Paper Chain People
May 2021
Connect with our KidZone Museum Teen Board as Cloe teaches us how to make a fun paper chain!
A fun win-win way to give back
March 18, 2021
Please meet Otis (4) and Nora (6)! They are two very cool kids who decided to help KidZone out by creating their own little “pop up Store.” They used the profits of their sales to purchase toys from the KidZone Museum Store. They knew that all the proceeds from the KidZone store goes directly to support KidZone! So it was a win- win! Otis and Nora got some fun new toys to play with and KidZone will use the money to support its outreach programs and exhibits.
To make your own “pop up” store you can follow Otis and Nora’s lead. They made all the items in the shop—beaded necklaces and keychains, pot holders, Valentine’s Day cards, and bookmarks—then set up the shop in front of their garage in Tahoe City for their neighbors to come shop at (from a safe distance). They also sold items to grandparents and uncles who live far away via FaceTime. Their goal was to make enough enough money to buy themselves a toy from the KidZone shop, and they let everyone who was shopping know that proceeds from the shop would go to benefit the local kids’ museum, which has been closed due to the pandemic. There are so many fun ways to give back to the community. This is just one idea. What other ways could you help out?
What the Hygge?!
December 13, 2020
We are in love with the Danish idea of Hygge (pronounced Hooga). And what is hygge in a few words? It’s homeyness, coziness, and togetherness. It is purposeful laid back bonding without agenda. Here is a great article with ideas on ways to share Hygge with your kids and bring it into your home.
Gratitude Jar
November 16, 2020
Create a fun new tradition with your family with a Gratitude Jar. Gratitude practice decreases stress and negative thinking, increases happiness, and promotes social intelligence.
Fall cooking with kids: Mini peach raspberry pies
October 13, 2020
Fall is a great time to get cozy in the kitchen with our kids. Getting kids to cook is a fun learning experience where you can teach them about the food they’re making and preparation techniques. Here is a great kid friendly recipe to try.
What Pet Should I Get by Dr. Seuss – Read aloud by Little Cozy Nook
August 3, 2020
What Pet Should I Get? is a Dr. Seuss children’s book, posthumously published in 2015. Believed to have been written between 1958 and 1962, the book chronicles the adventures of Jay and Kay from Seuss’ One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish in their attempts to buy a pet.
Looking for more activities? Check out our other libraries!
Stone Soup, by Marcia Brown
July 27, 2020
On this episode of Read Out Loud, Rocco reads STONE SOUP by Marcia Brown! Clever soldiers outwit greedy townspeople with the creation of a special soup in this cherished classic, a Caldecott Honor book. You can also try this recipe to make your very own Stone Soup.
I’m Bored: read-aloud by Michael Ian Black and art from by Debbie Ridpath Ohi
July 20, 2020
Bored? Read this book about a bored little girl who finds herself in the position of needing to convince a potato that children are anything but boring (she’ll end up convincing your kid in the process, too).
Friendship bracelets!
July 13, 2020
Summer camp is all about making friends. Friendship bracelets are a great craft to make with a friend or for a friend. This method “Snake Around The Pole.” Is the easiest friendship bracelet you can make so it’s great for beginners.
Listen as Oprah Winfrey reads The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen
July 6, 2020
The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen is written by Thelma Lynne Godin. It’s about a spunky girl who has a hula-hooping competition with her friends in Harlem, and soon everyone in the neighborhood—young and old alike—joins in on the fun.
9 steps to beat boredom with connection
July 6, 2020
What happens to you when your child announces “I’m bored?” most of us try to rush into a solution when we hear those words. Here are some steps to take to help your child’s boredom turn into creativity and inspiration.
Enjoy a Story Walk
June 27, 2020
For a unique outdoor experience, families will get a chance to stroll along the Truckee Legacy Trail for a “Truckee Library Storywalk” from June 15 through August 13. The storywalk begins below the Truckee Regional Park and continues east for about 0.7 miles. Look for the laminated signs!
Fun playtime ideas for dads and kids
June 27, 2020
Playtime is one of the best opportunities for dads, grandfathers and other father figures to serve as role models in a child’s life, and research shows that these experiences have several positive health benefits for kids.To help make time spent together special for kids and dads alike, check out these fun and creative playtime ideas.
Feelings Masks Activity
June 27, 2020
Feelings are complicated. It can be hard for kids to find the right words to express them, which is why facial expressions are so helpful for communicating how we feel — but when wearing a face mask, this isn’t always easy! In today’s video, Boston Children’s museum’s Health and Wellness Educator Saki demonstrates a fun activity to express emotions while simultaneously helping get accustomed to wearing masks.
Story Time With Michele! “Ice Cream Summer” read aloud for kids!
June 22, 2020
In this story, Joe describes his summer adventures to his grandpa making sure his grandpa knows he is studying, problem solving, and learning new facts. What he doesn’t tell him exactly is that he is doing all these things through his favorite treat—ice cream!
Celebrate summer solstice with your kids
June 22, 2020
The longest day of the year is the perfect time to let the sunshine in. Start a new tradition with your family to celebrate. The summer solstice represents a unique and under-appreciated opportunity to enjoy extra daytime, so start a new family tradition! Now’s the time to plan how to celebrate the longest day with your kids.
Go camping in your backyard
June 22, 2020
In the mood for pitching tents and building campfires? Travel no further than your own backyard! Here is a fun article with some good ideas on how to make the most of your backyard camping experience.
Go on a hike in search of wildflowers
June 15, 2020
Use these websites to learn about all the beautiful wildflowers this area has and where to find them. Now you’re ready to go on a hiking and wildflower adventure.
Start a Nature Journal
June 15, 2020
There are so many benefits to nature journaling. It allows children to slow down, breathe and relax. It encourages observation – observing the big picture to the small detail. Journaling uses senses such as sight, sound, smell and touch. Most of all it helps to create a connection to the natural environment.
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
June 15, 2020
In this book, you watch a little girl named Alice grow into an old, old woman, a retired librarian, named Miss Rumphius. She lives by the advice of her grandfather – you must do something to make the world more beautiful.
Read aloud: Hair Love, by Matthew Cherry
June 8, 2020
Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair — and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. Also, get to know the author, Matthew Cherry.
Learn how to play the old-fashioned game of marbles
June 1, 2020
A few generations ago, marbles were THE toy to collect and THE game to play! You may have only seen kids play marbles in movies, but marbles aren’t just the original mini collectibles, they are also an easy game for kids to play, and portable enough to take to a friend’s house or to their grandparents’ house for an afternoon of old-fashioned play.
Read JK Rowling’s new story The Ickabog
June 1, 2020
The Ickabog will be published for free on this website, in installments, over the next seven weeks, a chapter (or two, or three), at a time. It isn’t Harry Potter and it doesn’t include magic. This is an entirely different story. The most exciting part is that she’d like you to illustrate The Ickabog for her!
Cloud story time
May 25, 2020
Enjoy these two wonderful books about clouds. Clouds by Anne Rockwell is all about the types of clouds and Cotton Candy Clouds by Sara D. Moore explores the way clouds make our imagination soar.
Connecting kids to nature
May 25, 2020
Nature Play at Home is a component of the Nature Play Space™ Design Project, a joint project of the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Learning Initiative, dedicated to creating tools and resources that restore nature to children’s everyday outdoor play and learning environments.
Sing together and get creative
May 25, 2020
Studies have shown that children who study music perform better in other subjects than their peers. One of the reasons for this boost is the creative thinking skills that music teaches. Check out of the different types of songs to sing that can encourage creativity in your toddler, preschooler, or elementary school-aged child.
Please Please the Bees, read by Rashida Jones
May 18, 2020
In this cute story by Gerald Kelleys, life is sweet for Benedict. Every morning he wakes up to find jars of fresh honey on his back porch. But one day, the jars on Benedict’s porch are empty. The bees in his backyard have gone on strike!
Create a cozy space of your own
May 18, 2020
Do you have a cozy space in your house where you can go to relax and have some quiet time? In this video, we’ll find out how to construct a cozy space (whether you’re a kid or an adult — we can all benefit!), and we’ll even get to see the unique cozy spaces of several kids like you.
Join the Bumble Bee Watch
May 18, 2020
They need your help! Because these animals are widely distributed the best way to keep track of them is with a group of volunteers across the country equipped with cameras. With any luck, you might help us to find remnant populations of rare species before they go extinct.
Send a hug through the mail
May 11, 2020
The Boston Children’s Museum shows us a really cute way to stay connected from afar. Craft “hugs” using handprints to mail to grandparents, relatives and friends who we aren’t able to see during this time. Follow along to learn how you and your kids can make your own hugs to send to someone you’ve been missing.
Storytime from space
May 11, 2020
Astronaut Christina Koch reads Hey-Ho to Mars We’ll Go. Explore the science behind a trip to Mars, from launch to landing on the Red Planet. Set to the tune of “The Farmer in the Dell”
Fun quarantine birthday party ideas
May 11, 2020
We miss our KidZone birthday parties so much. Here are some fun party ideas to inspire you while we are in quarantine. You can still make it a party they will never forget.
Virtual Game Night
May 4, 2020
If you need a break from playing board games with whomever you share a home, a virtual game night with friends from afar makes for an excellent (and refreshing) alternative.
Story time with author Oliver Jeffers
May 4, 2020
Author Oliver Jeffers reads his book Here We Are. This book is a sweet story Jeffers wrote to introduce his new born son to the world.
Handmade Mother’s Day card
May 4, 2020
Mother’s Day is May 10th, and the kids won’t be coming home from school with their cute teacher-prepped handmade cards. So get a jumpstart on making Mom feel special with these cute handmade card ideas.
Family book club
April 27, 2020
Oprah has one. Your neighbors have one. But have you ever thought about having your own family book club? Everyone in your family reads the same book, just like in an adult book club. Then, you gather to discuss and do activities.
Create fun and meaningful dinnertime rituals
April 27, 2020
Your dinnertime rituals do not have to be complex, they do not have to look like other people’s, and they do not have to be the ones you had growing up. You can take a few small details and add them to your meal times on most days (it doesn’t have to be a perfect dinner each night!)
Story time with Michelle Obama
April 27, 2020
Read along with Michelle Obama every Monday. This week she is reading The Gruffalo.
Hug a Tree
April 20, 2020
Research shows that living near a forest makes people happier and increases connectivity with other living things (plants and animals) reduces stress and increases happiness. Get outside in nature and feel the love.
FREE “Stay at Home” Dance Classes with Inner Rhythms
April 20, 2020
Give your kiddos (and yourself) a little dance break during the day. Inner Rhythms’ FREE community classes are designed for specific age groups but open to everyone. Each class starts with a warm-up and then dancers learn a fun piece of choreography. No dance experience necessary. Just jump in and shake your wiggles out.
The Lorax story time
April 20, 2020
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” This is the perfect book to get in the spirit of Earth Day. You could even read the book then watch the movie for an Earth Day family movie night.
DIY Games for the Whole Family
April 13, 2020
Making up your own games is a great way to be creative with your kids and bond as a family. Here are some easy ideas for DIY games you can create using materials you probably already have at home.
Make and Send a Handmade Card
April 13, 2020
Making cards encourages creative writing and practice of written language. And most importantly It lets someone know you are thinking of them
Storytime from Space
April 13, 2020
What’s more fun than storytime? Storytime from space! Listen while astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor reads the story A Moon of my Own.
Story time with Sophie Blackall
April 6, 2020
Listen along as Sophie Blackall, a Caldecott Medal author, reads her book Hello Lighthouse. This book tells the story of a lighthouse and its last keeper.
Bake some bread!
April 6, 2020
Nothing smells better and is more fun and messy than making fresh bread with your kids. Both big and little ones get to measure all the ingredients and squish them together in a resealable bag.
Dad jokes!
March 30, 2020
Question: When does a joke become a “dad joke?” Answer: When it becomes apparent.
There is nothing like a good dad joke to put a smile on everyone’s face. At dinner tonight try pulling out some of our favorite ones and see what kind of reaction you get. Insert eye rolls ;)
Start an online book club with your friends
March 30, 2020
Connect with your friends over a good book. Sign up for a Zoom account for free and invite up to 3 friends to chat about the book you choose.
Get creative to stay connected
March 30, 2020
Let’s find new ways to connect with friends and family. It may take a bit more creativity to have fun with our friends as we practice social distancing,but with a little imagination and thinking outside the box, it could be just as great. Share your ideas with us by tagging #kidzoneathome
Are you ready for more?
Read aloud: Hair Love, by Matthew Cherry
June 8, 2020
Tender and empowering, Hair Love is an ode to loving your natural hair — and a celebration of daddies and daughters everywhere. Also, get to know the author, Matthew Cherry.
Share with us!
We are encouraging community connection while we’re physically distancing! Show us how your family is using KidZone@Home and share your activity ideas with us. Tag your photos and videos on social media with #kidzoneathome or by emailing our Education Manager, Holly.
KidZone@Home in the Community
During this difficult time of social distancing, we are providing KidZone@Home kits to under-served families. These high-quality kits will help children learn, stay occupied without screen time, and decrease family stress. Kits vary and may include Legos, blocks, play circuits, arts, games, books and more. Kits are developed for infants, preschoolers, elementary students, and children with special needs. Each kit costs us $50 to put together.
Please consider purchasing a KidZone@Home kit or two for an under-served family by making a donation. We appreciate your support!
