Chritmas time @ your library
by Kate Mutch, Public Services Librarian
With Christmas just a few weeks away, now is the time to make some holiday memories with your family.
Need some ideas on what to do with your family? Here are a few activities to consider.
1. Read a Christmas story to your kids. Your library has many books to choose from, including several versions of Clement C. Moore's "The Night Before Christmas," The Donkey's Christmas Song" by Nancy Tafuri, Ted Dekker's "The Promise: A Christmas Tale" and "Three French Hens: A Holiday Tale" by Margie Palatini.
2. Decorate for the holidays together. Put on some Christmas music and just have fun together. Don't own any holiday music? Drop by your library and check out one of the many holiday CDs to hum along with.
You can try something traditional like "The Time Life Treasury of Christmas" or something a little less traditional like Veggie Tales' "The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree." With more than 100 titles to choose from, you are sure to find one to please your ears.
3. Make Christmas ornaments together. Look for ideas in Tom Daning's "Fun-To-Make Crafts For Christmas," Judy Sadler's "Christmas Crafts From Around The World," Kathy Ross' "The Best Christmas Crafts Ever!" or "The All-Around Christmas Book" by Margery Cuyler.
4. Make Christmas cookies and decorate them. Recipes from Jennifer Darling's "Cookies for Christmas," Rose Beranbuam's "Rose's Christmas Cookies" or Sally Sampson's "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" should get your taste buds working overtime.
5. Make a gingerbread house. "Gingerbread Houses: Baking and Building Memories" is just one of several books that can help you design, bake and create a gingerbread house.
6. Make Christmas candy or fudge together. Younger children will have fun adding nuts or teaspoons of flavoring to the bowl as you mix up your favorite recipe.
"Making Great Candy: A Sweet Selection Of Fun & Easy Recipes" by Laura Doran, "The Christmas Candy Book" by Lou Pappas or Hilda Cooper's "Mother Estelle's Easy Homemade Candy Cookbook" will have your family licking their fingers in no time!
7. Make homemade Christmas cards. Nancy Hill's "10-20-30 Minute Card Making" or Gillian Souter's "Card Crafting: Over 45 Ideas For Making Greeting Cards & Stationery" should help get you started.
8. Make homemade wrapping paper. You can use brown craft paper and let the kids decorate it with crayons, markers and stickers. Looking for more ideas? Check out these titles: Karen Delquardo's "Making Great Bags, Tags, Boxes & Cards," Yoshiko Hase's "Quick and Easy Enchanting Gifts Wrapping 149 Items" or "Handmade Giftwrap, Bows, Cards & Tags" by Jill Grover.
9. Grab your family and head to the library for a Christmas movie! Join us each Sunday at 1:30 p.m. from Dec. 2-21 for an afternoon of family fun, including popcorn and a holiday flick.
No matter what you decide to do, keep in mind that the activities you do today are your children's future memories. Merry Christmas from the Natrona County Public Library!