Need to perk up playtime at home? We have some ideas!

First, check out Racing to Read on Pinterest! Library youth staff curate this page with fun ideas for at-home play. Check out recipes for slime, sensory bin ideas, literacy connections and more.  

Prefer a book? The Library has many books on fun activities to do with children. Here are a few:

Baby Play for Every Day: 365 Activities for the First Year by Susannah Steel
Fun, simple ways to play with babies.

Busy Bags Kids Will Love: Make-Ahead Activity Kits for a Happy Preschooler and Stress-Free Parent by Sara McClure
Packed full of enough ideas for every week of the year, this book provides kids with entertaining, exciting and educational activities.

Recipes for Play: Creative Activities for Small Hands and Big Imaginations by Rachel Sumner
Explore inexpensive ideas for engaging a child's senses, including making and painting with yogurt paint, making a collage, and building a fairy house.

STEAM Play and Learn by Ana Dziengel
Preschoolers will love tackling these 20 fun, easy-to-follow step-by-step projects as they learn about STEAM topics (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). Topics include symmetry and how light bounces to create reflections with mirror mandalas, diffusion and capillary action with tie dye towels, structural framing and bracing with marshmallow structures, and electrical currents with salty circuits. This cross-subject approach to learning will prepare young children for the subjects they will soon learn in elementary school and beyond. Each project features simple instructions and large, full-color photos, to make each one enjoyable and fun for both kids and parents.

Finally, don't forget to keep up with the Racing to Read Website. New songs, booklists and activity ideas are posted to the main page every month. You'll also find the blog and links to all of our videos. When in doubt, play!

Questions or want more ideas? Email racingtoread@thelibrary.org.