^November's Picture Books on Tap event where we read Meena's Saturday & made this star craft!
We need a little more joy this season as we head into the bustling holidays & dark winter months. If you're feeling like us, you are craving connection & this is the perfect time to sit down with your kids, your friends, your neighbors, your family. Grab a hot drink, light a candle -- let's read some books & make a star.
Kindness & connection books:
This month, we celebrated World Kindness Day. A day to celebrate each other, to acknowledge & appreciate all that our peers do for us everyday. It is evident that we need a little bit more kindness and, honestly, action, in today's society. We can do better & be better. So while we celebrate kindness this month, let's also cultivate connection throughout our community with picture books. Picture books are for everyone. So we encourage those taking the time to read this post: to read with your kids, with your partners, with your friends. Strengthen those connections. Take the time to pour into each other. This is the perfect time to slow down & read, to slow down & craft.
We also have an updated book list on Gratitude. Our favorite books demonstrating giving back & the importance of thanking others. We hope you will check out our full list by tapping the button below & stay tuned for our favorites from this list on Instagram next week.
Every week, we work extremely hard to curate these book lists for you. We hope you will take a minute to look, write a few down & head to your local library to check a few out. We would love it if you used our affiliate links to purchase books this holiday season. We also ask that you PLEASE utilize your local library. If you do head to your local library & they don't have the books you took from our list, REQUEST THEM. It's simple. Usually just a form in person or online. But if you're not sure how to at your specific library, email us at hello@mosskidsbooks.com we would love to help bridge the gap & get these new diverse & inclusive titles into your library, into the hands of more kids.
now that you have a few books celebrating community....let's craft!
This craft is quick and so easy to make. Perfect to work on following verbal instructions & shape recognition. This craft may be a little tricky for our younger friends, but would make a great connection craft by completing together with hand over hand assistance as needed. You can hang them up to celebrate upcoming communal gatherings. You can use them as name plates for holiday meals or tags for holiday gifting. You can hang them up throughout your home to brighten up their days. We're hoping these stars bring you all a little light.
Materials:
Kite paper (origami paper works too) -- we're using 6.25in square sheets
Scissors
Glue
Instructions: Step 1: How to fold each section
Begin with two pieces of kite paper. We use sheets that measure 6.25” and we like to cut them into quarters. Begin by folding your first piece of kite paper in half. Open the paper and fold in half the opposite way. Cut along the folded lines to create four smaller individual squares. Repeat with your second sheet of kite paper.
Begin by folding your first smaller square of kite paper in half. Open the paper and fold in half the opposite way. Open the paper completely and fold one corner into the center to create a triangle shape. Repeat with the remaining corners until all corners have been folded into the center.
Once you have all corners folded to the center, rotate your square to look like a diamond. Fold the right sided-point of the diamond in towards the center line to complete a star point at the top. Then, repeat with the left sided-point of the diamond.
Now repeat for whole process for the remaining 7 squares of paper.
Step 2: How to assemble the star
Once you have all 8 points completed, begin assembling the star by applying a small amount of glue and attaching the first point to the second point. See below on where to put the glue & how to attach. The side with the folds should be facing the back. Continue attaching each point until your star is complete.
Once finished, you can flip the star over & glue the flaps down. Then you're done! Hang throughout your home, maybe on a window. Use as a nameplate or gift tag.
That's it, a cute easy star craft to brighten your day! Again, we would love to see them if you've crafted, tag us @mosskidsbooks & use #mosskidscrafts
our upcoming november events:
Wed 11/20 MOSS Kids Book Club -- school visit
Thurs 11/21 Lunch Bunch
Mon 11/25 Kara's Birthday Giveaway (an Instagram giveaway in our feed & a different giveaway in our stories)
Sat 11/30 MOSS Kids Book Club with Drag Story Hour at Boxyard RTP 10am
last thing, I promise. minute reviews with milo:
A new series is coming to our socials! Our 6yr old Milo LOVES to read. Right now he's really into chapter books & middle grade books in Spanish. After watching his mom review books daily, he has decided that he would like to share his reviews & recommendations with you all. It will be a great way to hear directly from a kid on what he thinks about the books he reads & why he recommends it. Stay tuned for his minute reviews coming later this month!
Thank you all so much for all your love & support of what we're trying to do in our small rural communities & beyond. Please continue to share so we can keep getting our name out there. The more people who see about us & see what we are doing, the more books we can get into kids' hands. Until next time,