Tag Archives: family

Social Distancing: Free Virtual Escape Rooms

Libraries may be closed due to COVID-19, but many librarians are coming up with creative ideas to keep people entertained and promote literacy. One of those creative ideas is free virtual escape rooms. With a variety of themes, some may be fun to do on your own, others as activities with the kids.

Sydney Krawiec, Youth Services Librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, PA created this Hogwarts Virtual Escape Room. She shared this tutorial on how to create your own virtual escape room, which seemed to spark the creativity of many other librarians.

Some amazing librarians all over the country have been busy creating virtual escape rooms with a variety of themes.

Special thanks to the Humboldt County Library in Winnemucca, Nevada for gathering info on many of these escape rooms. Follow them on Facebook for their storytimes and weekly Facebook Live Science Time on Fridays.

Image: Canva.com

Passover begins Tuesday, March 30

March 30, the first day of  Passover, is also known as Pesach or Pesah,is a Holy Day, observed by several religions, begins Tuesday and lasts seven or eight days, depending on your beliefs.  It commemorates the exodus and freedom of the Israelites from Egypt.  It is also observed by some Christians to commemorate the deliverance from sin by the sacrifice of Jesus.

Chinese New Year 2/14

 Dragon

February 14 Chinese New Year
The oldest and most important festival in China is the Spring Festival, more commonly known in the West as Chinese New Year. 2010 is the Year of the Tiger

 Some area events that you may want to attend are:

Chicago’s 2010 Chinese New Year Parade will take place Sunday February 14, 2010 at 12:30pm. Celebrating the Lunar New Year and ushering in the “Year of the Tiger” The Chinese New Year Parade will run on Wentworth from 24 th St. to Cermak Rd.

The 2010 Chicago Chinatown New Year Parade will include marching bands, floats, lion teams, a 100 foot long Mystical Dragon, Miss Chinatown and Miss Friendship Ambassador.

 Chinese Fine Arts Society at Navy Pier . A festival of performances, including Chinese Lion Dancers, music, martial arts demonstrations, folk dance, calligraphy, arts and crafts and more, will honor the “Year of the Tiger.” Since Feb. 14 is also Valentine’s Day, there will be love-inspired routines for all ages. Audiences are welcome to participate in a variety of activities to celebrate a new beginning in a new year!

 Chinese Brush Painting Workshop with Bruce Iverson:

Feb 14, 2010 at 10:00am where:2603 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL at the Evanston Art Center

 Fun things to do with your kids: Make a paper bag tiger puppet. It is easy and fun

All you need is a lunch bag, orange paint, black pipe cleaners, black, orange and white construction paper, glue and a little imagination.

 For more information on the Chinese New Year and to get your Fortune click this link:

http://www.aupairinamerica.com/resources/calendars/2010_02.asp#14b

February 7- Super Bowl Sunday!

footballFebruary 7- Super Bowl Sunday!
The Super Bowl is the annual American Football championship and a popular time for friends to gather in front of the TV. Each year millions of people watch the game, the half-time show – or just the commercials!  People will be talking about the commercials for days. A HUGE part of this day is the FOOD especially snack food.  This is a great time to really connect with your host  family. Why not offer to make a snack from your country prepared by you and your host children. You might even want to make a football “Trivia” game to play with your host children while the adults are watching the game. If you have some ideas to make this day fun for the kids please share them with us.   To learn more about football visit the “Life in the US” section of this website http://aupairinamerica.com/resources/life_in_the_us/football.asp

October is National Pizza Month!

Pizza is easy and fun to make. Buy ready made pizza dough (in the refrigerated or freezer section at the supermarket) or a ready-made crust (in the bread department), shredded mozzarella cheese and a jar of pizza sauce. Follow the directions on the crust package and you’ll have a kid fave ready to go!  Add fruit and a vegetable and watch how fast lunch disappears!

A Fall Family Tradition…

Seeing that I live right in the city, 20 floors above Michigan Avenue, going to a pumpkin patch every fall is a big deal to my 4 1/2 year old.  We drove by a vacant lot selling pumpkins on North Avenue on Saturday, which of course started the questions-“Mommy, when are we going to pick punkins (sic)?  Can I get a reaaally big one?”

So, here are three pumpkin farms that friends have recommended to me: Bengston’s Pumpkin Fest in Homer Glen; Goebbert’s Pumpkin Farm in Barrington; and Johansen’s Farms in Bolingbrook.

I have no financial interest in any of these farms, nor have I visited any of them.  But would love your input. 

What is your favorite local Pumpkin Patch?

Fire Safety Week

This is Fire Safety Week.  Right on cue, my pre-school aged daughter came home talking about the fire drill at school.  She is not a fan of loud noises so became teary eyed as the story progressed.     To ease her fears we talked  about what to do in case of an emergency, practiced slithering along the floor and touching the doorknobs to see if they were hot.  It brought me back to when my family did this when we were younger.  I especially remember the year my brother, no stranger to the ER at age five, was in kindergarten.  After we talked about how we’d go out the back door he wandered off, his attention diverted by who knows what.   Well, he actually went out his escape route—right out his second floor bedroom window!  He was unharmed, which he credited with the pillow he threw out first–to break his fall.    When I spoke to him today and reminded him about it, almost thirty years later, he still maintains he planned it that way-the pillow was perfectly placed so he wouldn’t get hurt.   A little planning is a good thing it seems…