Keep kids engaged through reading
Are you stuck in your home, hoping your children’s brains won’t turn to mush before the shelter-inplace orders are lifted? Do you find yourself wondering how to keep them entertained without relying on too much screen time? When they ask to watch “Frozen” again for the 10th time, do you wish you could conjour up a book-related activity for them?
Do not fear! The libraries of our nation are coming to the rescue. Though individual branches are closed, rich online libraries are at your fingertips. E-books, audiobooks and articles are just a search away.
I opened the Humboldt County Library website (www.humlib.org) and discovered a wealth of resources for people of all ages. (If you don’t have a library card, you can obtain an “e card” in just a matter of a few clicks.) Questions? Call 707-2691915 and a friendly librarian will be happy to help you get started.
Once your account is set up, look at the left side of the www.humblib. org screen and click on “Search for eBooks.” This will direct you to Overdrive, a service that offers the library’s largest collection of e-books, audiobooks, digital magazines, articles and various databases for adults and children, Simply download the free app, enter your local library branch and card number and begin your search.
As for those kids of yours? Overdrive also offers special sections for both kids and teens.
I was curious about what other online activities might be available for children, especially those too young to read. I reached out to a dear friend of mine, Sharon Zaumbaris, who is both an author and a beloved school librarian in Virginia. After we caught up on how our families were managing, I asked her about possible resources for parents. As luck would have it, she was just finishing up an information sheet for her school staff and graciously offered to share it with all of us.
Here are some additional resources for you.
Listen to books read aloud:
1. Storyline Online — The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Betty White and dozens more. www.storylineonline.net.
2. Save with Stories/ Save the Children — #SAVEWITHSTORIES. Join a lot of famous faces as they read their favorite stories aloud. www.instagram.com/ savewithstories/?hl=en.
3. Circle Round — WBUR’s Circle Round is a podcast that adapts carefully selected folktales from around the world into sound- and musicrich radio plays for kids ages 4 to 10. Each 10- to 20-minute episode explores important issues like kindness, persistence and generosity. www. wbur.org/circleround.
Sharon also included a list of wonderful storytellers from all across the nation. This kind of story hour seems especially fitting for toddlers and preschoolers. (While listening to stories is entertaining, it also promotes a child’s emotional, social and language development.)
1. Bill Harley — If you’re looking for silly stories, great songs and lots of laughs, join Bill Harley every Tuesday and Thursday at 4 p.m. He will be performing a short concert in his office, and you’re invited. www. billharley.com/miniconcerts.
2. Wow-in-the-world — NPR hosts Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz guide curious kids and their grown-ups on a journey into the wonders of the world around them, going inside our brains, out into space and deep into the coolest new stories in science and technology. www.npr.org/ podcasts/510321/wow-inthe-world.
3. Storynory — Storynory has been giving free audio stories to the world since November 2005. It’s a podcast and a website with audio streaming. Storynory has grown into the largest and best-loved archive of free children’s audiobooks on the internet. www.storynory.com.
4. Stories Podcast — Stories Podcast performs a new story every week, drawing from a variety of sources and a variety of styles. There are re-tellings of classics like Snow White, some folktales and myths from around the world, as well as original stories. Episodes range from 10 to 20 minutes, with most on the longer side. Everything is G-rated and safe for all ages. http://storiespodcast.com.
5. Planet Storytime Podcast — Offering a mix of classic stories, like those of Beatrix Potter and less well-known content, Planet Storytime aims for that mix of entertainment and education that Fred Rogers perfected. https://568048. buzzsprout.com.
Whether you turn to our wonderful local library resources or decide to explore the endless options available on the internet, keeping your kids engaged through reading and other related activities is just a few fun clicks away.
Tracey Barnes Priestley is a life coach with a master’s degree in community counseling psychology and more than 30 years of experience as a counselor, educator and consultant. Visit her website, www. thesecondhalfonline.com; email her at: tracey@ thesecondhalfonline.com; or send letters to 665 F St., Arcata, CA, 95521. Tracey regrets she cannot answer all letters and emails.
Do not fear! The libraries of our nation are coming to the rescue. Though individual branches are closed, rich online libraries are at your fingertips. E-books, audiobooks and articles are just a search away.