Are you looking for some activities for your children this summer? Look no further! NPL has tons of fun things in store this summer season. Here is your ultimate guide!
Many of us adults now look back on our decidedly low-tech childhood pastimes with fondness. Tap into this nostalgia with Let's Play Gonggi, a picture book from Korea!
Learning how to play Spades is easy. But being good at it is an entirely different thing. In Win at Spades, Basic and Intermediate Techniques, you will learn terminology, how to bid, defend, and, most importantly, how to win.
Ok, "borrow" definitely isn't one of the 3 R's, but it should be an honorary member. And when you borrow from NPL instead of buy new, you're doing our Earth a huge favor. Plus, now there's so much more you can borrow from your library -- take a look!
Not all of us are gifted with a green thumb. However, getting our hands dirty in the garden (or with whatever space you have) can be a fantastic opportunity for you and your child to learn about the natural world. Here are a few books and resources to inspire a love of plants this spring!
Storybook Trails provide a wonderful opportunity for children to engage with print in the natural world. Spread out over 19 different state parks in Tennessee, this project shares stories from picture books about the natural world! What better way to transform a short hike into a learning experience?!
Film is a great medium for kids to use to explore their own creativity and to put to work their problem solving skills. Entrenched in both the arts and sciences, film ingratiates all of the STEAM fields in a playful and engaging way. From storyboarding to special effects, learn how Homeschool Friends is helping kids get inspired through the art of filmmaking.
With the extra time on our hands after a month of quarantine, maybe there are other things we can spend our time on, like preserving family ephemera. This is an assisted blog post from my coworker, Christine Irizarry, who writes about the importance of family letters. And the latter part talks about preserving your family records.
With the changing times and means to educate while schools are closed, it can be difficult for parents-now-turned-teachers to homeschool on such short notice, and possibly without a lot of resources. That's where Metro Archives and the Library come in handy. And who says educating can't be fun? So here's a word search I created with words and names pertaining to the founding of the city of Nashville.
During these times of sheltering at home, patrons and staff alike are missing regular in-person library programming. Here at NPL in 2020, we also had to postpone special in-person library events for the year's Nashville Reads title, Dreamersby Yuyi Morales. While that is sad, the good news is that you can still enjoy books and activities inspired by the marvelous Yuyi Morales's works while you're at home!
Even with all this free time, it can still be tough to find the motivation to write or get our kids to write. Here are a few of my favorite writing prompts to get the pen to the paper.
Periods of self-distancing and isolation can make us feel anxious and BORED. Here are some recommendations for ebooks that help you fill the time with activity or stillness.
I'm going on a trip with my family this weekend-the entire crew. My mom and dad, my brother and sister, and all of our significant others. Plus, all the kids.
It feels like everything in Nashville costs money these days, but there are still plenty of fun, free things to do with your kids in the city this summer!
Summer is a great time for getting outside and exploring all the tiny creatures that surround us. Check out these activities and books to help you and your kids learn more about all the creepy crawlies hiding in plain sight!
The sun is out and it's getting warmer so that can only mean one thing: spring is on its way! Here are a few activities and books you and your little one can enjoy to get you out and into the garden.
Working in a library is a gift. There are no door-buster sales, no agitated customers (okay, maybe a few), and no Black Friday shenanigans. Instead of trampling over one another, our patrons wait patiently for the latest best sellers. Best of all, everything is free.
It’s usually children who get permission to color and play, but at Bordeaux Branch Library's weekly coloring night, it’s all about the adults, and they keep coming back.
With the temperature rising, it's time for some yummy, ice cold treats to beat the summer heat! Here are some fun, easy recipes for summertime snacks that you and your children can make (and enjoy!) together!
Reading over the summer is essential to preventing "summer slide," or the loss of valuable academic skills gained during the school year. Although it may seem unfair to make kids read and do assignments over the summer, it is in fact exceedingly important. The key to getting a child to read during summer vacation, however, is to let them read what they want to read.
It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining brighter, the days are getting longer, the school year is ending, and people everywhere are wondering how to best spend the summer.
Thirty years after the release of his most famous work, most people still don’t know the name Koji Kondo. This installment of the 33 ⅓ series goes a long way toward correcting that.
I work in a library, so maybe it’s no surprise I’m not much of an athlete. In fact, I’ve never truly understood games at all, including video games, board games, and all the sports balls.
When my son discovered video games I thought we'd lost him to the world of pixels and sprites forever. Games were like candy for his eyeballs, and what kid doesn't like candy?
Looking for a place to hang out and have fun with your friends or family? Read, learn, and play during International Games Day @ your library on Saturday, November 19th.
At NPL’s recent International Puppet Festival, we offered a shadow puppet craft and set up a shadow room for children to play with the puppets that they made. The question we were asked repeatedly was, “How can I do this at home?”
Music has played and continues to play a vital role in civil rights movements, uniting and inspiring activists in their pursuit of justice and freedom.
The summer solstice was June 20. Let's celebrate the official beginnning of summer and learn about how the solstice has been, and still is, celebrated all over the world!
Inspire imagination and a love of reading by complementing a book with a fun craft. Today, we'll discuss fairies so get out your magic wand and join the fun!
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is challenging all students in Metro Nashville Public Schools to join NPL's Summer Challenge. The school with the highest percentage of students participating will get a special visit from the mayor this fall. Plus, one student from the winning school will get to serve as Student Mayor for the day.
While students may be breathlessly awaiting the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation, parents may feel a bit differently. Namely, they may wondering what are they going to do with those kids all day now that school’s out for summer. Not to worry, Nashville Public Library is here to help! Summer is a busy time for us: we have stuff going on all summer long, for you and the kids. Read on to learn about some of the many things NPL has in store for the summer.
Children’s Day/El Día de los Niños, which is commonly referred to as Día, is a nationally recognized celebration created to emphasize the importance of literacy in children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The Southeast Branch Library recently held a week-long 20th anniversary celebration for Día at the end of April.
This month's post is about the holiday season and some of the literary treats that accompany it, such as the classic Christmas tale A Christmas Carol. It also includes instructions on creating ornaments from recycled Christmas Carols!
Like many parents, I experience pangs of guilt when I can’t tear my kids away from screens. Sometimes I ease that guilt by telling myself they might be learning something while watching inane Minecraft videos on the laptop or playing Angry Birds on my phone for the umpteenth time. But now that the library has Launchpads, parents can be confident that tablet time is indeed educational.
August is National Inventor’s Month. Celebrate by creating a “tinkering” space for your young children. Young inventors need space, ideas, and inspiration. We've got tips to get you started.
