parents Archives – Spokane County Library District

What to say to & read with kids when the news is scary

Posted in Parents and Teachers on January 21, 2021 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs NPR recently re-ran a podcast from last year on what to say to kids when the news is scary. Given how 2020 went, this piece is remarkably even more pertinent now, and the tips offered are still helpful: limit kids’ exposure to the news, give them time to talk about what they’ve […]

Tags: crises, crisis, kids, news, parents, scary news

Kids share their favorite books: Winter break edition

Posted in kids on December 22, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson When I was in school, one of my favorite things about winter break was that I didn’t have to read books assigned for class because that meant I had time to read books I picked myself! Studies have shown that kids are more motivated to read when they are allowed to pick […]

Let’s go outside! Wintertime play & activities for everyone

Posted in Explore and Discover on December 17, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Abra Cole Winter officially starts next week on December 21. This fall, we’ve already had below freezing temperatures and snow. And in the months ahead, we can expect even more snowy days and below freezing cold. I propose the following idea: there is no reason to shelter inside until spring! As the Norwegians say: […]

Project ELLO: Everyday Language & Learning Opportunities

Posted in News, Parents and Teachers on December 15, 2020 at 6:00 am

Guest blog by Dr. Allison Wilson Community spaces and familiar routines offer rich opportunities for meaningful interactions and learning with young children. Everyday Language and Learning Opportunities (Project ELLO) focuses on increasing the number of quality, language-rich interactions between caregivers and young children. ELLO resources encou […]

Exploring memoir writing with children

Posted in Parents and Teachers on December 10, 2020 at 6:00 am

BY CAITLIN WHEELER MEMOIR, A MOMENT IN A LIFE Unlike biography, which is the story of a life, memoir is a story within a life—a moment or a thread of moments that shed light on a larger truth. Everyone has stories like these: little moments in our lives that illustrate something bigger about how we […]

Reading picture books together to help grieving children

Posted in Parents and Teachers on November 24, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Tammy Henry At some point in our lives, all of us will face the death of a loved one and the grief that such a loss entails. Facing death is never an easy thing, and for children, who have significantly less experience with the complexity of life and emotions, it can be a bewildering […]

Helpful and cheerful library programs in December

Posted in News on November 18, 2020 at 6:00 am

December brings helpful and cheerful online programs! Learn about caring for holiday flowers, creating ornaments, making digital art and watercolor paintings, finding Medicare cost savings, playing holiday movie trivia, and reading during a special Winter Camp Read-a-Rama. Don’t forget to catch our Storytime Shorts videos on our Facebook page on […]

Storytime Shorts videos: Let’s read stories, sing songs, play & learn

Posted in News on October 28, 2020 at 6:00 am

Storytime Shorts Our librarians miss having storytime with our youngest library customers and their families. And we’ve heard from some of you that you’ve missed storytime too! So our librarians have recorded some wonderful picture book stories, songs, fingerplays, activities, and flannel stories using the felt board for our new video series St […]

Explore a cornucopia of programs in November

Posted in News on October 22, 2020 at 6:00 am

We have library programs for varied interests in November. See if we have something you’ll enjoy! For kids and families, we share two Día de los Muertos events from our community partner Hispanic Business/Professional Association. We also have a delicious and creative challenge for you with Nailed It! Creative Cakes. Disney fans can show off […]

Yoga and mindfulness for stressed and anxious kids

Posted in kids, Parents and Teachers on October 14, 2020 at 6:00 am

By Rachel Edmondson Life is stressful. Life during the COVID-19 pandemic is extra stressful. As adults, we’ve had to navigate so much this year that nobody would have imagined in 2019. And our kids pick up on our stress. Plus, they have stressors of their own. School is completely different, they’re wearing masks, and they […]

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