Craft Corner

puff ball easter egg

Need a super easy and fun Easter craft? This painted egg will help your little one with matching up colors and developing fine motor skills, all while having fun!

Step one: Draw egg onto blank paper and set aside. Step two: Pour paint onto paper plate. Step three: Place puff balls into the corresponding paint. Step four: Use clothes pin to hold onto the puff ball or use your fingers to hold the puff ball. Step five: Paint your egg with the puff ball—lines, dots, whatever design you choose. Step six: Let dry and hang!

Janelle Cumro-Sultzer lives in Overland Park with her husband, two children and two dogs. Janelle is a mediator who focuses on working with families. Janelle loves to help her children learn through play and getting messy with crafts.≠

Easter Bunny Planters

Egg Shell Art

Animal Confetti Globes Supplies:

• Blank paper • Clothes pin (optional) • Assorted paints • Assorted puff balls matching the paints • Crayon or marker • Paper plate

STAYCATION OR VACATION: EXPLORE OCEANS OF POSSIBILITIES WITH THE LIBRARY!

Summer break is just around the corner, and for many families, this means it’s time to bust out the swimsuits and suitcases and pack for a vacation. At the top of the packing list, behind the sunblock and sunglasses, is a stockpile of reading and listening material to enjoy along the journey. Mid-Continent Public Library, offering both hard copies and digital—freeing up more room in that beach bag—is the perfect one-stop shop for these essentials.

This year, some families aren’t quite ready to strike out for the shore. If you are staying close to home this summer, MCPL has the perfect staycation resources to help you “seas” the day!

Families can begin by exploring National Geographic Kids, either by visiting the Library’s website or downloading the app from the Google Play or Apple App Store, where they’ll find videos about coral reefs and various sea creatures in its “Amazing Animals” series. Users can also access current and past issues of the magazine, plus hundreds of downloadable books.

For fun activities for almost any age, check out Teachables, another online resource available through the Library’s website that provides caregivers access to everything from mini books and ocean animal cutand-pastes that can be printed at home for students in kindergarten through first grade, to seashore science skills sheets for older elementary school students, and maps and information about ocean ecosystems for middle schoolers.

If your child is more interested in the scientific side of sea study, check out ScienceFlix, another online resource that will allow them to “watch, read, and dive deeper” into the study of the ocean to learn about currents, waves, tides, and even information about careers related to oceanography.

Finally, make sure to sign up for Mid-Continent Public Library’s Summer Library Program for kids and adults, which kicks off May 31 through August 23! This year’s theme is Oceans of Possibilities, and kids and teens can earn up to three books and qualify for prizes, such as a Kindle eReader or tickets to a local attraction, including the Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City Royals, SEA LIFE Kansas City, and Science City.

Learn more about MCPL’s Summer Library program at mymcpl.org/Splash

Join MCPL for dozens of programs at its branches including: n Summer Library Program

Oceans of Possibilities Kick-off

Events (all ages) n Five Oceans of Fun with

Storyteller JoHo (all ages) n Mad Science Presents Life in the Sea (ages 6+) n Ocean and Reef Restoration and Conservation with the

Kansas City Zoo (ages 10+) n Teen Escape Room: Sea

Monster Reveal and Shark

Escape (teens)

Registration is required for all programs at mymcpl.org/Events and will be available later this spring.