Bored? Nothing to Do?

By Anne McLaughlin, Children’s Librarian

West Warwick Public Library

It’s the time of year when cabin fever is at epidemic proportions. It’s been months since the kids have been able to get outside and play. Everyone’s bored with the same old games and videos and indoor activities. Here’s some advice for parents and children who are feeling cooped up indoors and need a change of scenery: take a trip to the public library.

Make a library visit a family affair. The library is open many convenient hours – morning, noon or night, and weekends. The West Warwick Public Library is open on Sunday afternoons12-4 during the school year. There really is something at the library for everyone.

Since everyone’s tired of being stuck inside because of the weather, it’s time to explore fun new indoor activities. Learn magic tricks. Try science experiments using ingredients found in your kitchen. Learn new card games. Traveling in the car? The new book Boredom Blasters by Susan Todd “has hours and miles of games and activities to make time fly”.

Get creative in the crafts section of the library.. Make a mess with The Big Messy Art Book by MaryAnn Kohl. Get out the paper and markers and spend time with the book Squeaky Chalk (and other fun things to draw and do when there’s nothing to do) by Joy Sikorski. There’s even books on making paper airplanes or origami animals.

Bored with the same old meals? Look at all the cookbooks the library has in the Adult and Children’s Departments. The easy to make treat “Peanut Butter Doo Dads” has three ingredients – peanut butter, chocolate chips and cheerios – in Honest Pretzels and 64 other amazing recipes for cooks ages 8 and up by Mollie Katzen.

Browse the New Book Shelf in the Adult or Children’s Department. Be the first person to read a book and recommend it to a friend. Look for the 2001 Caldecott Award winner So You Want to Be President by Judith St. George and illustrator David Small. Newbery honor book Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Camilo is a great dog story for grades 4 and older.

In this information age, computers are a vital resource at the public library. As well as providing electronic information, the library has computers available for word processing. Write a letter or a poem. Write a letter to a famous person – librarians can help you find the address. Access the Internet at the library for free. Parents and children can check out the “Cool Web Sites” we’ve bookmarked. For parents who feel computer illiterate the library offers free computer classes. For the computer savvy, visit the library from your home computer where you can look up books in the library catalog. Reserve books on-line or call the library to have the book held for you. Log on to the West Warwick Public Library Home Page at http://www.ultranet.com/~wwpublib/

Anytime is a good time for a storytime. Even big kids and grownups enjoy having someone read to them. Take home an audio book from the library and listen to a story read aloud. Try a Harry Potter title or the old favorite Charlotte’s Web on tape. Ask library staff to show you where the Books-on-Tape are located for adults and children.

The library subscribes to many magazines in both the adult and children’s department. Some magazines can be checked out like books. Write a story or poem and submit it to a children’s magazine for publication. Linda Crotta-Brennan, local author of two picture books, started her career that way.

Take a trip with a book. Where would you like to go? Disney World? Washington D.C.? Hawaii? Australia? How about all 50 states? Read My American Adventure by 12 year old Amy Burritt, who spent a year touring all fifty states.

Take home a Storytime Kit! These are located in the Children’s Department of the West Warwick Public Library. These popular kits have books, puppets, games, and activities for young children. Families enjoy the activities and busy teachers share them with classes. A favorite is “The Doorbell Rang” which includes a copy of the book, a baking pan with 12 plastic cookies, and a doorbell that rings!

Spring is really just around the corner. Read about your favorite spring sport, team, or player. Adults and children can start planning the garden with idea books on how to get started and what to grow. Thinking about those big “Spring Projects”? Read about building a deck or patio, backyard pond, or on a smaller scale, a bird house. April 15 is just weeks away and for parents who are desperately bored and need something to do, the library has tax forms and helpful guide books.

For a bad case of cabin fever, here’s the librarian’s prescription: Take one trip to the library, before or after meals. Spend as much time as possible browsing the stacks. Open wide and say “Ohhh” and “Ahhh”. Fill a book bag (a grocery bag will do) with as many books, CD’s, and videos as you can carry without hurting yourself. Take home and ENJOY!