While many of us associate scary stories with October and cool weather, I think it's great fun to read scary stories in the spring, especially when there's a thunderstorm rolling in. I'd like to recommend two scary books I enjoyed recently, and both of them just happened to be written by Asian American authors. First…
News from Youth Services - Page 10 of 50
Star Wars Day Activities
May The 4th Be With You! Today is a day where Star Wars fans celebrate everything about their favorite fandom. The website, StarWars.com has many resources for all ages including an activity book with crafts coloring pages, and puzzles. StarWarsKids.com also have some great online games and other activities that will introduce young fans to the “galaxy far, far away.” For off-screen time, check out…
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Cenus.gov has lots of information about the history of this monthlong celebration: "In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United…
Arbor Day Activities
Arbor Day is on Friday, April 30. It is an annual holiday encouraging people to plant and care for trees. It was initiated by Julius Sterling Morton, President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture in 1872. The Arbor Day Foundation's Kids Corner is full of printable activities, digital games, and resources. Leaf ID Game: Can you…
April is National Poetry Month
Photo by Trust "Tru" Katsande on Unsplash Try one of these ideas to celebrate! Write a Dada poem. For this, you will need a collection of random words, ideally written on little slips of paper. You can put these slips in a bag or mix them up in a pile. Pull words one at a…
STEAM Saturday: Water Pollution Experiment
Water that you find in nature is not necessarily clean or pure; you would not want to drink pond water, for example. There are ways to clean water, though, and you can try this experiment at home! First, take a clean jar with a lid and fill it with water from a lake, pond, stream,…
Maker Monday: Egg Experiments & Facts
Eggs Eggs are an incredible adaptation that allow birds to stay light and able to fly while their babies are growing. Bird eggs are covered in a shell with lots of tiny holes. These allow air and moisture to pass through. Eggs are also covered in a coating that keeps out bacteria and dust. To see the parts of an egg…
STEAM Saturday: 3-D Printing for Kids
3-D Printing is available again at the Mount Prospect Public Library and kids can submit print files to be printed. For kids to print, permission is required by a parent or guardian. How Does 3-D Printing Work at MPPL (Condensed Version): Design your 3-D print and save it as an .stl file. Go to the 3-D Printing…
Book review: The Voice of Liberty by Angelica Shirley Carpenter
The Voice of Liberty, by Angelica Shirley Carpenter There was a grand celebration when the Statue of Liberty was presented to the United States of America. It was a gift from the people of France. This enormous statue of a woman holding a torch was an icon of freedom, and was a symbol of welcome to immigrants arriving…
Maker Monday: Build a Braced Tower
Photo of John Hancock Center by Drew Hays on Unsplash February's STEAM at Home program featured Awesome Architecture and fun building activities. We learned that x-bracing (seen here on the John Hancock Center in Chicago) is one way that helps keep buildings straight and tall when wind blows on them. X-braces and shear walls collect wind forces and carry them to the foundation. Build your own braced tower at home…
