October is a time of ghosts 👻 and bats 🦇 and scary monsters 👹, but have you ever thought about spreading kindness 🙂 on Halloween, along with candy 🍫 treats? The mom behind the website Coffee and Carpool suggests handing out Kindness Cards this year to go along with your usual selections. What are Kindness Cards, you ask? They are simple cards that have a positive ➕ message, such as “I love ❤ your costume” Read more
Today is National Color Day 🌈 a day to celebrate all the beautiful color that is around us. Did you know that color can affect your mood or the way you feel about something? Red, for example, is often used to show excitement, while blue is considered a calming color. What is your favorite color? Often, we use color in our home 🏠 to reflect our creativity 🎨 or we pick our favorite colors to Read more
BY MICHELE DEBCZAK Movies didn’t invent monsters like werewolves or vampires, but they helped shape how we view them today. Many common myths—like vampires burning in the sun and zombies eating brains—were popularized more recently than you might have thought. Read on to learn about 11 classic monster tropes and the movies that introduced them to pop culture. 1. VAMPIRES GET BURNED BY SUNLIGHT. Vampires getting burned in the sun is a classic myth, right up there with Read more
If you have a pumpkin 🎃 on your front porch or steps, you have everything you need to conduct a STEM experiment 🧪 with your children. To learn how vegetable matter decomposes, have them make a chart 📊 or write down each day’s progress as the pumpkin rots. Small children can draw pictures, while older children can record details 📝 about how the pumpkin looks, what the temperature 🌡 is outside ☁ and other details Read more
by Jeff Somers Great reads for those who want more deadly games like the ones in the viral South Korean Netflix hit. Every now and then a particular TV show takes over and commands the all-seeing eye of pop culture for weeks or months at a time—think the first season of Stranger Things, or the height of Game of Thrones mania. Right now, that show is Squid Game, which has become the most successful Netflix series of all time, not Read more
It’s that time again! We rounded up some great library craft videos from across the internet that are perfect for Halloween. Whether they are doing in-person craft events or take-and-make kits, these libraries share their creative crafts for the spooky season. DIY Spooky Witch’s Cauldron – Bubbling Cauldron with Glowing Coals New York’s Fayetville Library goes all out with this glowing Witch’s Cauldron. Although this might not be a last-minute craft, it can be a fun addition Read more
This month marks the 95th anniversary celebration of the publication of the first Winnie the Pooh book by A. A. Milne. Illustrated by artist E. H. Shepard, the beloved stories have been treasured by generations around the world. Which is your favorite character from the Hundred Acre Wood? Do you prefer Pooh? Or do you like adventurous Tigger or continually worried (but brave in the end) Piglet? What about kind Kanga or wise Owl, gloomy Read more
Suggested Family Activity • Clever 🎃 Costumes If you like to make your children’s Halloween costumes, your local library has books available to give you inspiration. Clever Costume Creating for Halloween: An A to Z Guide of 200 Costume Ideas by Suzanne Singleton and A Ghostly Good Time: The Family Halloween Handbook are good choices for ideas to fit any budget and skill level, from beginner on up. For any experienced knitters out there, Monster Read more
Suggested Family Activity • National Bring Your 🧸 to Work and School Day Today is National Bring Your Teddy Bear to Work and School Day, a day to celebrate and show off your favorite stuffed Teddy. Teddy bears bring a lot of comfort to people of all ages. They are the perfect size to give a quick hug to get through a difficult time or to help young children fall asleep. Your first Teddy bear Read more
Suggested Family Activity • October Activity Packs 🎃 Have you picked up an October activity packet at your local library yet? In the packet for children 6 and under, supplies are included to make both a Mosaic Paper Maple Leaf by tearing up pieces of crepe paper and gluing them to a leaf template and a Paper Plate Mummy craft project using one of our favorite basic items – white paper plates. Another easy craft Read more
