Sunflowers are one of the most vibrant and joyful flowers we see in the summertime and they seem to make everyone smile. Perhaps this will encourage you to start your own sunflower space next summer!

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My dad lives on a farm and many of my summer days are spent helping him with gardening chores. He had planted some sunflower seeds a few years ago and then random plants grew from the seeds that had dropped.

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As you can see above, they nearly blocked his porch entry, and as the summer went on, he had to tie them to large stakes so they wouldn’t fall over!

Last fall, I decided to take the dried seedheads from those plants and spread them around the barns and sheds. I wasn’t sure if they would grow in the spring, or just end up being snacks for birds and squirrels during the winter.

Here you see some of the flowers those seeds produced. Aren’t they beautiful and interesting? They remind me of snowflakes…each one has a distinct look! The center of a sunflower is actually a complicated math pattern called the Fibonacci sequence. You can read more about that at Math is Fun or The National Museum of Mathematics.

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Sunflower Facts for Kids and Adults has more information about these cheerful plants. Have you looked closely at the center?

Sunflowers come in many shapes and sizes. The website Kiddle will show you some of the different varieties. Maybe you can start designing a sunflower collection to grow next summer!

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When you buy seeds in a store, you will probably find the Burpee brand. They have information about many plants, so you could also locate sunflower information here. Near the bottom of the left side of the page is a Kids Gardening link which takes you to a page of activities and crafts.

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Sunflowers were an inspiration to the famous artist, Vincent Van Gogh. We have a few books available in the library featuring his famous painting: Katie and the Sunflowers by James Mayhew- J 709.0346, and Camille and the Sunflowers by Laurence Anholt- E ANH. A few of our other sunflower books are: A Sunflower’s Life by Nancy Dickmann- ER 583.99 DIC, Plants Can’t Sit Still by Rebecca E. Hirsch- 580 HIR, The Case of the Growing Bird Feeder by Eric Hogan- 583 HOG, and This is the Sunflower by Lola M. Schaefer.

As you can tell, I am fascinated by these simple beauties. An artist in San Diego started a small project to spread cheer in his neighborhood. Please click on the link or the picture below and enjoy! Maybe it will inspire you to follow his lead and share something uplifting in your neighborhood (just like our kindness rocks!)

Even though he is wearing a mask, he’s got a smile for you!

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Here’s hoping you find a few sunflowers along the way around here to make you smile as you spend time outdoors in this great summer weather we’ve been enjoying. See you soon!

Mystery Bags are the newest addition to Youth Services! We have been filling requests since Curbside Pickup started in June. Just call, answer a few questions, and we will put together a bag of surprises! As soon as they are ready you will be notified to pick them up from the hold area shelves. Give it a try for something a little different… our picks for you!

There are also some additions and updates to our website. One thing you will see is the library tour, which goes over some changes and precautions we are taking to keep everyone safe with reopening. Just click on the arrow to watch.

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Also on the page you will see a “Books and Services” tab. This is not new, but is worth a look to find different resources or discover more reading choices. I’ve highlighted a few topics such as Anti-racism Resources, What Do I Read Next?, and Award Winning Books. Our e-Books & Digital Resources and Homework Help are here as well…lots of features to explore!

There are tabs listing resources for all ages:

These Illinois Readers’ Choice Award Books have a designated area in the library, too:

Several options are available in the What Do I Read Next? section to help you find similar themes, topics, or genres:

Remember, we are open now, and excited to have you visit us again-with social distancing! Should I retire my owl friends? I think I’ll still post them because we have missed you and hope to see you soon!

The NLPL Summer Reading Challenge is underway with a different look this year. First of all, we will be missing your smiling faces when you would normally be visiting us to turn in your reading logs! However, that shouldn’t keep you from reading and sending your completed logs as shown on our website. Just think how proud your teachers will be, and us too!

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The more you read-or complete activities, the more raffle entries you can earn! Just print another sheet and send it in. All of the activities will help keep your learning skills sharp over the summer, but my favorite activity on the list is still reading.

I love sitting outside when the weather is nice with a good book, or curling up in my favorite chair and reading when it’s rainy, or reading in bed before dozing off for the night. Perhaps out in a tent like this guy? If you have a hard time deciding what to read, why not make a game out of it?

Below are several different “reading bingo” sheets. You can make your own,any size you’d like too. Use these for inspiration to print to get started. Or make it smaller by changing it to Tic-Tac-Toe…or look for books about a specific color…or make a card with different genres…lots of possibilities!

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Childhood101.com has a printable sheet and resources to find books:

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The Chirping Moms have a great set of 3 different cards for more fun ideas:

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Here’s one more to print or look over for ideas:

Now you can start thinking of all the different kinds of books you may want to read this summer to keep exercising your brain and for fun. Check our NLPL website often for virtual summer programs and any news we have for you!. Enjoy summer, stay well, and we hope to see you soon!

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Time to share a few more ways to spread kindness & joy, or just put out a positive vibe. Last year’s summer reading kickoff featured a “Kindness Rocks” activity. This quote is from last year’s project: “What is a kindness rock? Kindness rocks are rocks painted with a positive message or image and are then put in a public space either locally or taken on vacation with you. They are placed in plain sight so that they can be spotted easily. The goal is to put a smile on someone else’s face and watch kindness spread. Once you find an “nlplrocks” rock, we encourage you to reshare and put it in another space. Keep the kindness going!” In case you need a few instructions, try the Guide to Painting Rocks at meandmyinklings.com:

Some neighborhoods are sharing books with little libraries or safely trading books with classmates and neighbors. Others have turned the little libraries into a little free pantry, or put out snacks for delivery people, postal workers, and neighbors. These ideas are featured at parentmap.com along with various resources for helpful articles and activities. Even though it is written for the Seattle area, there are good ideas here.

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Neighborhood dancing or sing-alongs are also good ways to spread cheer.

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Another cool idea I found was to coordinate a teddy bear hunt in the neighborhood. First, read We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen. Then spread the word and have your friends and neighbors place a teddy bear somewhere in a window, on a porch, or in their yard and get ready to start hunting! This could easily be adapted to be a rainbow or heart or color search…the sky is the limit with setting up this creative adventure! Read all about it at time.com.

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Enjoy the Youtube video of the author, Michael Rosen, reading to you:

Or, you’ll be able to check it out from the library soon:

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Please visit the New Lenox Library Homepage to read all the details about curbside check-out starting in the near future…hooray!!!

Stay safe, and as always…..

Here we are into another month of sheltering in place. As you stroll through your neighborhood, look around to see if April showers really did bring May flowers. The warmer days will allow us to spend more time outdoors whether it’s gardening, playing, or visiting via social distancing. There have been many stories in the news and in conversations with friends & family about the different ways people…and kids…are reaching out to share a little joy and kindness with each other. This post will highlight a few things you could do with your family and neighbors.

Chalk art, messages, and games- whether on fences, driveways or sidewalks- are all ways to leave positive messages to anyone passing by. Why not use this opportunity to encourage others to join in random fun? There are even fun ways to learn!

Some people have created sensory or exercise activities with sidewalk chalk. There are a ton of ideas in the links below:

No chalk? No problem! You can make your own sidewalk chalk with a few ingredients you probably have at home. Here are 2 recipes to try:

For a different twist, try setting up a “silly walk” zone…then sit back and laugh as people participate from inspiremore.com:

You have no doubt seen many websites and links to help with keeping children engaged and learning while at home, but here is one more for you.

This parenting site has quite a few links to for virtual visits and activities to investigate:

I have a few more ideas to share, so check back for Kids Kindness, Part 2. Remember to visit us online for our own activities and updates while you stay safe! Hope to see you soon…..

The weather is warming up, and my thoughts turn to gardening and outdoor activities in the dirt! I love watching trees and plants as they begin their new growth season. One sure sign of spring’s arrival is the return of weeds in my garden! Getting out in the garden and flower beds to pull weeds is a necessary first step before any kind of planting, so that can be a starting point for outdoor activities. The good news is that it is possible to start gardening as we “shelter in place” without making a trip to garden centers. Visit these websites for inspiration:

You can always try experimenting with the science projects seen here:

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Don’t let the fun and creativity stop with gardening! Set up an easy outdoor play space with relatively few supplies to “grow” your imagination. Click on the photos below for suggestions and information at The Imagination Tree:

There are many different ideas and how-to’s at The Empowered Educator to design some backyard exploration areas:

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A garden game can also be garden art!

Visit our online e-book collection for books available online. Don’t forget there are links to access these resources and a help button if needed!

This is a small section of the search I did for gardening. There are many choices, both fiction and non-fiction, when you enter “gardening” in the search bar.

Be sure to take pictures of any projects you might try to share with us when we welcome you back! Good luck, stay healthy, and hopefully we will see you soon!

As you read this, I’m sure you are well aware that we are “sheltering in place” and looking for ways to stay connected. The Youth Services department -and the whole library- is keeping in touch with virtual meetings, emails, texts, etc., to think of ways to reach out and support you. We miss you…our peeps! There are so many things available online to help everyone stay engaged and active. I will post a few things today with a short description of what you can find if you click on the link. Our own New Lenox Library has so much to offer online, so I hope you are exploring our website as well! Be sure to visit the online resources and e-books we have available to you. A previous blog tells you about Libby and our website has easy step-by-step instructions about how to access the digital library.

Below is a blog from one of my librarian friends in the school district where I previously worked. She and her colleague have put together a tremendous page- called Library Bookends– of daily live author/illustrator read-alouds. Be sure to visit them each day, along with their resource tab for many other ideas and activities….a big, happy thanks to Steph & Mary!

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Here is an example of a video from beloved author/illustrator Mo Willems that I found in their blog:

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If you’ve read some of my past postings, you know I have a special place for the Forest Preserve of Will County. Their website has some kid-friendly activities for you too.

The Joliet YMCA also has kid activities on their website with fun things to do with materials you probably have around the house:

A scavenger hunt, whether outdoors or indoors, is always a creative exercise. Have mom or dad, grams or gramps, or whomever you are sheltering with look around for one to try. Below are just a few images of some scavenger hunts searching Bing, Google, and Pinterest….or better yet, make up your own for someone in your family!

Here’s one to get your ideas flowing:

Check back soon for more resources for you to investigate. The Library has a Facebook and Instagram account for your caregivers with frequent updates, so visit those when you can! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay happy, and stay connected! Most of all, remember…

“Tis the season when everyone is a wee bit Irish with the wearin’ o’ the green…but enough of this blarney, here’s a quick post about St. Patrick Day facts, festivities, and fun!

To start out with facts, you can learn about St. Patrick’s Day at the History Channel link below:

National Geographic for Kids also has some information to help explain this holiday:

And for good measure, here’s one more site to visit to explore the customs and traditions:

Now that you’ve done a little research, it’s time to zero in on those pesky leprechauns and their gold. Holidappy.com has facts galore about leprechauns:

This brings us to the best part….trying to catch a leprechaun! There are many creative ways to construct a trap, so here are some ideas to help you get started:

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As always, you can search our e-book selection online, or come in to browse and we can help you locate titles like these:

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Above all, we wish you a….