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For even more ideas, see our previous posts.

FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES

BOOMbox at Home: Wax Seals

Wax seals have been used for centuries to seal letters closed. With a grown-up’s help, you can create a wax seal for letters and messages you write.

A Story for Sharing & Being Thankful: Thank You, Omu!

Explore a beautiful story about sharing and being thankful--Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora. This picture book was awarded a Caldecott honor in 2019 for its illustrations.

Be the Artist: Painterly Leaf Art

This leaf art activity is a simple way to enjoy leaf rubbings and beautiful spontaneous color play while working with negative space.

STEAM Engines: Tornadoes

Sometimes knowing facts about a dangerous thing makes it less scary. In this episode of STEAM Engines, Desi tells us about tornadoes and demonstrates a do-at-home vortex you can make in your own kitchen.

BOOMbox at Home: Paracord Crafts

Learn how to use paracord, a strong and versatile light-weight rope popular for outdoor activities, to make a bracelet or keychain that can be broken down into cord if needed.

BOOMbox at Home: Stomp Around in Bigfeet

Become a Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch or Yeti) and stomp around with the bigfeet you create in this simple cardboard craft.

Science and Art: Fun with Nature Objects

Head outside to collect some nature specimens for this fun, simple activity to support young children in sharpening observation skills, forming questions, and engaging in self-directed, meaningful learning.

BOOMbox at Home: Mimicry and Camouflage

Mimicry and camouflage are utilized by animals in the wild to help protect them from predators. In this activity you can create your own form of camouflage.

Science Club Jr: Maps

A map is a drawing of a place. Explore a map of Skokie and create your own map--of your street, your neighborhood, or somewhere in your imagination!

BOOMbox at Home: For Budding Builders

Enjoy a read aloud of the book Iggy Peck Architect, written by Angela Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts, then create a plan for a sculpture using some simple instructions and a sculpture-drawing backdrop.

Science Club Jr: How & Why Do Leaves Change Color?

Many trees, bushes, and other plants are dropping their leaves. Explore the colors of leaves and why they change and drop in the autumn with these activities.

STEAM Engines: Pomology

We love apples! Join Ms. Caitlin and Desi for a conversation about apples--including some experiments, activities, and kitchen science you can try with this favorite fruit.

You can also find resources and recommendations from our staff.

FOR ALL AGES

BOOMbox at Home: Ciphers and Codes

Explore different types of ciphers and codes, a method used throughout history to encrypt and keep messages secret. Learn about different types of ciphers, then create your own scytale cipher. You can even try your hand at decoding messages from World War II-era Navajo code talkers.

Skokie Sculpture Hunt

The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park is one of the jewels of the village. Bundle up and grab a mask to go on a sculpture hunt in person, or try this sculpture matching game from home.

FOR ADULTS

Book Chat Chapter 12: Mostly Nonfiction, All Intrigue

Leah and Andrew join Allyson and Becca for this episode of our video book recommendation series Book Chat, where they share some engaging and interesting titles.

Backyard Birding in the Fall: Irruptive Migrants

In this video, Martha shares how to identify a special winter visitor by comparing its markings and behaviors to well-known birds. Birds irrupt when their food supply is low. At least three species of birds will make rare visits to our backyards this winter (2020-2021), and we cover the best ways to view and study them.

Book Chat Chapter 11: Reads We Love to Recommend

Ly and Angela join Allyson and Becca to talk about titles that they really love and enjoy recommending to readers in this latest episode of Book Chat.