Picture Picture Books

 Picture books are fun to enjoy -- and a great way to learn how to read. Learn more about picture boks with these activities. 

CONNECT:

• Here’s a starting point for learning about picture books: https://kids.kiddle.co/Picture_book
• Think you know about children’s authors? Discover fun book trivia facts about them at https://brokebybooks.com/book-trivia-for-kids/
• Watch the golden age of children’s book illustration at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPiZqPVY53c

 

CREATE:

• Here’s a dozen activities to do with any picture book: https://entertainyourtoddler.com/activities-picture-book/
• Try these book activities, including crafts, sensory and learning ideas, at https://abcsofliteracy.com/book-activities/
• Make our own book by following the directions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiVqbQm6d20

 

CARE:

• See how to take care of books at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9AFDxdDpGY
• There are lots of ways to store and display picture books; see some examples at https://www.homedit.com/kids-book-storage/
• Read a picture book about giving to others: https://www.readbrightly.com/picture-books-to-teach-children-about-giving/
• What can you do with old or unwanted picture books? Here are some good ideas: https://luandbeanread.com/what-to-do-with-old-childrens-books/

 

CAREERS:

Picture books are  not just for children. Some picture books are read by all ages. Do you picture yourself having a career with picture books? Get a clear picture of job options with these videos.

• See how picture books are made at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00w-a6yKQMI
• Watch how books are assembled at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYRIh04_zY
• Watch a day in the life of a bookstore owner at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHR6hcGoR8Q
• Watch a day in the life of a children’s librarian at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy-vERPOqdU

 

A Word about Dictionaries

 

October 16 is National Dictionary Day! Get the word about this valuable tool by exploring these activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Read some basic facts about dictionaries at https://kids.kiddle.co/Dictionary
• Read about different types of dictionaries at https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/understanding-dictionaries/0/steps/62789
• Watch how to use a dictionary at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo2cSioY6wI
• The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary. See how it keeps current at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=118HE_rrnRs
• Watch the history of dictionaries and how words are added to the dictionary at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJJ_pRqvtCs

 

CREATE:

• Use the dictionary to play fun word games with your family at https://www.scholastic.com/parents/books-and-reading/raise-a-reader-blog/family-dictionary-games.html and https://tinybeans.com/dictionary-games-for-kids/
• Is a picture worth a 1000 words? Find out with the picture dictionary games and activities: https://www.tefl.net/elt/ideas/games/picture-dictionary-games-and-activities/
• Create your own dictionary games!

 

CARE:

• For parents: Find the right dictionary for your child by using the guide at https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/childrens-dictionaries-how-to-find-the-right-dictionary-for-your-child/
• Make a family dictionary by following the directions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDPSF7zZVCM
• Handle your dictionary carefully; see how at https://youtu.be/C9AFDxdDpGY

 

CAREERS:

Love words – and pictures that represent them? You could be a lexicographer (look up its definition in a dictionary), a wordsmith, a proofreader, a librarian, or a translator. There are careers in manufacturing and selling dictionaries too.  And don’t forget data dictionaries for the workplace. Look up these wordy careers.

• https://www.themuse.com/advice/my-job-is-to-add-words-to-the-dictionary-which-is-pretty-cool
• https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/lexicographer
• Data dictionaries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxWeDJiVdA0

 

Bravo for Blacks!

Africa is the second largest continent, only after Asia, and humankind started in Africa. Africans were some of the earliest arrivers to America, and they have helped shape and advance the United States from the beginning. Explore the following activities to appreciate what Africans and African Americans have contributed over the centuries.

CONNECT:

• Significant African kingdoms have existed since thousands of years ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akca0mUW2K0
• Connect with these African-American heroes at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/history/african-american-heroes/
• Children’s books celebrate African Americans; watch interviews with some of those books’ authors at www.readingrockets.org/calendar/blackhistory
• Over 600 locations share the legacy of the Underground Railroad to freedom. Explore the National Park Service’s program at https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1205/index.htm
• Noted Black scientist Dr. George Washington Carver developed more than 300 new uses for peanuts, which helped save the economy of the South. Look at the amazing list at https://www.tuskegee.edu/support-tu/george-washington-carver/carver-peanut-products

CREATE:

• Try 10 fun ways to cultivate greater appreciation of African-American history: https://www2.ed.gov/free/features/african-american-history.html
• Take it slow or take it fast: hip hop kids’ songs to dance to at last: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oRh2yPDzpg or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20O8_XXiWFY
• African cuisine reflects a wide variety of regions, each with its own blend of foods and their preparation. Experiment African cooking for kids at  https://www.leaf.tv/articles/african-cooking-for-kids/
• Staying at home? You can have fun playing these traditional African children’s games: https://pemburytours.com/traditional-african-childrens-games/

CARE:

• Watch some quick tips for African American and multiracial children’s hair care at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS0xuBClSPY
• Get involved with these nonprofits dedicated to empowering young brown girls: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/7-nonprofits-dedicated-empowering-young-brown-girls-n742776
• AND the National Youth Alliance for Boys & Men of Color creates leadership opportunities: https://fcyo.org/programs/national-youth-alliance-for-boys-and-men-of-color
• UNICEF offers age-appropriate ways to talk with your kids about racism: https://www.unicef.org/parenting/talking-to-your-kids-about-racism

CAREERS:

Society benefits when careers are inclusive and encourage diversity. Blacks have been discriminated for centuries in the job market and work place, even though they have so much experience and insights that society needs. Here is just a sample of Black STEM innovators: https://www.idtech.com/blog/black-stem-innovators-who-defined-modern-world

Career networking is important for everyone, so these are a few groups that support careers for African Americans.

Black Professionals Network: https://mybpn.org/

Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals: https://www.obap.org/

Black Caucus (inc.) American Library Association: https://www.bcala.org/

National Alliance of Black School Educators: https://www.nabse.org/

National Association of Black Journalists: https://www.nabj.org/

Yahoo for Cowboys!

 Cowboys are often associated with the Wild West of the U.S. But they have a longer and more universal history. Gallop to these activities that will rope in your interest.

CONNECT:

• Watch a kid’s history of the American cowboy at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq1J8DHgrJo
• Cowboy’s aren’t just history; here are 15 places in the U.S. where cowboy culture is alive and well: https://www.wideopencountry.com/11-places-us-cowboy-culture-alive-well/
• Cowboys in Australia? In Hawaii? In Hungary? They may have other names but they still tend cattle or horses. Explore them at http://horsehints.org/IndexCowboys.htm
• What’s the life of a modern cowgirl? See the answer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6uFHzDnkAY

CREATE:

• Learn how to do roping by watching this pro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2REsVGanRw
• Giddyup for the kid-friendly wild west activities, including party ideas: https://www.kidactivities.net/wild-west-activities-for-kids-page-1/
• Play cowboy games at https://kids.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Cowboy_Games_for_Children
• Read these horse book reviews – and then read the book: https://www.equisearch.com/discoverhorses/for-kids

CARE:

• How do you care for horses? Learn the basics at https://www.smartpakequine.com/content/basic-horse-care
• Get reviews about family-friendly Westerns at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/reviews/category/movie/genre/western-4568
• Read how to care for cowboy boots at https://harleydavidsonboots.weebly.com/index.html (the directions are for parents, but they can teach their children how to care for them themselves).
• Discover how the Seagoing Cowboys participated in the Heifer Project, which donated cows to post World War II Italian families: https://seagoingcowboysblog.wordpress.com/category/heifer-project/

CAREERS:

Yep, you can still be a cowboy – as well as support cowboys by raising horses, making and selling cowboy gear and tools, being a cowboy historian, planning rodeos and even clowning around.  Yeehah!

https://www.work-for-rvers-and-campers.com/rodeo-jobs.html

https://www.jobmonkey.com/uniquejobs4/rodeo-clown/

https://www.standard.net/news/local/rodeo-cowboy-a-thrilling-but-dangerous-expensive-career/article_f0daab72-6092-5dc6-8efb-9cfb45cbe09c.html

https://www.horsejournals.com/life-horses/horses-jobs-rodeo-pick-horses

https://www.thebalancecareers.com/careers-with-horses-125742