Monthly Archives: January 2017

Happy Birthday Ben Franklin!

Born in 1706 Ben Franklin was an inventor, a statesman, a musician and a scientist who lived much of his life in Philadelphia.

Learn more about Ben Franklin and his activities.

There are science experiments for school age (10 years or older) to try.

Younger children might enjoy the book Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin as told by his Good Mouse Amos – look for it in the library!

Learn about hibernation

Animals handle cold winter weather in different ways. Some, such as birds, butterflies and whales, migrate to warmer climates. Some animals like deer, fox and moose, grow thicker fur coats so they can stay warm during the winter. However many animals hibernate during the coldest weather – they spend the warmer months of the year eating and storing as much body fat as they can and then live off this extra weight as they sleep in the winter. Bats, some mice, frogs and many squirrels sleep all winter. Others, including chipmunks and raccoons wake up once in a while to eat and then they go back to sleep. Have fun learning about the art of hibernation with your children during this cold time of the year.

At the library!

Look for books about animals in winter.

  • The Story of Jumping Mouse: A Native American Legend by John Steptoe
  • Time to Sleep by Denise Fleming
  • When Will It Be Spring? By Catherine Walters
  • The Valentine Bears by Eve Bunting
  • Bearymore by Don Freeman
  • Bernard Bear’s Amazing Adventure by Hans de Beer
  • Wake Me in Spring by James Preller
  • Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky
  • Chipmunk Song by Joanne Ryder

Watch for animals in your neighborhood. Are there more or less than in the warmer weather?

Play “hibernation” – pretend to be one of the animals you have researched. Curl up and “sleep” and then wake up HUNGRY for snack time!

Do you like pineapples?

Native to South America, the first pineapples were planted in Hawaii on this day in 1813. Now 10% of the world’s pineapples are grown in Hawaii where it first became a commercial crop. It is also widely grown in Central America and Asia. Kids will love this delicious and healthy recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/3 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 2 medium)
  • 1 1/4 cups carrots, finely shredded
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 (8 ounces) can crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
  • 2/3 cup cooking oil
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix together. Enjoy!

Try some Stone Soup!

January is National Soup Month. Read “Stone Soup” by Marcia Brown and “George and Martha” by James Marshall and try cooking your own:

Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups green split peas
  • 7 cups water
  • 3 cups beef broth (canned or add bouillon cubes to water)
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 1 medium onion

Directions:

Rinse the split peas under cold water. Place the drained peas, water and broth to a saucepan. Break the celery into 3 or 4 large pieces and add to the pot. Peel and trim the onion and then place the whole onion into the pot. Heat the soup to a boil on medium heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. When the soup is done, remove the celery and onion and throw them away.

Do you have a car safety kit?

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What should you have in the trunk of your car in case of an emergency? I’ll give you a hint- it’s not a cat. While they are cute, they are not very helpful in a crisis. Below is a list of some more helpful things to keep in the car.

Recommended items to have in the car in case of emergency

  • Cell phone car charger
  • Jumper Cables (be sure you know how to use them)
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Flares & Reflective triangles
  • Bag of sand or kitty litter (to help if stuck in ice, snow)
  • Small shovel, snow brush and ice scraper
  • Extra windshield solvent
  • Blankets and extra clothing
  • Nonperishable food items and water (e.g.. snack bars)
  • List of emergency telephone numbers on a card in the glove compartment
  • Auto club card (AAA or roadside assistance)

Here is another post with a list of what to keep in the car glove box.

It is always a good idea to keep the gas tank at least half full at all times, especially in the winter.

Photo: Bart Everson

Happy Birthday JRR Tolkien!

JRR Tolkien’s Birthday

JRR Tolkien, the author of Lord of the Rings was born on this day in 1892. In honor of his birthday older school age children may enjoy reading (or being read) The Hobbit or perhaps they could watch one of the Lord of the Rings movies. Can you read this?

Sample Cirth inscription

The Cirth alphabet used in the book appears here. Children might enjoy translating this and making up their own messages using this alphabet.

Image from blog.schoollibraryjournal.com