Our Youth Services Department has put together these resources for your family to learn about local and national events, different ways to explore library resources, and, most importantly, make memories.
Don’t Melt the Ice! Test different items that will insulate ice so that it won’t melt.
Watch The Gingerbread Man puppet show performed by San Marcos Public Library in Texas.
Read together! Use your library card to find a book you can read with your friends or family.
Spend some time thinking about things that make you feel thankful. Then make a thank you card for a family member, friend, or neighbor.
You can enjoy books and learn languages through storytelling with over 200 digital books in 50+ languages with Languages Other Than English (LOTE).
Test your skills with the Ice Arch Challenge and see if you can make an arch using only ice.
Make a colorful, calming glitter jar to remember to take a break during this busy season.
Have a movie marathon! Gather blankets, pillows, and snacks while you watch a great selection of movies. Check out one of our Binge Boxes for an easy lineup.
Stop by the Youth Services Department to get out of the cold and moving with our Playful Path!
There doesn’t need to be snow on the ground when you can create your own snow at home!
If there is snow outside, use a stick to trace letters and shapes in the snow. No snow? Use the recipe for fake snow or a small amount of flour on a baking tray and trace with your finger.
Watch a seasonal or silly flannel story on our YouTube Channel.
Make your own special bookmark from a favorite greeting card.
Bring the zoo to you with these 6 live webcams from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. You can see giant pandas, elephants, lions, and more.
Play bookish charades. Write your favorite book characters on slips of paper. Try to act them out without using words.
Create colorful designs right in your snowy yard!
Read along with The Snowy Day and explore more on Scholastic BookFlix.
As suggested by a Helen Plum patron, make some noise by just folding paper!
Create a vision board for yourself or create one as a family to document all the things you wish for in 2023!
Do you want to be more creative in the new year? Log into Creativebug with your library card and sign up for the Daily Drawing Challenge. You'll learn a new pattern each day.
Walk into the New Year! Go for a wintry walk to celebrate the new year. Use this winter scavenger hunt to make it a game.
This seasonal slime will provide hours of fun.
Want to create a fun way to get together with friends? Discover our book club discussion guides, now online!
Check out one of our parachutes from the Library or use a sheet at home for these fun parachute games great for all ages.
This three-ingredient recipe will turn fresh snow into tasty ice cream!
Check out a board game for a family game night from our Learning Games collection.
Have an indoor snowball fight! Use crumpled-up paper as snowballs.
Get some silliness out with this movement cube.
Take a virtual tour of an amazing wintry attraction, the ice castles.
Use bubble solution to make beautiful frozen bubbles outside. The outside temperature needs to be below 32°F to work. The colder, the better!
In this experiment you will magically lift an ice cube using only a string and salt.
Create your own board game with one of these customizable templates from Scholastic Teachables. Search “Game Board Template”.
Sing with Carnegie Hall inspires families to move and sing classic playtime songs and discover new music from cultures around the globe.
Use elements found in nature to create a frozen suncatcher.
Be kind and shovel someone’s sidewalk.
Explore More Illinois allows HPL cardholders to get free and discounted admission to museums and other attractions throughout the state. Reserve and print or download your passes from home.