Blog

For even more ideas, see our previous posts.

For Kids and Families

BOOMbox at Home: Where's the Elephant? and Art about Issues

Play hide-and-seek with us as we read Where’s the Elephant? Pay attention to which senses you are using as you enjoy the story, and how those senses might be different if you were playing hide-and-seek in person. Then, create your very own work of art about an issue that’s important to you.

BOOMbox at Home: Invisible Ink

Invisible ink is a great way to keep messages hidden. Did you know that there are several types of invisible ink? Learn about a few of the options and how they work.

STEAM Engines: Thunderbolts and Lightning

Desi (with a guest appearance by Haven) puts on his meteorology hat and shows us how thunder and lightning work, including a fun song and a simple lightning experiment. Boom!

You can also find resources and recommendations from our staff.

FOR ALL AGES

Be the Artist: Color Study Fun

It’s fun to blend colors and try different combinations of colors next to each other to see how you react to them. This is a color exercise that is a tribute to the famous artist Wassily Kandinsky.

BOOMbox at Home: Make a Fabric Mask

These hand-sewn fabric masks are super simple to make using materials lying around at home! Before wearing the mask outside, make sure it complies with CDC guidelines.

BOOMbox at Home: Found Poetry

Found poetry is a fun way to draw inspiration from existing text to create your own poetry. Turn an old newspaper, book, or magazine into a new work of art, or print out a copy of your favorite story or poem and make it your own.

Skokie Staff Suggest: NASA

Advisory Specialist Chris navigates us through the stars via NASA's beautiful and informative website. Discover exoplanets, nebulae, and how humans connect to the cosmos.

FOR ADULTS

Chicago's Historic Motor Row District

Chicago is home to the largest intact early "motor colony" in the United States. Primarily located on south Michigan Avenue, this area was designated a Chicago landmark in 2000 and added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2002. Barbara Barrett describes the early development of the American automobile industry, architects who designed elaborate automobile showrooms on Motor Row, and details about makes and models of vehicles that can be found for sale in these showrooms.

This recording is from our online event that took place on December 3, 2020.

Book Chat Chapter 13: Strength

Enjoy the thirteenth episode of our Book Chat video series, where Amy and Terry join Allyson and Becca to talk about books that they've been loving recently.

Food Science for the Win: Jams and Jellies Resource Guide

The kitchen is an ideal lab for experimenting and being curious while embracing your inner scientist. Explore the science of making jams and jellies. We’ll be demonstrating how to make jam at the Food Science for the Win online event on Thursday, December 10 at 11 am.