It can be difficult to find things to do with the kids to keep them busy during the summer months. Luckily, your local Heartland Cooperative library has a few options available for our patrons to keep kids busy this summer.
With so many months cooped up, a family road trip might be on your mind, and there is no better time than the summer months to go exploring with your family. Whether you are planning a local trip and looking for things to do around Florida or your family is feeling a bit more adventurous and making plans to a further destination, the Heartland Cooperative has a variety of travel guides to help you plan your trip.
If you are planning on doing some camping during your travels, there are some books to help with your wilderness excursion. Whether it’s basic first aid, tips on making a better camping experience, guides for camping in a specific state or area, or a campground cookbook, there are some materials available to make your experience more enjoyable.
Games are available at the Sebring library for patrons to take home and play with their family and friends. Board games aren’t just a great way to keep kids entertained, but have some proven benefits such as teaching patience, increased brain function, reducing stress, strengthening relationships, and boosting creativity and self-confidence. There are classic games such as Guess Who and Monopoly as well as newer games such as Disney Meme, Taco vs Burrito, and the Exploding Kittens card game.
Learning a new hobby or an important life skill is a great option to keep kids entertained and engaged. The children’s section is filled with a variety of books to teach new skills from coding, gardening, drawing, or cooking. When kids learn a skill such as cooking, they may benefit from it in more ways than just staying busy. Cooking can help boost their language development, improve fine motor skills, increase math and reading skills, promote healthy eating, boost self-confidence, and it has been shown to improve focus and attention. With themed cookbooks that range from princess tea parties to Masterchef Junior, there is something guaranteed to catch the interest of any budding chef.
This summer we also have virtual book clubs taking place for young readers. There are several events going on depending on age and interest. On July 14th, there will be a live virtual author event for graphic novel authors Victoria Jamieson and John Gallagher. Another youth virtual book club will take place on July 22 for The Curse of the Night Witch by Alex Aster, Flunked by Jen Calonita, and Jinxed by Amy McCulloch. You can visit the “Heartland Library Cooperative” Facebook page to learn more about these author events and how to participate.
Visit the Heartland Cooperative’s website at myhlc.org, and keep up to date with information about the library on the Highlands County Board of Commissioners facebook page.