Prior to COVID we thought that “cabin fever” was a typical winter malady in Western New York, but the past year has taught us cabin fever can take place all year long. While we await the change in the weather and the change in our social and medical conditions, we can still find ways to enjoy staying indoors until all is well… or at least better. Fortunately, book publishers have not disappointed and continue to provide wonderful options for us to do this, whether alone or with family and friends (while social distancing, obviously!). Here are some of my favorites:
While many of us are taking this indoor time to declutter and purge, it might also be the perfect time for starting a collection or maybe even finding that already exists in your own clutter. Finding Treasure: A Collection of Collections (Charlesbridge Publishing, Watertown, 2019, $16.99), written by Michelle Schaub and illustrated by Carmen Saldaña, just might help us do that. This is book is a collection of poems about collections! It is all started with the challenge of a teacher to have his students bring in something they collect. But what is a collection and what is connection worthy? This books explores these question though fun and simple poems. Do teapots or stuffed animals count? What about coins, or trains, or snow globes? The “what” and “why” of collecting are explored as we learn about different kinds of collections and what makes them important. Warning: After reading this book, you might need a book on organizing and storing!
If you and your family are into crafting, Kids Create: Art and Craft Experiences for Kids (Gibbs Smith, Layton, 2021, $14.99), written and illustrated by Laurie Carlson, is sure to keep everyone busy and engaged. This book has over 150 projects aimed at ages 4 to 9 (but can be fun for any age) and range from easy to complicated. It is divided into Paper and Paste projects, Clay and Dough projects, Print Making projects, Sculpture projects, and Seasonal projects. The author provides easy to follow directions, a materials list, projected time for completion, and sketches of the steps and final product. She also has an appendix with information on the stages of child development and the application to children’s art and a section on working with groups of children.
Do you have children who like to build and assemble? Perfect for these times might be a colorful and inspiring puzzle like Let the Sunshine In (Workman Publishing, New York, 2020, $19.99) from Anisa Makhoul. This 1,000-piece puzzle is a great family and friend activity that will sharpen eyes, focus attention, creatively pass the time, and perhaps engage in random conversation… something we all need right now. Hopefully, the theme and the colorful pieces of this puzzle will brighten your day and prepare you for the better weather (and times) to come.
Another building/assembly project is Build a Skyscraper (Pavilion Children’s Books, London, 2020, $19.95) written and designed by Paul Farrell. This kit contains 65 two-sided slotted cards that can be used in many ways to create a 3-dimensional model of a sky scraper. It also includes directions on different designs and information on skyscraper history, design, and materials. If you have someone in your life interested in construction, the Facts about Skyscraper section will certainly interest them and may prompt them to do their own search for more information. Activities like this are a wonderful way to encourage exploration in math, science, technology, art interests and careers.
There are so many things we can do to engage our children with hands-on activities and experiences and this is the time of year to do it. With many of us still at home, books and activities can provide a break away from the rigors and stress of the school day and working from home. Having creative, low risk, and fun activities can provide breaks for everyone and can engage them in conversations that can help us all learn and growth together, and to get us ready for the better weather and outdoor activities that will be here before we know it.
Dr. Donna Phillips is an associate professor in the College of Education at Niagara University where her specialty is literacy and children’s literature. She lives on Grand Island, NY and is the mother of two adult children and the grandmother of one.