This is our last week of activities. Thanks for participating in our summer programs.

1. Rhyming Fun

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn,
The sheep’s in the meadow, the cow’s in the corn.
Where is the boy who looks after the sheep?
He’s under the haycock fast asleep.
Will you wake him?
No, not I, for if I do, he’s sure to cry.

Gather foil, q-tips, and blue and white paint.  Have your child use the q-tips to paint on the foil.  Have them paint with blue and white to create different shades of blue on the foil.  This activity works on their fine motor skills as they hold the q-tip to paint.  It also introduces the concept of different shades of the same color.

 Put water in 3 containers.  Put food coloring in each container; each one with either red, yellow, or blue.  Gather several empty cups.  Have your child use a turkey baster or spoon to place a small amount of colored water in the empty cup.  Discuss with your child what happens to the colors when they put 2 different colors in the same cup.  This activity is great for introducing how some colors are made.  It is also great for introducing scientific observation skills.  Discussing what happens will help to reinforce color words in their language skills.

2. Family Fun

Family board game night/day.  Pick a board game you haven’t played in a while.  Read the directions together.  Have yummy snacks.  Have fun!! Did you know the library has board games you can borrow?  Go to our Library of Things page and check it out.  The Board Game Binder has the full list and descriptions of each game.  

3.  Arts and Crafts Fun

Give yourself a hand.  You will need paper, something you can draw with and something with color (paints, markers, crayons).  Trace your hand on a piece of paper.  Continue to trace your hand or other family members hands on that paper until it is full.  Make sure the hands overlap.  Once you are done with that color in the places where the silhouettes overlap.  This idea came from Art Workshops For Children by Herve Tullet.

4. Writing/Drawing Fun

 Imagine that you woke up one morning and EVERYTHING was suddenly your favorite color.  Not just all your clothes, but your parents, your breakfast, your house, your lawn, even the sky.  Write or draw what this world would be like.

1. Nursery Rhyme Fun

Farm Animals

Old Macdonald Had a Farm song

AND 

Hey Diddle, Diddle
Hey diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed to see such fun,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Trace your child’s hands several times and cut them out.  Allow your child to decorate each of their hand prints to represent different animals.  Talking about characteristics of different animals may help them know how to make them.  Variation-If your child is able, have them cut out the hand prints.  This is great for fine motor skill development. This activity helps them to focus on what makes each animal different.  It also allows them to express themselves creatively.  Talking about different animals helps with language development. 

Print off small pictures of animals, so that they will fit on two Legos put together, and cut the pictures in half.  Glue or tape the pictures onto the Legos.  Mix up the Legos and allow your child to match the animal halves and put them together by putting the Lego pieces together. Variations- Use larger pictures and put them on multiple Legos so that there are more pieces to match.This activity is great for hand eye coordination as well as problem solving skills.  By talking about the animals and distinguishing characteristics, you are building their observation skills and language development.

2. Family Fun

Create a Family Time Capsule.   Click on this PDF to help inspire you.

3. Arts and Crafts

Create a 3-D paper sculpture.  Find a variety of paper and scrap paper and get creative.  Go to the University of Mississippi Museum Education Blog for instructions.

4. Writing/Drawing Fun

 Imagine the day through your pet’s eyes, or through the eyes of a wild animal.  What do they see, smell, eat, do?  What do they think of YOU?  Write or draw the story of their day.

Looking for the summer reading assignment for Penn Brook Elementary?  Click here to see the assignments.   

Students enter 4th – 6th are required to read a book from the last 10 years of the Massachusetts Children’s Book Awards lists. Click here for the complete list.

We have copies of the books in the library.  Request the title you need for curbside pick up or borrow an eBook on the Libby App.  

1.  Nursery Rhyme Fun

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker’s man,
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;
Pat it and prick it, and mark it with a “b” (or fill in your child’s initial)
And put it in the over for baby (or your child’s name) and me!

Draw a cookie jar.  Draw circles inside the jar and put numbers 1-10 on the circles.  Cut out 10 circles from brown paper.  Draw dots on each circle, 1-10 so that the number of dots on the cookie will match the number on the circle.  Have your child count the dots on each cookie and place it on the correct number in the cookie jar.Variations: Write out the number and have your child count the dots and read the correct number to match.  Write lowercase letters on the circles and uppercase letters on the cookie so that your child can match them.This activity is a fun way to reinforce number recognition and counting.  If you have the number written, or letters then your child can also work on their letter recognition and reading skills. (If you would like, you can visit https://www.totschooling.net/2015/12/cookies-number-matching-printable.html and print a copy of the above picture and matching cookies.)

2.  Family Fun

Wizard Charades Activity
This is a great game to play with other family members.
The child who is the “wizard” puts a “magic hat” (use any hat) on another child. The
child with the “magic hat” says:

“Wizard, wizard
Please do tell
What did I become
When you cast your spell?”

The “wizard” whispers the name of an animal (such as a toad, snake or cat) or object (such as a car, table or spoon) to that child, who has to act out that animal or object. Everyone else must guess what the object or animal is.

3.  Arts and Crafts Fun

Make your own magic wand.   Find a stick or use a chopstick as your base.  Wrap/decorate it with materials you have at home such as yarn, ribbon, paint, beads, clay, scraps of tissue paper or other paper.  Get creative.

4.  Writing and Drawing Fun

Paul Bunyan was part of the Unites States Folklore.  Fill out a fun Paul Bunyan Mad Lib

1. Rhyming Fun

Using construction paper, make a train with one of each color car.  Have your child gather items from around the house and place them on the correct color “train car.”  Variation:  Tell your child which color to look for and bring items back for.  If you have more than one child doing the activity, make several trains and have the children see who can fill up their train first.This activity reinforces color recognition through real life objects.  This can also help your child recognize that there are different shades of colors.

2. Family Fun/STEM Fun

Building Challenge.   Build a tower for Rapunzel.  Use whatever materials you have at home (LEGO’s, blocks, boxes, paper, etc)  Work together or try to see who can build the tallest, most colorful, most creative, etc.  Then figure out how Rapunzel can escape from the tower.   

3.  Arts and Crafts

Watch a sunrise or sunset (or find pictures).  Draw, paint, or sculpt your own sunrise/sunset.

4.  Writing/ Drawing Fun

Happily Ever After Do you ever wonder about what happened after the “Happily Ever After”? Or what happened that made it so happy? Or maybe it wasn’t happy at all? Think of your favorite fairy tale that ends with “happily ever after” and write what happened after! 

1. Rhyming Fun

2. Family Fun

Camping Challenge:  Set up camp in your back yard or even in your house.  Set up a tent, have a camp fire, eat camping themed food (s’mores) tell ghost stories and sleep under the stars or in another room in your house besides your bedroom.

3. Arts and Crafts Fun

Nature Scavenger Hunt: Take a walk in your yard, on a trail, or anywhere it is safe.  Collect anything interesting you find (make sure it is not poison ivy, or someones favorite flowers).  Bring it home and make a collage out of what you found.  You can use paper and glue, or stick it on the sticky side of contact paper or packing tape.  Get creative.

4. Writing/Drawing Fun

 Same, Same, but Different:   In a lot of stories there are things that seem the same, but end up very different. They have common threads. What are the common threads between you and your friends or your family? Write about the ways you are the same as they are and the ways you are different.

You can now request library museum passes for contactless pickup. Library staff will be wearing masks when they prepare your pass as well as when they place it outside for you to pick up. Coupon passes will be placed in small paper bags. Returnable museum passes are in plastic DVD covers.

Please note, many museums have additional instructions on admission into their buildings. Please visit their websites for details. Some museums we offer discounted passes to are not yet open or may have temporarily suspended their library pass program. 

How to Reserve a Museum Pass

Step 1: Reserve the pass you want for the day you want to go on the Library’s Museum Passes page. 

Step 2: Wait for the confirmation that your request is approved.

Step 3: Come to the library and call us when you are here for pickup of the library pass. Please wear a face covering when you come.

Step 4: Enjoy! 

Step 5: For returnable passes, please return the pass to the book drop within 24- 48 hours.

Please note:

• For health and safety reasons, we are not able to welcome patrons into the building at this time. All returnable items should go in our book drops which remain open 24/7.
• Pickup hours are Mondays/Wednesdays 2-6, Tuesdays/Fridays 10-5, Saturdays 9-1.

We hope to keep expanding and adding new features to our Curbside Service until the day we are able to open up the whole building and offer the full range of library services and programs we all miss! Check out our additional offerings below or click here to learn more about placing and picking up holds.

Reference Services  

Personal Book List Service

Looking for something great to read? Our librarians are here to help! Fill out the Personal Book Lists form on our website and we will send you a list of books we think you’ll like. You’ll find a different form for adults, kids, and teens.

Statewide Delivery is Back 

Statewide delivery among libraries — also known as Inter-library Loan — has restarted and you can now place requests from other libraries (choose from over five million items in our 36-member network alone)! Please keep in mind that transit and fulfillment time might take a little longer than usual. Search the catalog!

Museum Passes Pickup 

You can now request library museum passes for contactless pickup! Please note, many museums have additional instructions on admission into their buildings. Please visit their websites for details. For more information click here.

Online Resources

Our website has tons of resources that are available to you any time of day or night! Click here for an overview!

Need A Library Card?

1.  Nursery Rhyme Fun

A little turtle
There was a little turtle (put hands together in a fist)
He lived in a box (make a box with both hands)
He swam in a puddle (make swimming motions)
He climbed on the rocks (use your fingers to climb up your arm)
He snapped at a mosquito (clap hands)
He snapped at a flea (chomp with your mouth)
He snapped at a minnow (clap hands)
He snapped at me (Do Home Alone Face)
He caught the mosquito (grab with your hand)
He caught the flea (grab with your hand)
He caught the minnow (grab with your hand)
But he didn’t catch me (jump in excitement)

Turtle crawl:  Make a turtle shell that will fit your child (use a box, a piece of fabric, or a piece of paper).  Have them crawl around and try not to lose the shell. 
Turtle egg sensory box:  Use ping pong balls or anything round and hide them in a box of sand, rice, or shredded up paper.  Have your child dig for the turtle eggs.

2.  Family Fun

Build a Gnome Home (Fairy House):
Find a quiet location to build your home.  It can be in your yard, a park, or the beach.  Stay away from busy roads or sidewalks. Gather materials that can include sticks, pine needles, rocks, shells, and any other natural materials.  DO NOT USE ANYTHING ALIVE, such as plants and leaves.  Start to build..Check out the video of Miss Cathy’s Gnome Home. 

3. Arts and Crafts Fun

Book Cover Creation: We really do judge a book by its cover sometimes. Redesign the cover of your favorite book to capture what the story is really about.

4.  Writing Fun

Mythical Creature Jokes: Share some of these jokes and riddles with your family, then write your own!
What do you call a wizard from outer space? A flying sorcerer!
What should you say to a two-headed dragon? Bye-bye!
How does a dragon see at night? With a knight light.
What do you get when a dragon sneezes? Out of the way.

The Library now offers Boston Harbor Islands Ferry passes for the 2020 season of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park.

Passes are valid for the season between July 1 and October 12, Wednesday through Sunday. Pass Benefits: Two-for-one passes, $10 off each ticket up to 4.

How does it work? ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED ONLINE. See instructions below.

1. Click here to make your reservations for Spectacle Island.

2. Click BUY TICKETS.

3. Specify how many tickets (you can purchase up to 4 tickets with this pass), your date of travel, and your departure time based on the ferry schedule.

4. Enter in promo code ZBPL20HI76 in Shopping Cart.

5. Complete order.

6. Print tickets at home or pick up at Boston Harbor Cruises Will Call Window at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled departure.

In response to COVID-19, your trip to The Boston Harbor Islands during the 2020 season may look and feel a bit different than usual.  Boston Harbor Now has developed a helpful resource outlining things to Know Before You Go to help you navigate and make the most out of your 2020 island adventure.  Be sure to take a look and be informed prior to your visit.