! e m i t r e m m Su y a l P r o o d t u Time for o
photo: KEVIN GARRETT
by Christy Myers
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN a more needed time for our children to enjoy a summer of play! Children have not had full free play at school or at home, as many after-school activities were restricted during the pandemic. With months of learning using technology, it is important that we find alternatives for play that do not include a screen. Now that most activities are available for our families, we need to encourage our children to engage in free play where they are exploring, creating, pretending, imagining and learning from trial and error. Whether is it riding bikes with friends or enjoying an afternoon at one of our local state parks, research shows that
children learn by playing, and they learn in several different ways. The northshore is filled with amazing opportunities to explore. Examples include walking along the beautiful lakefront, renting canoes or kayaks, and having fun at the splash pads as well as exploring multiple indoor options in our area. Play assists children with intellectual, social, emotional and physical development. “Now more than ever, our children need to experience all sorts of play. Summer is the best time to get outside and play or have your children participate in camps and activities that will bring them enjoyment and are just fun. Research indicates that brain growth happens more when
FOR CHILDREN
Find a complete list here: bit.ly/ChildrensSummerReading
Summer Reading With no homework or school to worry about, summer can be the perfect time for kids and teens
Rump: the True Story of
The Quiltmaker’s Gift
The Wishing Spell
alike to crack open a good book.
Rumpelstiltskin
by Chris Colfer
Studies have shown that summer
by Liesl Shurtliff
by Jeff Brumbeau A quiltmaker makes beautiful quilts
The first book in the series The Land of
reading helps kids retain
Rump finds an old spinning wheel and
but gives them only to those who
Stories about twins Alex and Conner
knowledge and skills learned
discovers he can spin straw into gold. With
have nothing. A king wants one, but
Bailey combines our modern day
in the previous school year. St.
each thread he spins, however, he weaves
she makes him give away all he owns.
world with the realm of classic fairy
Tammany Parish Library System
himself deeper into a curse. To break the
The more he gives away, the happier
tales when the twins come face-to-
has shared with us some of its
spell, Rump must go on a perilous quest,
he is. He receives his quilt, but knows
face with characters they grew up
summer picks for all ages!
fighting off pixies, trolls, poison apples,
that his reward is the smiles of those
reading about. Getting back home is
and a wickedly foolish queen.
he helped.
going to be harder than they thought.
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Inside Northside
