What a strange time we're in. There are lots of things that we can’t do at the moment because we can’t go out, but there are also heaps of things that we can do now we’re all staying home.
We can't go out and play on the playground with our friends … but we can explore the backyard and spend time snuggled up with our family in our 'bubble' at home.
We can't go out to the movies … but we can watch movies and tv shows on our laptops, or even make our own and share them virtually with friends all over the world!
And there are no takeaways, but we all get to try cooking something new at home for the whānau.
While you’ve been off school, some of our Christchurch City Libraries staff have been looking at some of the great online resources you can share with the people you live with.
- Do you wish you could go on an adventure? At the moment we have to #stayhome and #staylocal, but we can still go on journeys in the books we read. Here’s Susan’s Armchair Travel list - will you bike around Africa? Time-travel in Paris? Or go somewhere quite different?
- Maybe you could use this time at home to learn a new skill … then when you’re bigger, you could become famous for it! Erin’s put together of list of books about famous people - there are ballet dancers, architects, and so many others! You might even have a pet with a special skill!
- Do you miss coming to the library for our Wā Kōrero - Storytimes? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Watch some online!
Here are some of Helen’s favourite narrated e-picture books - you can listen along to them while your big people are busy!
But it’s not just the library that’s got heaps of things for you to do - there are lots of people and organisations that have put together things you might want to look at too. Check out these free activities Lynette has found!
#DrawWithRob
Check these out… Rob Biddulph is a children’s illustrator who thinks everyone can draw, and I so like that idea! Parents could watch with their kids and make some nice pictures. Here they all are - Sonic the Hedgehog, an alien, or something else. Feel free to watch and share them with anybody and everybody!
You can also check out AccessVideo Just For Kids if you want to draw trees… or bugs… or maybe a cow?
Growing Book by Book
Show this website to your adults to get some great ideas to do when you’re reading books together! Early literacy is a passion for Jodie Rodriguez. She is an educator with many years’ experience and helps parents, teachers, librarians and anyone else interested in nurturing and reaching all of our youngest growing readers.
Check out all the activities that could go with my favourite ebook - The Day the Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers and Drew Daywalt
Reading Books Aloud
The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education is a UK-based children’s literacy charity working with primary schools. It has put out a YouTube playlist of authors reading their own books. You can select your favourite book or your favourite author on the list and watch them read! We don’t usually see the faces behind the covers reading what they wrote!
Lynette’s fave on this list is… Joe Todd Stanton reading A Mouse called Julian. In this time of isolation what better story than that of Julian the mouse who is perfectly happy to avoid others?
Lizzie loved hearing Ed Vere read Bedtime for Monsters and my favourite is Is there a dog in this book?, read by Viviane Schwarz.
There is always something for you to do while you’re home, so explore some of these resources, and we’ll be back soon with some more things for you to check out.
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