Category: Children’s Resources

It’s Time to Make Some Pretzels on National Pretzel Day

~ Sara ~ Leave a comment

April 26 is National Pretzel Day.  There are many stories regarding the origin of the Pretzel. Some believe it originated by Christian monks in Italy around 610 A.D and the shape resembled arms crossed in prayer. Others believe it originated in various parts of Europe as a means of nutrition during Lent when other food types were not allowed to be eaten.  It was used as a reward, a symbol of love (thus the term “tying the knot”) and by the 1600’s, Germans were wearing pretzel necklaces around their necks on New Year’s Day as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. As Germans settled in Pennsylvania in the 1700’s, this region became the birthplace of pretzels in the United States.

Pennsylvania Pretzel fun facts:  In 2003, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell declared April 26 as National Pretzel Day to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state’s history and economy.

Hard pretzels were “invented” in the late 1600s, when a baker fell asleep in a Pennsylvania bakery and accidentally over baked his pretzels. This created what seemed an inedible, knot of dough. His job was spared when the master baker took an angry bite out of one–and loved it.

Julius Sturgis opened the first commercial pretzel bakery in Lititz, Pennsylvania, in 1861. He received his original pretzel recipe as a thank you from a down-on-his-luck job seeker after Sturgis gave the man dinner. You can visit and take a tour at the original site (when our economy re-opens). This family fun activity is in nearby Lancaster County.

Reading Pretzel Machinery Company introduced the first automated pretzel machine, which enabled large bakeries to make 245 pretzels per minute, or five tons in a day.

Eighty percent of US pretzels are made in Pennsylvania and per Statista which you can access from the library database, pretzel sales reached 1.24 billion U.S. dollars from May 2018-May 2019.  The average U.S. citizen consumes up to two pounds of pretzels per year, but Philadelphians snack on about 12 pounds of pretzels per person every year.

Let’s follow this easy recipe to make some pretzels today with your family in honor of National Pretzel Day!

Kids’ Update: Modern Art Lessons for All!

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

Discover your inner artist! The Museum of Modern Art is offering free online art classes. Check out their course descriptions at MOMA Classes, or go directly to Coursera at Courses and Specializations. These courses are great for middle grade and older children, as well as adults who have an interest in modern art.

Discover the value of kindness and sharing with The Rainbow Fish.

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Kids’ Update: Virtual Storytime — Coming Soon!

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Once registered, registrants will receive a Zoom link by email to 2 hours before the program starts.  Make sure to check the email address you registered with to receive the link.  You do not need a Zoom account to attend the virtual program.

Watch the Events Calendar for additions!

Kids’ Update: Visit Our National Parks

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

Google Earth has developed virtual tours of 32 National Parks. Choose a park, then choose a popular site or trail and navigate your way through the beautiful views and special sights! This site is great for school aged children through adults. Use of the Chrome browser is recommended for the best views. Google Earth U.S. National Parks.

See what happens when Sylvester finds a special rock in Sylvester and the Magic Pebble!

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Kids’ Update: Read with Hagrid

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Greg Draven

Join Greg Draven, one of the actors who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies. He’ll be reading from Tales of Beetle the Bard, starting with The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. Read with Hagrid.

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Kids’ Update: Tumblebooks

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TumbleBooks

Tumblebooks has made their database available during the COVID-19 emergency. You’ll find an enormous selection of animated picture books, read-alongs, ebooks, games, lesson plans, and quizzes at the click of your mouse!

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Kids’ Update: Celebrate Earth Day, 2020!

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

Every year, on April 22nd, people around the world celebrate Earth Day! Earth Day helps us all to remember what an amazing place our planet is and reminds up to protect it from things like pollution and deforestation. You can celebrate Earth Day in your neighborhood by picking up litter or planting trees to make our world a happier, healthier place to live.

You can read Build a Birdhouse, provided by The Child’s World, and then make a birdhouse with simple materials you have at home!

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Kids’ Update: Teach Yourself Origami

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

With lots of time on your hands, this is a great time to learn a new skill! Have you always wanted to learn origami? Here are some great sites to get you started! Red Ted Art: Origami for Kids, Origami for Kids, Top 10 Origami Projects for Beginners, and Joseph Wu Origami.

There’s a famous true story about origami, called Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. If you’ve never read the book, here’s a short version of Sadako Sasaki’s story. It’s a sad story but also a story filled with hope. The Story of Sadako Sasaki.

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.

Kids’ Update: Music with The Philadelphia Orchestra

~ clancygirl1 ~ Leave a comment

Participants of all ages will have the opportunity to learn from and engage with musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra through virtual learning opportunities, including panel discussions, master classes, and more. Join the Orchestra on Tuesdays at 6pm and Wednesdays at 1pm.

Music is such an important part of all our lives. Read about it in To Be a Drum.

The Youth Services Staff at the Chester County Library and Hankin Branch are presenting Virtual Storytimes beginning April 27th. They will be for three different ages groups — 0 to 2 Year Olds, 3 & 4 Year Olds, and 5 & 6 Year Olds. Registration is required via the Events Calendar at https://chescolibraries.org/. Virtual Storytimes are not registered as multi-week sessions; you will need to register for each storytime individually.