Co-op Library@Home!
Travel thru space
I didn't realize what an exciting weekend it would be - in space!
On Sunday, astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley successfully disembarked the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and entered the International Space Station. If you watched it happen, you saw something historic!
Here are links to the video of the capsule docking with the station and of the astronauts entering the space station.
You can listen to "Hidden Figures" to hear about some of the African American women who were instrumental in the early days of the "space race" when American scientists and engineers were trying to design ways for people to fly safely - and to reach the moon!
Listen to a story
Every spring, kids at the Co-op celebrate Grandparents and Special Friends Day. We can't be together in person this year, but there are lots of ways to stay connected. Write a letter. Send a picture. Make some origami, like Yoko in Yoko's Paper Cranes. Here's a story about a little girl and her grandma and how they try and try to visit each other!
Listen to a Story
Here's another beautiful story about a child and her love for her grandfather - and how their kindness brings butterflies to their garden, year after year...
We may all be at home, but that doesn't mean we can't go to the library!
Visit a museum
Penguins from the Kansas City Zoo visited a local art museum. They loved the paintings!
When you visit this website, you will find beautiful artwork to explore. Click on the colors at the top of the page to sort the art by color!
Here's a story about a girl who is inspired by her visit to an art museum... and a link to take YOU to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City!
Listen to a story
The Pre-K has been busy constructing and creating things, and also discussing feelings and emotions. Even a little bit about frustration! I thought this book about a girl, who finds that learning to knit like her mom is not so easy, might be a good story for today!
Listen to a story
Co-op Kindergarteners are finding out all about their families. We read Yoko's Paper Cranes today, about a little girl who moves from Japan to America, but still writes back and forth with her grandparents every day. Yoko makes her grandmother origami paper cranes for her birthday.
Next week, the children would like to try to make origami bears together! All we will need is a square piece of paper and some patience for all!
Listen to a story
President Barak Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are excited about building a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. They decided to read a book to us to celebrate! They chose The Word Collector by Peter Reynolds. Have you ever heard of someone who collects words?!? Do you have a collection?
Build a city
An international architecture firm is putting activities that include drawing, making, playing, thinking, reading and watching online for children to try while they are spending time at home! You can print out templates of skyscrapers, houses and trees to build and color. Or learn about how architects use photographs and images to tell stories about buildings and spaces.
For inspiration, listen to what happened when Mr. Plumbean's house got a big orange splot of paint!
Listen to a story
Our Early Ages class went on a (virtual) Dinosaur Adventure! They took a trip to a dinosaur museum and played I-Spy dinosaurs with their friends at morning meeting. Here's a rhyming dinosaur story to go along with their adventure!
Take a trip
Are you a baseball fan who is missing watching the games? Take a 360 degree virtual trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY!
Listen to a story
The story of Silly Billy is a good one for people who feel a little worried. Billy's grandma helps him feel better by teaching him how to make dolls that he can tell his worries to.
In the library, we use clothespins, yarn, fabric and markers to make worry dolls. Do you have any materials at home you could use to make one? Give it a try!
Count some animals
There are lots of animals to count in this book. How many are there all together???? I love the illustrations of all of the animals on the farm. Do you?
Listen to a story
Michelle Obama read lots of stories aloud for you! The first book she read was The Gruffalo! Click on the titles below to hear her read. You might hear President Obama help her out on one of the stories!
Choose a story
Oh my! I just found a great website! It is called Storyline Online and you will find many familiar books read aloud by actors and other well-known people - like Vice President Al Gore! Click on this link to choose the stories you want to hear!
Watch a puppet show
We love Jon Klassen's work in the library! Here's a great puppet show of I Want My Hat Back.
You could try a puppet show at home. Choose a favorite book to act out. Make the puppets from materials you have in the house. Use a box for the stage. Your family can be your audience OR film the puppet show and post it for us on Classroom!
Listen to a story
Dolly Parton is a famous country singer. She started reading bedtime stories and recording them for kids all over the world to hear. You can hear her read Llama Llama Red Pajama by clicking on the picture above. What's your favorite bedtime story?
Click on the llamas to find out some interesting facts about them.
Listen to a story
Here's a story about a little girl who wants to know the story of how she got her very long name!
And another story about Chrysanthemum, a little mouse who loves her name - until she goes to school for the first time):
Do you know the story of your name? Ask someone in your family to tell you!
Try a coding challenge
Click on the picture above to try Hour of Code Dance Party.
Here's Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers doing some tap dancing!
Why not get up and dance a little!
Read a poem
Find inspiration in this Robert Louis Stevenson poem and explore and draw the shadows your favorite toys make.
My Shadow
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball,And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!One morning, very early, before the sun was up,I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
Listen to a story
Pale Male is a red-tailed hawk who has lived in New York City for many years. Listen to the story of how he made his home....
Try a recipe
Do you like to cook? Do you like carrots? Here's a simple recipe for Carrot Pennies!
Listen to the stories of Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present and The Rabbit Listened while you are preparing your carrots!
Take a trip
Want to go on a (virtual) field trip together? We can't go to London right now, but we can still visit the British Library exhibit about Harry Potter! A curator has put together a series of articles, photos and videos to help us explore the exhibit and more!
Listen to a story
Richard Scarry wrote and illustrated many books about little animals. He created Busytown! Here is an old favorite called I am a bunny.
Do an activity
Here's a STEAM bingo board (STEAM = Science Technology Engineering Art Math) that has 25 choices of activities to try! But I do NOT expect you to do all 25! Unless you really want to....!
Listen to a story
The Little House books were written by Laura Ingalls Wilder a long time ago. The books tell stories about Laura's life in the different places she lived. The story I am reading to you today tells about the way Laura and her family spent the winter months all alone in the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Her family had to think of lots of ways to take care of themselves and also have fun. What are you doing to take care of yourselves and to have fun during this time you are staying at home? Did you get any new ideas from Laura and her family?
Listen to a story
I wanted to pretend I was reading to you in the library. I picked a nice, long story about a little cat who is too shy to approach the Cat Club. Here's a picture of one of my cats so you see that she was listening to me as I read to you! The story is long - it took 14 minutes to read it out loud. So settle in!
Try a recipe
Get ready for some smashing and mashing!!! Time to cook Sweet Potato Surprise!
And here is a story that shows you some surprising things about a box!
Listen to a story
Here are two stories for you. One is an Inuit tale about a girl who uses her rock friends to help her father and brothers return home from the caribou hunt. The other is an old favorite - Ishi, Simple Tips From a Solid Friend. It's a book of advice from a small, but wise, rock!
If you go out to get some air, bring a permanent marker. Find a small rock. Draw a face or a message on it. Leave it for someone to see. Maybe you will spread some happiness and brighten up their day!
Listen to a story
The pictures in this old favorite might not look familiar, because I made the book and the pictures were drawn by children! Maybe you could try making a book of your own using a story you love?
Try this simple method for making a book from paper lunch bags!
Do a craft
So many of you were doing a great job with your weaving at school, I realized you could keep going at home. I searched for simple instructions for making a cardboard loom and chose some pictures that make it easy to show how to do it. Look at the document if you want to make your own cardboard loom. Or do some research to find out other ways of making a loom. There are many!
Use string or yarn for the warp. Use string, yarn, strips of fabric, paper, or anything else you can find that works for the weft (what you weave back and forth with).
make a loom/weaving
Listen to a story
I love the story of The Midnight Library because it is about a librarian and lots of animals, just like me - my two dogs and two cats are keeping me company while I read this story to you! Maybe you can read a story to your pet, if you have one! Which story will you choose?
Watch a movie
For some of you older kids, I thought you might want to share this list of movies based on great books with your families. Maybe you could watch one together and recommend it to a friend if you like it!
Read the news
Why not keep up with some cool STEM articles, activities and challenges? New editions come out every week and you can also read it in Spanish!
Try a recipe
I tried to think of as many things I could that go along with polka dots and rice! Here's a little list:
Listen to Chicken Soup With Rice written by Maurice Sendak and sung by Carole King while cooking Polka Dot Rice!!!
Read Everybody Cooks Rice.
Eat with chopsticks.
Read the little book of Chicken Soup With Rice.
Print with a round pencil eraser.
Print with the end of a toilet paper tube.
Make yourself a sensory bin of rice.
Search for ways to make a musical instrument or rain stick with rice.
Make some pompoms.
Do a dot and circle hunt!!!!