Caitlin: Hey, we're Caitlin and Katie coming to you from our library living room. We are here not just as children's librarians, but as people who are parenting our own children. Katie: Each week, we'll bring a new conversation about parenting with helpful resources from our library and beyond. This is “Your Family, Your Library,” and we are your librarians. Caitlin: Today, we're talking about summer. Katie, I have been dying to ask you this since we came up with this name. Are you a summer person? Katie: Nope. Caitlin: Not at all? Nothing? No, no part of it? Katie: Well, some parts of it, but for me, mostly it's the heat. I am not a heat person. So it just drags down the whole summer. Caitlin: I feel that literally and figuratively. I feel that. I don't like extremes. I don't like super cold and I don't like super hot, but I love the idea of summer. So I always get really excited in June, like late May-June, I start like ramping up the excitement levels like it's coming, it's coming, it's summer and then it gets super hot and I'm like, oh man, why did I want this? Katie: No, I have to agree. I mean, there are definitely parts of it. Like, for instance, this past weekend we were doing a lot of gardening and kind of getting plants going and stuff. And I'm like, well, I don't know, maybe I am a summer person a little bit or, you know, because I do love that part. Caitlin: Me too. Katie: And, but that said it was like, perfect weather for me. It was like, cool and nice, and then fast forward to today and it's already too hot. Caitlin: Little sweaty, it's a little close. What are you growing? Katie: So, in our backyard of our building, we just planted some Impatiens and then we have a plot at Lighthouse Beach in Evanston through the city. We got entered a lottery and got a garden plot, just a really tiny one. So we started it last year and we had just cucumbers and tomatoes and we didn't do so hot with it. So we're hoping for a better bounty this year. But we planted like tons of different types of tomatoes, jalapeños, peppers, cucumbers again. Caitlin: A couple of years ago, we dug out the front part of our lawn and put in a rain garden with native pollinator plants. It doesn't rain enough for it to really be in a super effective rain garden, so I have to supplement with hose water, but it's still really cool. And what I've noticed is the amount of birds that we have in our yard now. it's like a bird haven. I was just noticing it over the… Katie: What about butterflies? Caitlin: No butterflies yet, but I think it's a little bit early in the season. So we saw, actually, I'm lying. We saw one butterfly. Katie: One of the plants my husband planted is a butterfly attractor and it doesn't bloom, I think, until later in the summer, but I'm really excited to see. Caitlin: I can't wait. I get really into other people's yards. I'm like, I'm like a yard stalker. We took a really long walk on Sunday and there are a lot of places in Skokie that don't have sidewalks. It drives me bonkers. So we try to avoid those streets, but I saw this yard that had all these tall plants and I was like, I see natives. So I'm like running out on the street and Devin’s was like, what are you doing? I had to look at it. It was resplendent. It was beautiful. What was somewhere like for you when you were a kid? Katie: It went two different ways. It was either days that were wide open. I would like leave the house in the morning, kind of come back in and out for snacks. But like, we'd be gone in the neighborhood hanging out with people or just by myself, just chomping through the grass and the creek and stuff like that. So a lot of times there was no agenda and then sometimes like, I did like a soccer camp or I was like a big sports player when I was little, like, swimming or something like that. Caitlin: What sports did you do? Katie: I tried everything. Caitlin: For real? What was your favorite? Katie: Well, I ended up doing soccer and basketball the most. I did that through high school. Caitlin: Katie is very tall. I could see it. Yeah, that's cool. Katie: Yeah. So, how about you? Caitlin: When I was really little, we were beholden to whatever our parents wanted to do, which was a lot of stuff that was so boring. Like taking walks in the woods or like whatever, which is stuff that I make my kids do now because it's great. But I hated it when I was little. When I became like a tween and a teen and I got my bike, I felt like I had wings. It was so great. I’d meet up with my best friend, Naomi and we went to the pool every day in the summer, and I just remember swimming until my fingers were prunes and like the top layer of skin was a little worn off my fingers because we're doing so many handstands at the bottom of the pool. It was the best. I really loved it. And it feels, it feels different now. And I was wondering if it felt that way for you too. I was talking to Devin, my husband, earlier about what our summer looks like and it's heavy. I mean, there's a lot to look forward to, but the weight of the amount of planning that has to go into making summer work as to full-time working people. It feels heavy. I mean, there's not a lot of freedom anymore in the same way that there was when, you know, I was 12 and riding my bike all over town. Katie: I’m right there with you. Yeah, I feel like sometimes it's like, do I just feel that way because I'm not 12 anymore? And I'm actually an adult now with my own children. I mean, I was an Indianapolis proper but kind of more in the northern part of it, more suburban, but we had like, we lived on this where my parents still live on this old block that had like a bunch of areas where, you know, it was kind of like creeks and stuff like that. Caitlin: Did you have crawdads or crayfish? Katie: We did. We do. Caitlin: Where-are there crawfish in Illinois? Katie: I don't know, I haven't seen them here but fun story which was not so fun in the moment. We had a sea of crawdads or crayfish or whatever at my wedding. Caitlin: What? Katie: In my brother's backyard. Caitlin: No! Katie: In Carmel, Indiana. It rained so much that they were coming out of the ground and it was a backyard wedding. It was disgusting. Caitlin: Oh, my gosh. Katie: Like Midwest horror. Caitlin: It's a Midwest horror story. Caitlin: Did you ever watch Haunted Indiana? Katie: No. Caitlin: You should. It's amazing. That could be an episode. Night of the Crayfish. Katie: Seriously, I will never get that out of my mind. Caitlin: They're creepy on their own. I can only imagine what a sea of them looks like. What kind of shoes were you wearing? Katie: Well, we actually my brother and sister-in-law were very gracious and kind of let us move the party into their house. Like so yeah, it turned out great, but… Caitlin: Please tell me they made it into your wedding album. Katie: No, they didn't. You know, I never made a wedding album. I am so bad at that stuff. Caitlin: Me too. Katie: But it's seared in my brain. So that’s enough. Caitlin: And now I get to know about it and I love it. I love it. So we used to go to all these, my parents like to drag us to all these like woodland areas that had creeks and one of my favorite things to do was splashing around in the creek and exploring and looking for crinoids and picking up crayfish. And I would love to do that with my kids. I mean, they're terrifying and I would love to have them experience that terror. I feel like it builds character, right? Katie: Yeah, I guess. Caitlin: I mean, I can't find them. I don't know if they exist in Illinois. Katie: That’s interesting. Caitlin: I think feeling that urge to like show them those things that were, even if they were super boring when we were kids, they were still kind of magical. Those creeks, those little waterfalls. I’m from Indiana, also so those, you know, those rural areas in the urban areas, which we have in Skokie as well. They were magic, and I would like to be able to do that with my kids more, and I feel like I do not have the time or the energy. And I don't know how to balance that because I hate the idea of them missing out on those experiences. I don't want to be one of those families that's just planned to the max, but I don't know how else to do it. You know, like I get home from work and I'm exhausted and I think they get home from camp and they're exhausted. So I don't know how to do it. Katie: It really is hard to find that balance. Caitlin: Which brings me to another thought, which is one thing that I think you and I both have struggled with, and I think many Skokie families can relate to many families you know, the country over can relate to is what do we do with our kids in the summer for those of us that are working full-time, what do we do? My sister works at a school. Both of my sisters work in schools and so they're both out of school right now in summer vacation with their kids and they are having the time of their life and I got to tell you I am jealous. But like, what do you do? Katie: Well, I have to be honest. I mean, I, this will be my first summer where I'm working full time since having kids. So, and we're still trying to figure it out. So I, I mean, I feel like I look to people like you like, I know I came to you last week and kind of asking your opinions on like some of the summer camps offered through Skokie I myself live in Evanston so there are options there too, but it really feels hard to coalesce all that information into like viable ways that it's going to work for your family. I don't know, it feels really hard. And I say that as an information professional part of what I do is coalesce information and it feels kind of impossible to me right now. So… Caitlin: I was talking to one of my parent friends, so here in Skokie, we register for summer camp in February. That is when the thing opens. And for somebody like me that basically lives week by week and sometimes day by day, it is a lot to think about in February when it is cold. Like, I don't know, maybe my kid's going to want to do circus camp. I don't know, it’s 500 years from now. But I was talking to one of my parent buddies who instructed me, very smartly, to make a spreadsheet. And I did and I felt so weird about it, but it was incredibly helpful to see all the options laid out in grid format. And when you're entering into the Park District Summer Camp Thunder Dome, you want to be armed with whatever information that you have in order to make that process happen. It is, it's intense. There are like a million parents sitting there with baited breath. You know, the first, the opening weekend it's a Sunday. It starts at noon and they have like a little website that has a guy on it. He's like walking. It's this little animated guy figure and he's like walking towards this, like, I don't know, there's no goal. He's just walking. Katie: It’s mocking you. Caitlin: Torturous process where, yeah, it's mocking you. Like, is he ever going to get to the end? I don't know, you just are going and going. It took me two hours to register my kids for two summer camps this summer. Katie: I cannot do that. That kind of stuff gives me anxiety and so then I just won't do it. Maybe I'll find someone else. Caitlin: Let me tell you I had like this little network of parents that were all like headsplosion, you know, like, and if we hadn't been texting each other, like, what's, what's your little walking man doing? Like, I don't know, he's walking into the void, like he's going to be walking forever. If that hadn't been there for me, I think it would have been, I don't think I would have survived. I love the park district, I don't mean to rag on them. I think, like they're going through the same things that we're going through just from different angle. Katie: I mean, everyone is doing their best. It’s hard. Caitlin: Exactly. And the, the summer camps at the park district are phenomenal, which is a great thing about where we live. But sort of speaks to the FOMO that we were talking about a few minutes ago, which is that there is so much to do and see in Skokie, and Evanston, and Chicago, and the surrounding areas, like we are so lucky to live where we live and have as many free or very inexpensive things that we can do with our kids. I know that that is something that's really important to my family. Katie: Yep. And things that are accessible with on public transportation and by walking or biking to, there's a lot of different ways to get around here, which a lot of places don't have. Caitlin: I’d a big deal because you're not a driver, right? Katie: I drive occasionally but mostly a biker. So that's important to me to be able to get where I'm going safely that way, because that's my preferred way of transportation. So… Caitlin: we're also really lucky because here at the library we have on staff, Holly, who is one of the members of the Early Childhood Alliance and she hooks us up with information like you wouldn't believe. Katie: Yeah she does. She’s our community engagement superstar. Caitlin: Yeah, I think that's her title, right. Is it community engagement superstar? Katie: I think so. Caitlin: I think if it's not, it should be. Katie: So the 2023 ECA Calendar of Events highlights free and low cost events for young children in the Niles Township area, as well as early literacy activities caregivers can do with their little ones. Caitlin: It's really nice. So the Early Childhood Alliance has a lot of librarians on it, which is really nice because public library events are free. And because these local librarians are members of the Niles Township Early Childhood Alliance, on this calendar is this wide variety of story times, art events, and they're all offered at libraries or in or at farmers markets. There are also a lot of museums that are free for young children or that offer free admittance on special days and they're in this calendar, also. It is like a fount of information. Katie: Yeah, the print version of the calendar will be distributed at ECA events such as Party in the Park on July 22nd at Terminal Park with the library bookmobile, which if you haven't seen the bookmobile, it is something to see. Caitlin: It is amazing. Katie: It’s so cool. Skokie Public Library will also have print copies available in the Kids' Room and A PDF of the calendar with web links to each event will be shared on the ECAs newly revamped website at Niles Township ECA dot org. Caitlin: So they are always looking for family feedback on their calendar. I mean, it's an alliance that is really dedicated to early childhood development in this area and they want to hear from, from you. So if you have thoughts that you can share with community engagement, superstar, Holly Jin, just kidding, it, it really is Community Engagement Librarian Holly Jin at Jin, H-J-I-N at Skokie library dot info or you can go right through the E C A website which will be linked in our notes. They would be very happy to hear from you. Katie: I don't need backups. I'm going to Harvard. Local teens are bringing Broadway to you. The Skokie Park District's Teen Summer on Broadway Camp will perform Legally Blonde: the Musical Junior on Monday, July 3rd. This fun journey of self empowerment is filled with humor and sass; learn more in our show notes. Caitlin: How about those forest preserves? Should we talk about those? Katie: Yeah. One of my favorite ways to get to a nearby forest preserve is on the Skokie Valley Trail. It goes south of here to the Labaugh Woods, which is by Saganash or the Forest Glen Woods Preserve. So the trail basically tees straight into those and it's amazing. Yeah, so it's accessible on bike. I mean, obviously you can drive down there as well, but if you're up for a family bike ride or a really nice long walk or a scoot or something heading down that way, it's well worth a visit. Caitlin: Desi and I biked that on Sunday. No, Monday, we bike that on Monday. We went from our house. We rode over to Emily Oaks and then hopped on the trail and went south. I think we went down to Pratt. It was really fun. But I went up the hill. Have you been on this bike trail much? Katie: Yeah, I used to ride on that, coming to work when I was in Chicago. Caitlin: It’s the best. So, you know, the big hill that I'm talking about. So Desi and I, we like psych ourselves up for going on the hill. And… Katie: It’s tough. Caitlin: it, it's so tough. I haven't been biking. It's been, I was figuring it out as I was riding. It's like, okay, I haven't been on a bike since last September. I can do this. I can do this and then I'm like little engine that coulding up the hill. Like I think I can, I think, I, I'm not, I'm having a heart attack, this misery. I made it though. I feel really proud of myself. Katie: You just got to think about the nice coast on the other side. Ya know. Caitlin: and that's what I did. Katie: And it is a nice coast. Caitlin: I survived. It does, it feels so great. And, you know what's really exciting is that. So, Desi is 12. And when we did this bike ride on Monday as we were coming home, we stopped at Emily Oaks and there's a kind of a fork. So you can take, there's two ways you can take to get to our house. And one way is you can keep going on the bike trail up to Oakton and then take Oakton east or you can loop around Emily Oaks and head north from there. And Desi decided that he wanted to try riding home by himself. So for the first time he rode home by himself, it's not that big of a deal. Like, it's not quite a mile… Katie: That is a big deal. Caitlin: But like it was a big deal for him and for me and I felt like this was like a small way that I could give him those wings that I had when I was his age. So he was really proud of himself and he beat me home. In my defense there's construction happening so I had to walk the bike for a little bit, but I was really proud of him. Katie:That's so cool. Caitlin: And it's opening up some doors for the summer. Katie: Do you think that he'll want to bike to school? Are you comfortable with that? Caitlin: Ummmm maybe. He might want to. Katie: It’d be a fun way to get to school. Caitlin: I don't think it would be a bad idea. He's definitely, I think he'll probably bike to summer camp, which will be nice. Katie: That’s really cool. So there's another Forest Preserve that definitely is probably more accessible by car or bus, but it's right off of Western and Peterson. It's the West Ridge Forest Preserve. Have you been here before. Caitlin: I don't think I have. Katie: It's like part of, well, it's not part of the Rose Hill Cemetery but it's like on the same land. It's amazing. I mean, I'm sure a lot of people here know that Western is a very busy thoroughfare. I mean, it's loud, lots of cars and trucks and buses and what not. But this is like, right in the gates. It's a haven and, I mean, there are like wildlife everywhere, natural grasses, paths. Like we used to go there a lot when we lived in Chicago and the boys were younger because you really felt okay with kind of letting them go ahead a little bit. I mean, it feels safe like they can't, there's one exit out in that area. So you're not really worried about that, at least for me, I wasn't. So there's like a lake that's there that you can walk all around. And then they also have like kind of a natural play area where they have logs and like a wood kitchen. I use air quote for that. And you know, so you can just build like dens out of sticks and like hop on the logs and run across them. And so it's kind of like part play, imaginary play area, and like a jungle gym. Caitlin: Is it like, is it designed for that or is that just how? Katie: Yeah, it’s designed for that. Caitlin: Oh my gosh, we have to go there. Katie: It is so cool. Caitlin: That's so cool. Katie: Yeah. And it's just like, I mean, the wildlife that you see in there, like the types of birds and stuff. I mean, the concentration of it all, the butterflies and stuff. It's, it's so cool. Caitlin: We asked our colleague Gudrun for some advice because she is the queen of finding free and low-cost fun things to do in the summer. So we asked her for some tips about what to do during the summer and she recommended the Chicago beaches, they're free, which is really nice. So if you are a Skokie resident and you don't want to pay the Evanston Beach prices, you can head over to Chicago and they're free. Gudrun also recommended the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. It's free on Thursdays and it's great to pair with the Lincoln Park Zoo, which is also free. Parking is not free, however; so if you do want to go down there, public transportation is the way if you don't want to pay. And our coworker Lorrie, we were crowdsourcing. A lot of ideas said she used to love to take her kids to the Grove, which is in Glenview. I love the Grove. Have you been there? Katie: I have not. Caitlin: It's really great. So, there's a history museum there and they have a whole lot of historical elements. There's a covered wagon, there's like a little early settler cabin kind of situation. Yeah, it's really neat. So they have like a whole learning faction and then they also have this giant ancient turtle that is alive and it is living on the inside and it's just super freaky to look at. It's humongous. I can't remember what its name is, but I love it. It looks like a dinosaur. It's very, very weird and it's nice to just walk through. It's got a not-too-long trail, so if your family is like a medium hiking family like my family is, I recommend trails like that because they are very low key. They're flat and it's super family and kid friendly. And that brings me to a book that I wanted to share and it is called “Hike it, Baby: 100 awesome outdoor adventures with babies and toddlers.” This is not limited to our area though. There is a chapter in Illinois. I saw this book when my kids were babies and toddlers and I was like, that's going to be me. I'm going to be a hike mom. I want to hike it baby. And guess how many of these hikes that I did? Katie: One. Caitlin: Zero. I did zero hikes. So, but the book is beautiful. It has beautiful pictures and it shows lots of little toddlers and families and babies just loving the outdoors, hiking through it. It's very idyllic. I want to know if anybody out there has done any of these hikes. I would love for you to email us at podcast at Skokie library dot info and rub it in my face. Tell me what hikes you did. I want to hear about them. “Hike it, Baby.” You can check it out here at Skokie Public Library. Katie: That's so cool. You know, I looked into that too. I got really inspired by that book. Caitlin: You're a “Hike it, Baby,” person too? Katie: Well, I never officially did any hike it, baby stuff. Caitlin: You’re a zero hike it baby. Katie: I’m a zero hike it baby, but I have total respect for the mission behind it and, and just like getting people excited about it and feeling like it's possible… Caitlin: 100%. Katie: To be outdoors and enjoy themselves with small children. Caitlin: Yes. It's truly inspirational. So please write us in and rub it in both of our faces. Send us a picture of you hiking it baby with your baby in a pack. It's really cute. A front pack or a backpack. I don't care. The picture on the cover is somebody who's hiking a baby with their baby on their shoulders. It's adorable. Katie: It’s so cute. Caitlin: I love it. I really wanted that to be me. We went to on our first family vacation that we ever took. because our, both me and Devin's families live in Indiana. Most of our vacations are like we're going to go visit our family in Indiana. So we never took a family vacation until Haven was four and we went to Natural Bridge State Park in Kentucky, which is beautiful. If you ever get the chance to go there. It's stunning for hiking It, baby. I wonder if that's in this book? Oh, my gosh, what if that's in this book? Katie: So maybe you did one. Caitlin: Maybe I did do one. I'm going to check it after this. So I had this whole plan about how we were going to hike it and I will tell you who was a total butt the entire hike and that was Haven, we ended up not idyllically carrying her as she squirmed, whined, and cried all the way through the most majestic rocky rock formation beauty you've ever seen in your life. I would love to see those photos, honestly. Katie: Never fails. Caitlin: In hindsight. It's very funny. But at the time I was like, Katie: Oh yeah, it's the worst. It's the worst. Well, you know what? And even if you missed doing that kind of stuff when your kids were small, it's never too late. Caitlin: It's never too late. Now, I can take them and they could whine fuss and cry, but I could refuse to carry them because they're too big. I love it. I wanted to highlight a couple of websites and I think you have some too Katie because sometimes it is too gosh darn hot to go outside or it is raining and you just need something to do that doesn't require a ton of your own creative energy or mental energy. And during the height of the lockdown in the pandemic, there were a couple of children's authors that put out this amazing content. I feel like that is evergreen. One of them is a Jason Reynolds program. He did it through the Library of Congress and it's when he was the children's literature ambassador, it's called Write. Right Rite. So W-R-I-T-E. R-I-G-H-T. R-I-T-E. And we will include a link to this in the show notes. He just has a lot of writing prompts. First of all, he's incredibly engaging so you could watch every single one of these episodes. Katie: I could listen to his voice all day long. Caitlin: Me too. The prompts that he comes up with are fabulous though. And he's encouraging kids to write their stories or draw them, you know, whatever floats your boat. He wants you to do it. He wants you to tell those stories. My favorite one that I found was “explain love to a magical pet.” I want to like whoa! First of all, a magical pet? Second of all explain love? So the second one that I have is Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems. So if you need to park your kid in front of a screen for a little bit and I know I do. This is another one that's really good. And it's just little drawing tutorials and Mo Willems being Mo Willems, it's a lot of fun and that link will also be in the show notes. And you had one too I think, right? Katie: Very cool. Yeah. Another one is Cosmic Kids Yoga, which is on YouTube and I believe it's Miss Jaime and, she's got a really fabulous British accent for one, which is great. But, at least for me, she kind of takes on different characters. So she does like Harry Potter yoga, and it's just so magnetic and fun to do it with her. So it's good for the kids to do along with her by themselves. But often times, like I would jump in with them and do the yoga as well. So it can be, you know, good enough for a child to do on their own. But also like a good family activity too for those hot days or wet days where, you know, if you just need a break indoors. Caitlin: I feel like that's yoga I could get behind that I have a really short attention span and yoga sometimes is, it's too hard for me to be that still. But I don't know if I was doing like magical yoga, then… Katie: she has a really great way of intertwining a story, like a really good story. She's a good storyteller along with the yoga moves. So sometimes it doesn't even feel like you're doing yoga because you're kind of just waiting to hear what's going to be next and you know, like how the yoga kind of becomes part of the story itself. So it's really cool. Caitlin: One of the things that you said to me when we were talking about this topic was that not every minute of every day has to be filled or programmed. It is good for kids to be bored and unstructured time is important for everyone. And that really stuck with me. I think it's super important to have time that is not planned out and that is not instructive. So one of the things we're doing at the library that I'm really excited about this summer is Nature Play and it's going to be on Monday mornings at 10:30 and we have dirt, we have water and we have no structure. Katie: Oh that’s so good. Caitlin: I know I'm really pumped about it. We've got lots of tactile natural elements for kids to touch and feel and mess around with. They can make little nature art things. One thing that I was, I was really excited about when I was doing the research for this program was that there are a lot of benefits to playing outside and playing with dirt. Playing with dirt and mud, helps toddlers and children develop tactile skills, which is, you know, touch learning. I thought that was super interesting. It's sensory play and it helps build imagination, creativity, and independent learning through discovery. And I was thinking about this when you were talking about your nature playground at your Forest Preserve park, the name of which is… Katie: West Ridge Forest Preserve. Caitlin: Yeah, West Ridge Forest Preserve. I was thinking about how one time I was at Brookfield Zoo and they have a little nature playground there. And I was watching these kids play with a log and it was really, they look like little ants. Like they were like picking up the log together and then they would carry it like eight feet and then they would put the log down and then they would look at it and they'd pick it up and they'd kind of spin it, you know, 45 degrees and put it back down and then they'd go and pick up another stick and put it on the log. And it was really interesting. They were doing a lot of problem solving and like, how do we pick this up and how do we, we move it and we can't do it by ourselves, we can do it together. So I thought that was super interesting. And then I think the other thing that's, that's healthy and good about it is I know we've all seen those studies that have been floating around that show that playing in dirt and mud may also help strengthen children's immune systems. So I thought that was really cool too. So, come on over to the library. If you are not a person who enjoys having a dirty mess at your own house, you can come over to our library house and have a dirty, messy time. I love that. Katie: Yeah, I really do too. I'm glad that you're kind of re-upping the Nature Play program and like, kind of making it yours because I mean, we've talked about this before with different programs, but I think kids of all ages are craving time to just have access to things that maybe they wouldn't normally have access to, like, you know, different kinds of materials if it's for older kids or for younger kids, like different types of sensory play, like what you're offering in the nature program and just like being able to go at it and create what they want to create and think about, you know, different ways that they want to put them together and not have it be a prescriptive thing. And I think that there's just so much to be said for that. Caitlin: Yeah. Katie and I are doing a Make It Yourself program this summer also. So if you're looking for some unstructured, make it time, we're going to have a lot of recyclables and some hot glue guns and it's going to be a good time. Katie: That's right. Caitlin: Enjoy a festive performance and learn traditional folk dance steps from Skokie's own Tana Dance. This dance studio allows students of all ages and levels to explore, connect, grow and develop important life skills. Catch the show on Friday, July 7th. More information can be found in our show notes. Caitlin: Let's talk a little bit about summer learning. One of the things that we talk about in our department a lot, especially when we're planning for Summer Reading and some of our programming over the summer is summer slide. And I know that that is a little bit, there's some conflicting information about summer slide and how impactful it actually is. Because I know that there's some evidence that shows that kids are backsliding a whole bunch during the summer. And when they're reentering schools, they're at a real deficit. And there's some other evidence that suggests that it's just the way that kids are used to being talked to after they come back from summer break and the way that they're tested and the way that the tests look. So there's, there's not 100% clear answer about yes, this is the definitive point at which summer learning or which learning stops and how much kids lose over the summer. There's not that, but I think the answer is learning is slower in the summer and there are opportunities and learning doesn't have to look the way that it looks during the school year. It's an opportunity for it… Katie: Well and it shouldn’t. Caitlin: It shouldn't. You're exactly right. There are opportunities for kids and families to try new things. They can come to the library and try engineering with you and me, making something new out of cardboard. Or they can go to a forest preserve and hike it baby. They can, you know, do that tactile learning through dirt play. Katie: Do the motor, you know, gross motor skills on the playground. Caitlin: Exactly. Do the monkey bars. There's a lot of opportunities for science experiments. One of the things that we are putting in our show notes are a whole bunch of links to lists and summer learning and fun activities that we have developed through the library. All of which are great opportunities for both kid learning and family learning together. One of the things that I really like to do with my kids is art and we like to do messy process art. And I have a book called “The Artful Parent.” One of the things that I really love in this book is it talks about how to talk to your kid about the art that they're making. I went to a nature-based learning seminar and it was very impactful to me and it talked about process art and then nature art. And one of the things that they really emphasize is the way that we talk to kids about the art that they're making really matters. So they really encourage you to not say things like, oh, this is so good or this is so pretty or that looks like a truck. I'm reading from the “Artful Parent” book right now. Or also color inside the lines or, or offering criticism about their painting, it would look so much better if you did, you know, fill in the blank or draw me a pretty picture. So they encouraged it instead of using lines like that, you should say who look at all the colors that you used or this is my favorite and this is the one that the instructor at the nature art seminar that I went to really was like hitting a whole bunch was like, tell me about your painting and I love that because it opens up a completely different conversation. Tell me about your painting or, you know, that looks like it was a lot of fun to paint or I see thin lines over here and thick lines over here. So you can make observations about it as long as they're not, you know, critical or talking about, you know, your picture in a certain way. So you're not instructing the kid on what kind of artists they are, but I love that. So that's another book that you can check out here at the library. Katie: That’s really great. I mean, for me, I think the most important thing in talking about the summer slide for families to think about is just that, you know, we're engaging with our kids, whatever that might be. I think that the most important things that we can do for our kids is show them that we're there for them and provide space to have those moments to be together and whatever that looks like, you know, for each family, it's going to look different. But I think what we're hoping is that, at least for this episode, is just to give people ideas because honestly, like we're all looking for new things to do, not just for our kids but for ourselves. And I think too that's also how we impart that magic a little bit more too is like kind of taking these new adventures and really making an adventure out out of each day and each moment that you're able to be together and not really worrying about what's going to come after that or like how the tests are going to look in the fall, you know, just relishing in the moment I think is the most important thing. Caitlin: Engagement. That gave me a little tear. Another thing that you can do is and this is a shameless plug, but Katie and I are both wearing our Summer Reading t-shirts. You can do Summer Reading here at Skokie Public Library. If you are a Skokie resident or you are a child that attends a school, a K through 12 school in Skokie, you can participate in our Summer Reading program and it's, I think it's going to be a really good summer where all you have to do to participate in the program is read. But we also created a really fun suite of activities that you can do with your family. This program is literally for everybody. It is made for families. It is made for individuals. It is a program that is flexible and you can do it any way you like. So you're going to read in 20 minute increments or if you have a younger person, you know a picture book or a board book that counts and then you can color in one of the lines in our booklet that you can pick up beginning June 1st. And then if, if reading is not for you, if you would like to do an activity, instead, we developed a robust suite of activities. Each list has some tenet of “every child ready to read.” So there is a talk, sing, read, write, and play, which we know are vital scaffolding for building literacy in young people. We also made sure to add a mindfulness activity and an outdoor activity in every single list. And there will be a new list in the kids department or on our website every week of the summer that the summer reading program is on. It’s going to be a lot of fun. You get through 25 items, you come in and you pick up a free book that you get to take home. And again, this is for adults, teenagers, kids, babies, it's for everybody. You get to 50 and you get a t-shirt that will match me and Katie and we're very cool. You definitely want to match us. So please come to Summer Reading program with us. Katie: I was so excited to see all the decorations going up this morning and Summer Reading is here. Caitlin: I love it. Katie: We are so excited. We can't wait to do it with you. Caitlin: Yeah, it's going to be so fun. So, Katie, what kept you going this month? Katie: So tomorrow Mike and I are going to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert and it's been keeping me going because this was one of the bands I was like, I will be sad if I never get the chance to see them live. Caitlin: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah! Katie: because I, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I feel like I like they started, they formed in New York in the early aughts kind of when I was there first there too. So I feel like we've grown up together a little bit. So and Karen O, I am not someone who gets star struck. But the lead singer, Karen O is just, she's amazing. Caitlin: That's awesome. So, where are they playing? Katie: They're playing at Northerly Island, which is kind of near Soldier Field. It's going to be really nice weather. We're going to dinner by ourselves before. Caitlin: This is like grown up stuff. Katie: This is like a grown up day tomorrow, which I, I haven't had a grown up day in a long time. Caitlin: You’re going to have so much fun. I'm going to piggy back off you because we're going to do something like that. At the end of the month, we got married on June 25th and my husband Devin is also a librarian and it turns out that that is always ALA weekend. So we have never celebrated our wedding anniversary except for the very first year that we were married. We're always doing some sort of library conference activity on our wedding anniversary. But this year Devin got invited to some fancy ALA reception and we are going to like make a night of it. So we're going to spend the night downtown. We're going to go to the reception and we're going to also go out to dinner and celebrate both being librarians… Katie: And fabulous. Caitlin: and also approximately five million years of marriage. Katie: I’m really excited. I'm glad for you. Caitlin: So I'm super like, I cannot wait. I’m really, really zassed look at us. We're, we are full grown ups. I love this for both of us. So, what do you think, Katie? Best summer ever? Katie: What could go wrong? What do you think? Caitlin: (laughs) Katie: Alright, the laugh says it all. Caitlin: Oh, I know what could go wrong. A backyard full of crayfish. Katie: Yeah, that did go wrong. It did not go very well. Caitlin: If there is something you'd like us to chat about on a future episode or if you'd like to learn more about a topic we'd love to hear from you. Send an email to podcast at Skokie library dot info. Katie: This has been Katie and Caitlin with Your Family, Your Library, produced by Amber Hayes and sound engineered by Paul Knutson. Caitlin: Have a great summer! Katie: Bye y’all.