Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash Now that you know more about how to get your child (sorta) excited about chores, let's try to add some fun to your never ending list of housework. Why not start by singing a simple song (sung to the tune of "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"): […]
Spring has officially sprung (at least according to the calendar). So now's the time of year that we start to think about "spring things" such as flowers, rain showers and babies. Not all babies are born in the spring of course, but there's something about this season of "new beginnings" that make us associate it with nature's […]
Pizza Day by Melissa Iwai (Ages 2-6). It's time for another delicious "holiday" – February 9th is National Pizza Day. So many items pop-up when you search for “pizza” in the Toronto Public Library’s catalogue that you might think we celebrate Pizza Day every day (and who wouldn’t want to do that?!). Why not think outside […]
Quiet. Intelligent. Skillful. While these words could be used to describe a library customer they are also the perfect descriptors for another group of people: NINJAS! December 5 is International Ninja Day. It was established by parody site Ninja Burger (which is not necessarily suitable for children) and has now grown beyond its humble and humorous beginnings […]
Image from Toronto Public Library's Digital Archives Hello! World Hello Day is November 21. This year marks the 46th anniversary of a day intended to help us all to find world peace through personal communication. On this day, which was founded by Brian and Michael McCormack in 1973 in response to a conflict between […]
The Great Dictionary Caper by Judy Sierra (Ages 6-12) As a lover of words, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that October 16 is Dictionary Day. It's a day when we honour Noah Webster, the creator of the American dictionary, and celebrate the power, practicality, and playfulness of language itself. Noah Webster […]
Teddy bear, teddy bear shout "Hooray!" Teddy bear, teddy bear it's your day! September 9th is indeed National Teddy Bear Day but teddy bears are celebrated every day in story and song at Toronto Public Library and all around the world. Teddy Bear – Friend, Felon, or Falling Fellow Always There Bear by […]
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) has been a Toronto tradition for 140 years and a personal tradition of mine for my whole life. (I even had the privilege of being the CNE's "First Family" ten years ago after winning a contest run by a local radio station.) If like me you are planning to be one of the […]
Summer is usually the time of year for family reunions and trips to see relatives who live far away. It's also often when cousins have the chance to spend more time together which is probably one of the reasons why we celebrate Cousins Day every July. A cousin can be a fellow explorer, a reading […]
June is Seniors' Month. (Now your initial thoughts might be that this post has been added to the wrong Toronto Public Library blog, but please be assured that it has not.) Seniors play very important roles in the lives of all children. Inter-generational interactions should be encouraged and are beneficial for both young and old. […]