It's the beginning of a new year! A new year brings opportunities—it excites me to try new things. Hopefully, you will also be inspired to break out of your routine and try something new, such as a hobby or activity, a food you've never tried, or a type of book you wouldn't usually read. There are some activities and books for you to explore below to help you find something new to try, and if you haven't joined us for a program before (or if it's been a while since you have), we hope to see you soon!
READ: Sock on the Loose by Conor McGlauflin
In his debut picture book, author-illustrator Conor McGlauflin takes you on a fun, sock-filled, adventure about finding yourself and discovering your way back home. Socks come in twos, snuggled up in your shoes. At night they sleep tight, matching pairs in a row. Until--wait a minute!--oh no! Where did Blue Sock go?... After its twin doesn't come back from the wash, Blue Sock decides it wants to explore the great big world outside its drawer. Just like you, there are so many things a sock can do when given the chance to try something new!
Use your library card or apply for an ecard here to access our digital library!
Questions to think about while you read:
- What are some of the new things Blue Sock tries while it's on an adventure?
- What things that Blue Sock experiences would you like to try? Would you like to try something completely different? If so, what?
- What about trying new things is scary to you?
PLAY: Hobby Charades
Get together with a group of friends and/or family members and put your silent acting moves to the test...can you get them to guess which hobby you're acting out?
To Play:
- On slips of paper, write down all kinds of hobbies, such as: drawing, reading, skateboarding, gardening, swimming, dancing, painting, knitting, photography, martial arts, cooking, sewing, singing, playing video games, playing an instrument, performing magic tricks, sports, and any other kinds of hobbies you can think of.
- Players take turns pulling a slip out of a bowl or hat and then, without talking, do their best to act out that hobby so others can guess what they are doing. The first person to correctly guess is the next person to take a turn.
EXPLORE: Start a Collection
A popular hobby to get involved with is collecting. It's pretty easy and can be inexpensive. Here are some basic tips on starting and maintaining a collection:
- Decide what you'd like to collect. What are you interested in? If it's nature, consider collecting seashells or rocks. Think about what you already have...do you have several action figures or comics? They can be the beginning of a collection.
- Become a subject expert and learn about the items you're collecting. There are many resources to learn about the details and history of sports cards, matchbox cars, dolls, or other collectibles...and your neighborhood library is a great place to start!
- Consider how you want to arrange and display your collection. Will it fit into a binder, like coins, stamps, or sports cards? Or will you need shelves to hold fossils or sports memorabilia?
- Be willing to trade or sell items in your collection to obtain other additions; this is how museums sometimes acquire exciting things.
- Share your collection with others by inviting them over to see it or take part or all of your collection to an event, like show-and-tell or the science fair. Then, you can tell them what you've learned as you've been collecting.
JOIN: Attend a program!
View all school age programs and events offered this month.
Registration is required for all programs; if space allows, walk-ins will be admitted. Use the link in the program information to register.
