be offering some content free of charge or may be offering free access currently in response to the virus, but will move to a charge model again in the future. Please take care when using these sites to avoid unwanted charges. Online Reading, Storytimes and Read Alouds from the Library These resources require a library card to access. Libby: Access an abundance of digital
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March 17, 2020 3:32 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Homepage, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: online learning, online resources, safe at home, and staff recommendations.

Storytimes at Home

Storytimes at Home

Just because you’re stuck at home (and can’t get physical books from the Library) doesn’t mean storytime can’t take place. While screen time has always been a concern, perhaps that concern could be let slide to get great books read-aloud to your child. Check out these resources for online storytimes. Some are from the Library’s resources and others are hand-selected by Trove librarians. From the Library Daddy-Daughter Storytime with White Plains Public Library’s Youth Services Manager, Josh Carlson. Morning and Evening Storytimes from Trove Librarians on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting April 7. Bedtime Stories for Teens and Adults with Edge
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March 17, 2020 2:21 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Family CV, Homepage Kids, and Kids.
Tags: eBooks and storytime.

Talkin’ Tech: Modern Multilinguals

Talkin’ Tech: Modern Multilinguals

Let’s talk about technology. Since the invention of the wheel, tools have become more and more complex – and today it can be hard to keep up! In the “Talkin' Tech” column, we will discuss the ever-changing trends in the modern digital arena. From artificial intelligence to Zuckerberg, join Austin in examining all things tech from our vantage point in the 4th industrial revolution: the imagination age! Have you ever wanted to try your hand at coding? Coding, or computer programming, is the way we talk to computers and tell them what to do. It is like learning a second
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March 17, 2020 1:11 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: coding, digital technology, STEAM, and STEM.

Reading Around the World: Irish Culture

Reading Around the World: Irish Culture

With Tata's “Reading Around the World” book picks, younger patrons and their families will enjoy reading about the different cultural celebrations around the world. Easy holiday Picture Books and easy Folklore stories will introduce young readers to the world outside the U.S. Simply click on a title or cover to place it on hold. Irish lore and traditions are cherished by all. The contributions of our Irish immigrants have carved a path into our very identity. Enjoy these titles full of wit, humor and tradition. And may we all enjoy the luck of the Irish! PICTURE BOOKS The Leprechaun Under
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March 17, 2020 1:10 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Evergreen, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book recommendations, Irish folklore, Reading Around the World, and St. Patrick's Day.

Online Tutoring

Online Tutoring

If your schooling and learning support options have been affected by COVID-19, remember—as always—Tutor.com is available to help. Students will be able to connect with tutors from 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, until June 15. Access for free through our website here: https://whiteplainslibrary.org/trove/tutor-com-info/
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March 14, 2020 11:34 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Evergreen, Featured, Homepage, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: education, learning, school, tutoring, and tutors.

Board Book Bonanza: Women’s History Month

Board Book Bonanza: Women’s History Month

“Board Book Bonanza” highlights the wealth of excellent board books being published for babies and young preschoolers for parents and caregivers to share with their little-ones. It's never too early to have fun and learn about science, art, history, and so much more! Recently, authors and illustrators have created a variety of collective biographies and biographies for babies with age-appropriate content. Here are some notable board book biographies of women to celebrate Women’s History Month: Dream Big, Little One by Vashti Harrison “Harrison offers an uplifting celebration of black leaders from the past and present. The subjects include scientists, artists
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March 2, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Featured, Homepage Kids, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: board book bonanza, board books, and womens history month.