Kids Create: Flower Blossom Trees
When the days seem to last a little bit longer, and the flowers begin to poke out of the ground, we can finally start believing that spring is on its way. The sunshine and the warmer weather always inspire me to “think spring” in my arts and crafts programs. This week in Kids Create, we created Cherry Blossom trees with just a few, easy to find materials. This is a craft I’ve made every spring, since originally being inspired by an old boss of mine. Materials: Tree template printout Assorted tissue paper (cut into small squares) Glue This simple, easy…
Read & Play: Branch Playdates
Last year, we shared a post about the Big Brooklyn Playdate that takes place regularly at BPL's Central Library. The Dweck Auditorium and Lobby are transformed into a magical world as children ages 0-3 and their caregivers play and experiment with hands-on, open-ended activities that are sure to delight children and caregivers alike. Most activities follow recipes that are made up of simple ingredients that can easily be found around the house. They are meant to inspire creation at home with whatever you have! This time, we are highlighting smaller playdates…
Read & Play: Mother Goose On The Loose App
One of my favorite things about technology is being able to use it to rediscover or re-imagine something older and more familiar. Here at Cortelyou, we have been trying to implement some technology into a new digital storytime we offer in addition to our regularly scheduled programs by using apps like Mother Goose on the Loose (MGOL). For those who are unfamiliar, MGOL is an award-winning early-literacy program for children from birth to age 3 and their parents or caregivers. Using the Mother Goose On The Loose app, children and caregivers can listen to their favorite nursery rhymes…
Kids Create: Thankful Tree
No matter the season, it’s important to remember the many things we have to be thankful for. One of my favorite traditions that has developed over the last couple of years at Cortelyou is creating a seasonal “thankful tree” on the bulletin board in our meeting room, inviting patrons young and old to take a minute to reflect and write down something they are thankful for. This is a passive program and patrons can choose to add to the board whenever they are attending a program in the meeting room. The best part is, it requires minimal effort to create this beautiful display/…
Kids Create: Choose Kind
Whether you’ve read (and probably fallen in love with) R.J. Palacio’s book Wonder or not, it is easy to get excited about the theme of the book: Choose Kind. In honor of the release of the movie inspired by the book, libraries all over Brooklyn are celebrating by hosting events meant to inspire our youngest patrons to choose kind. At Cortelyou, our "Choose Kind" program took place during our weekly Kids Create program this week. It was pretty simple and required just a little bit of preparation. Before the program, I made a “Choose Kind” banner for our bulletin board, and also…