BKLYN Kids
Fun books and activities for kids from our children's librarians.
Library Lab: Roller Coaster Challenge
Do you love roller coasters? Or have you ever wondered how roller coasters really work? Check out some books and challenge yourself to go to a Library Lab: Roller Coaster program at your local library!
Kids Create: Valentine's Day Speed Crafting
Every year the team at Services for Older Adults delivers Valentine's Day cards to Books by Mail home-bound patrons and partner agencies. It continues to be a successful tradition at Services for Older Adults as we seek inclusive ways to provide Brooklyn's diverse older adult population with free and equal access to BPL resources through programming. Check out these love-filled cards we sent this year!
Kids Create: Chinese New Year's Fortune Tellers
Cortelyou Library recently made pig fortune tellers in honor of 2019 being the Year of the Pig in the Chinese Zodiac. This is a fun activity that is easy to make. Fold a square piece of pink construction paper into a fortune teller (also known as a cootie catcher). Add ears, eyes and a snout as instructed here.
Read & Play: Branch Playdates
Last year, we shared a post about the Big Brooklyn Playdate that takes place regularly at BPL's Central Library. The Dweck Auditorium and Lobby are transformed into a magical world as children ages 0-3 and their caregivers play and experiment with hands-on, open-ended activities that are sure to delight children and caregivers alike.
Bklyn Kids Presents: Brooklyn Robotics League
Do you love LEGOS, robotics, and teamwork? Then you will love the Brooklyn Robotics League!
Library Lab: Slime!
Looking for good a time? It's always a great day for making slime!
Kids Create: Gingerbread Houses!
Last week Central Youth Wing held their annual Gingerbread House program. Here are some highlights from the event:
Book Talk: Tales from the Seasonal Cookie Jar
A fresh batch of picture books about cookies will keep kids and adults entertained this holiday season.
BKLYN Kids Presents: Shelfies!
As 2018 comes to a close, we asked our fellow librarians to share some of their favorite reads. Enjoy these "shelfies" and discover some great books! Click here to view the full booklist. Picture Books A mix of new and classic titles, check out some of our favorite picture books!
Library Lab: Learn to Code
Learning to Code is the new wave for the future! Check out some books and programs to help you get started! Pictured Above: T4 Volunteer, Christian Giles, teaching coding at Paerdegat Library
Kids Create: A Window of Creativity
When’s the last time you took a walk through your neighborhood at dusk? The little thrill that comes with a glimpse at people’s homes through lit windows is a particular delight, especially at this time of year.
Book Talk: More Picture Books in Translation
Last year I put together a list of "some of the weirdest, wonderfulest, most beautiful and baffling books" that I had been sharing in my storytime programs, books from around the world that had been translated into English. Open your mind and find yourself a comfy reading spot, because here's another batch!
Bklyn Kids Presents: Halloween!
We love Halloween at the Brooklyn Public Library. A holiday that allows us to dress up as our favorite literary characters? Count us in! Here are some highlights from this year's spooktacular celebrations across the system: Trick-Or-Treater Costumes These awesome library visitors got some free swag for showing up in costume!
Team Up To Read Is Building Stronger Readers
"I learned that books are fun!" That's what a 6-year-old who attended the new Team Up To Read program said, and it's our favorite kind of feedback. We're happy to hear about kids who figure out how to decipher tricky words, or guardians who do our activities at home with their children. But when a child actually begins to enjoy reading, we know the program is making a difference.
Kids Create: Spooky Mobile
Enjoy this spooky season with a fun mobile! Create your very own Spooky Mobile by making a haunting (not really) moonlight night scene full of ghastly ghosts, batty bats and laughing pumpkins.
Bklyn Kids Presents: Hispanic Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the cultures, histories, and important contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. From September 15 to October 15, Brooklyn Public Library is honoring Hispanic Heritage Month by doing what we do best - offering rich cultural programming and booklists!
Bklyn Kids Presents: Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week (Sept 23-29th) celebrates books that are often challenged or banned from public and school libraries. In case you missed out, here are some great displays made in honor of Banned Books Week 2018 by your local Brooklyn Public Library staff!
New Back to School Reads!
Just like new school supplies, there is something exciting about being the first person to read a brand-new book. These back-to-school titles were all published in 2018. We promise that you will be among the first to read them!
Summer Reading Family Feature: Katherine from Cortelyou Library
It was a busy summer at Cortelyou Library with the library serving summer meals every day, volunteer book buddies and Summer Youth employees working hard, and of course, lots of programs for the whole family! One local family who made the library part of their summer fun was Katherine Guzman and her mother, Guadalupe Oliveri.
Summer Reading Family Feature: The Kantrowitz Family from Windsor Terrace
Thank you to Children's Librarian Hasina Islam for submitting this Summer Reading story from the Kantrowitz Family!
Summer Reading Family Feature: Tatyana and Sofiya from Windsor Terrace
As Summer Reading 2018 comes to a close, we'd like to feature some of our all-star patrons who participated in the program!
Summer Reading Family Feature: The Millers at Canarsie Library
As Summer Reading 2018 comes to a close, we'd like to feature some all-star patrons who rocked it out with us this summer! Meet the Millers from Canarsie Library
Baseball Book Review 2018 Contest Winners!
On August 16, we joined our friends at New York Public Library at Yankee Stadium for the afternoon game with the Tampa Bay Rays to celebrate the winners of the Summer 2018 Baseball Book Review contest. Congratulations to Brooklyn Public Library’s winners Frankie Kuzler, age 8 and Lucas Miller, Age 13. Check out their winning reviews!
Summer Reading Highlight: Middle School Books
Are you a middle school student (or the parent of a middle school student) who put off doing summer reading until the last week before school starts back up? First, we recommend of course that you read consistently all summer. But if that ship has sailed, we've still got you covered with some great middle school appropriate titles from our Summer Reading Booklist.
Summer Reading Highlight: Books for Grades 4-5
Looking for good summer reads for 4th and 5th grade? Look no further -- here is a list of tried and true, librarian-approved summer reads from our Summer Reading Booklist.
Summer Reading Highlight: Books for Grades 2-3
By mid Summer, it can be hard for young readers to stay motivated with their reading. So, next time you head out to the beach or pool, bring along one of these fun options from our Summer Reading Booklist. It will help them continue the momentum of reading, and keep their growing minds in tiptop shape!
Summer Reading Highlight: Books for Grades K-1
Looking for some books to read to your little ones entering Kindergarten or 1st Grade? Check out these suggestions from our Summer Reading Booklist.
Summer Reading Highlight: Books for Preschool & Pre-K
Tired of reading the same three books with your little one? Over and over again? On the hunt for new titles? No problem. Take a look at our nifty Summer Reading Booklist for some reading inspiration!
Summer Reading Highlight: Books for Toddlers
Got a toddler who's tearing up the place this summer? Looking for some fun books to read together? We've got you covered! Check out our Summer Reading Booklist for some titles sure to please you and your little one!
Summer Reading Highlight: Books for Babies
Looking for great books to share with your baby this summer? Look no further -- here are some engaging books from our Summer Reading Booklist that you and your young one will enjoy!
Read & Play: Bilingual Storytime
Hello! | ¡Hola! | Salut! | ہیلو! | 你好 | Здравствуйте! | שלום! | こんにちは！ You guessed it -- the Brooklyn Library offers multilingual storytimes! They are a great way to introduce your young child to new languages, or enforce languages already spoken at home. Beyond that, multilingualism in young children has shown to be positive for brain plasticity and executive function.
Library Lab: Engineering Fun with the Egg Drop Challenge
Kids Create: Mother’s Day Felt Banner
Nothing says "I love you mom" like a handmade gift from the heart. Create a sweet felt banner to express your love and appreciation for the special mom in your life.
Read & Play: The Big Brooklyn Playdate
What do a pool full of shredded paper, stack of foam blocks, and sticky wall begging to be covered in an array of colors and textures have in common? They’re all explorations awaiting babies and toddlers at the Big Brooklyn Playdate!
Book Talk: Spring New Books
Twice a year, in the spring and fall, the Children's Book Showcase Committee holds a meeting to present some of the highlights of recently published kids' books. Committee members each choose three or four titles from a subcategory of books: picture books, fiction for younger readers, fiction for school-age readers, graphic novels, non-fiction, etc. See below for some of the highlights of the highlights of this spring's picks.
Library Lab: Raspberry Pi Cloud Lamp
The kids and teens at the Clarendon Branch have been busy building and programming a fantastic cloud lamp! This marvel of math and science was wired by the kids using a breadboard, and coded in Python by the teens using a Raspberry Pi.
Kids Create: DIY Block Printing
Create a fun block print with your little ones while learning about different shapes, patterns and textures. Materials: Cardboard Glue Scissors Paint Paint Brush Paper
Library Lab: Spinning Noisemakers
Book Talk: Growl
Here at the BKLYN Kids Blog, we endeavor to post new content every Thursday. The reason that this post is going live just over the wire (it is 12:44am on Friday as I am about to hit "publish") is not entirely because I am a procrastinator, but because it has changed form, changed tone, grown and shrunk a number of times since I started working on it a few weeks ago. It began, when in the lead up to the Academy Awards, I saw an infographic illustrating the percentage of lines in Oscar winning films spoken by men vs those spoken by women.
Kids Create: Read Across Brooklyn 2018
On March 2nd, Brooklyn Public Library celebrated Read Across America with a special reading of Edward Gets Messy by BPL's own Rita Meade. Read Across America is an annual initiative of the National Education Assocation to raise awareness and motivation for reading among children of all ages.
BKLYN Kids Presents: Black History Month
During February, Brooklyn Public Library celebrated Black History Month with a variety of programs for all ages. These programs provided opportunities to learn more about, and celebrate, the important contributions by African Americans to art, literature, science, sports, and pop culture. Here's a look back at some of the wonderful family programs and events offered throughout the Brooklyn Public Library branches this past month:
Library Lab: Engineer Fun with Homemade Catapults
Engineer Fun with Homemade Catapults
Kids Create: Thankful Tree
No matter the season, it’s important to remember the many things we have to be thankful for. One of my favorite traditions that has developed over the last couple of years at Cortelyou is creating a seasonal “thankful tree” on the bulletin board in our meeting room, inviting patrons young and old to take a minute to reflect and write down something they are thankful for. This is a passive program and patrons can choose to add to the board whenever they are attending a program in the meeting room.