Fun Things to Do for All Ages

Activities

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.
• Backyard Glamping Recipes: Glamping in your backyard means not only eating outside, but cooking outside as well. Try these outdoor recipes for your own culinary glamping adventures.
• Bee Watering Station: Bees need water to survive just like any other living creature. Make a bee watering station for your yard to attract and feed bees in your area. They’re a vital part of our ecosystem!
• Eating Insects--Chocolate Chirp Cookie: Some experts speculate that in the future, people everywhere will be consuming insects as part of their regular diet. Explore the issue of eating insects with taste test recipes.
• Know When to Grow Zine: Getting started with gardening can be intimidating. Depending on the types of plants you’d like to grow, there may be a lot to learn about how to care for your plants. Keep growing instructions and your observations all in one place using these instructions for a simple zine, made with only one sheet of paper.
• Ghanaian Adinkras: Learn of the history of Adinkra symbols which originated in Ghana. Follow the instructions on this activity sheet to create your own Adinkra to represent your values and adorn textiles in your home.

Arts and Crafts

• 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.
• Be the Artist: Taped Trees: This fun and simple art technique will help you make a masterpiece in no time! This activity sheet explains how to use masking tape and negative space to create trees in your art.
• Tie-Dye: Bring the fun of tie-dyeing home and show off your uniqueness with colorful clothing and designs using this activity sheet.
• Doodle Blobs: Do you ever struggle to think of something to draw or find yourself making the same sorts of things over and over? This activity will help you get out of your creative comfort zone. Jump start your imagination by turning abstract shapes into fun doodles.
• Community Art Walk: Have you noticed a really fun sculpture in your neighborhood? Or a newly painted mural on the side of a building? There’s so much to see in Skokie, and this art walk activity will help you learn more about the art in the community.
• Plant Prints: Bring the outside in with this fun art activity using scavenged plant materials.
• Be the Artist: Nature Art: Our staff artist, Sue, developed an art activity based on the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy. What will you create with nature materials near your home?
• Skokie Spirit Shines Through: Make a No-Flame Lantern: Show your Skokie spirit and participate in the Skokie Spirit Shines Through campaign and Skokie Lights the Night by creating a no-flame lantern with a smartphone or flashlight and materials you probably have around your home.
• Make a Confetti Cannon: Whether you’re celebrating graduates, birthdays, or anything else, you can add to your festivities by creating a homemade confetti cannon with at-home materials.
• Skokie Spirit Shines Through: Kindness Tree: Participate in the Skokie Spirit Shines Through campaign and create this craft kindness tree.
• Photo Scavenger Hunt: Grab your camera or your phone to capture all of the photographs on this at-home scavenger hunt.
• Skokie Spirit Shines Through: Make a Mosaic Heart: Show your Skokie spirit and participate in the #SkokieSpiritShinesThrough campaign by making a craft or chalk mosaic heart.

Games

• Build a Board Game: After spending so much time at home, you may have already played all of the board games you own. Why not mix things up by making a new one? You can design an original board game based on almost any theme, using materials you probably already have. Get started with this activity sheet. We’d love to see the games you create!
• Mad Libs: Word games are a fun way to play and create new stories. This is a fun word game that you can play alone or with friends.
• Summer Reading Bingo: Missing Summer Reading? Revisit this bingo card from Summer Reading 2020 for reading ideas or inspiration!
• Picture Consequence: Grab some paper, writing utensils, and a buddy to play this humorous drawing game--great for kids, teens, and adults.

Nature

• Share a Wildlife Observation: Document local flora and fauna with these civic science apps to assist in environmental research and collective understanding of local ecosystems.
• iNaturalist Community Project: This guide includes information about downloading and accessing the free civic science apps iNaturalist and Seek, as well as resources for exploring botany and bird watching.

Food

• How to Regrow Green Onions: Did you know you can easily grow herbs from scraps? This activity sheet will show you how to sprout green onions (also known as scallions or chives) using items you already have in your kitchen, so you can have fresh herbs to brighten up your cooking.

Videos

BOOMbox at Home

• Make Rock Candy: Join Michelle to learn how to make rock candy at home! Get the instructions and follow along with a how-to video demonstrating this simple kitchen science project.
• Make a Grabber: Frannie demonstrates in this video how to make a grabber using materials you probably have at home.
• Make a Sculpture: Michelle demonstrates how to make a personal clay sculpture from materials you've probably already got around the house. To make the clay, you'll need 1 cup plain white flour, 1/4 cup water, 1/3 cup table salt, and 1 tablespoon cooking oil.
• Make a Rain Gauge: Amy H. demonstrates how to make a rain gauge from materials you've probably already got around the house. You'll be all set to measure the rainfall in your yard or near your home.

Arts and Crafts

• How to Make a DIY Journal: Jimmy shares a tutorial for making a do-it-yourself journal at home using recycled and upcycled materials.
• How to Make a Quilt Square: Jimmy demonstrates how to make a quilt square using fabric scraps. You can complete your square with a sewing machine or hand-sewing materials, or you can do a no-sew version with craft glue.

Food

• Make Your Own Ice Cream--with Science!: Cream plus air equals ice cream! This video showing a basic at-home ice cream recipe will give you a treat you can customize this summer.

Books

• Book Chat Chapter 10: Graphic Novels for Every Reader: In this tenth episode of our Book Chat series, where library staff recommend great reads, Jarrett and Caitlin join Allyson and Becca to talk graphic novels for every age.