15 Days of Winter Break

On the first day of winter break, Helen Plum gave to me 15 days of winter activities!  

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.

1st Day of Winter Break: Dec 20

• Build a jingle bell maze. Time your family to see who can complete the maze in the shortest amount of time.  
• Learn about and register for reading programs offered by the Helen Plum Library. We have reading programs for babies, school-age children, adults, and everyone in between! 
• Drive around Lombard and look at some of the houses that participated in the 2021 Jingles’ Holiday Decorating Contest! The winner of the contest will be announced Mon, Dec 20.
   

2nd Day of Winter Break: Dec 21

• Create frozen ice globes using water, food coloring, and balloons to decorate a special space outside.  
• Looking for help finding your next favorite book? Try Bookmatch! The Library offers custom reading lists created by expert librarians based on your preferences. Fill out the form and we’ll get to work creating a book bundle just for you. 
• Take a look at the most recent Library newsletter, The 411, and start making plans for the new year!
   

3rd Day of Winter Break: Dec 22 

• Use this recipe to make cinnamon playdough. You can turn your creations into ornaments or other scented decorations.  
• Make a resolution to learn a new language with Mango Languages in 2022. A Helen Plum Library card is required.  
• Learn your next favorite song or rhyme with Songs, Rhymes, and Bouncy Times available on our YouTube channel. 
   

4th Day of Winter Break: Dec 23

• Create and then have family or friends guess the smells of the season with this winter scent lab.  
• Explore the world through the comfort of your own home with National Geographic Virtual Field Trips. 
• Take a walk outside and look for animal tracks in the snow or dirt. Check out some of these resources from the Library to help you identify what you see: Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks, Whose Track Is That? 
   

5th Day of Winter Break: Dec 24

• Make a lemon volcano with this fun and simple S.T.E.M. activity the whole family will enjoy. 
• Watch a virtual production of The Nutcracker from the Washington Ballet Company.  
• Go outside and count birds in this cherished tradition of community and science from the National Audubon Society.  
   

6th Day of Winter Break: Dec 25

• Do you think you can stand on a paper cup without breaking it? Take your best guess and then try it out! Test to see what happens when a friend or grown-up tries. 
• Explore ice castles created by artists in New Hampshire with this stunning virtual tour.  
• Go outdoors and try and identify evergreen trees. Watch this video for how to tell different evergreen trees apart.  
   

7th Day of Winter Break: Dec 26

• Use this recipe to make some yummy no-bake cookies!  
• Learn about Kwanzaa from the National Museum of African American History and Culture and complete some of their family activities. 
• Sign into Teachables to find printable word searches, mini-books, puzzles, coloring pages, and more! A Helen Plum Library card is required. 
   

8th Day of Winter Break: Dec 27

• Play with “snow” . . . indoors! Make this 2-ingredient fake snow for some sensory fun.  
• Sing with Carnegie Hall. Imagination and learning take flight in this at-home sing-along series for families and caretakers with children ages 2­–5.   
• Musical Explorers from Carnegie Hall connect children (recommended ages 4–8) to rich and diverse musical communities as they build fundamental music skills through listening, singing, and moving to songs from all over the world.   
   

9th Day of Winter Break: Dec 28

• Create a beautiful crystal snowflake you can hang inside your home.  
• Explore Hoopla, available with your Helen Plum Library card, to find movies, television shows, audiobooks, graphic novels, and more—with no waitlists!  
• Take a virtual tour of the Lizzardo Museum of Lapidary Art in Oak Brook. Or visit the Library to check out a Museum Adventure Pass and tour the museum in person!  
   

10th Day of Winter Break: Dec 29

• Make a rainbow using M&M’S™. A colorful and delicious treat! 
• Spend some time in the past and enjoy some of our DIY Storytime programs. 
• Enjoy a moment of watery zen with the Underwater Beauty live cam at the Shedd Aquarium. Discover the dreamlike patterns of angelfishes, wrasses, tangs, and butterflyfishes. 
   

11th Day of Winter Break: Dec 30

• Using repurposed materials, you can make your own sock snowman!  
• Visit the Helen Plum Library Pinterest page for craft ideas, book suggestions, and more!  
• Get bundled up and go on a winter scavenger hunt.
   

12th Day of Winter Break: Dec 31

• Make a time capsule to collect memories for 2022.  
• Put on some dancing tunes with one of our themed Spotify playlists curated by Helen Plum Library!  
• Have a fun night-in with items from our Special Collections. Take home a board game or puzzle from the Library.  
   

13th Day of Winter Break: Jan 1

• Reuse an old jar to create a cute winter scene with this DIY snow globe. 
• Put one of our new titles on hold to start your new year reading goals. 
• Get moving and healthy in the new year with some of these great resources inspired by Healthy Lombard. 
   

14th Day of Winter Break: Jan 2

• Make an exploding snowman while experimenting in chemistry with kitchen ingredients!  
• Read along with The Snowy Day and explore other stories on Scholastic BookFlix! 
• Want to learn how to code this year? Check out Code.org for free coding lessons and resources for learning at home.  
   

15th Day of Winter Break: Jan 3 

• Impress your friends and family with this magic paper towel art. 
• Want weekly content and ideas for your family? Subscribe to our Family Literacy Newsletter and receive weekly emails with educational videos and activities curated by the staff at the Helen Plum Library. 
• You can get creative all year using Creativebug! Sign in to see crafts for all age levels and skills. A Helen Plum Library card is required.

Did you enjoy these activities? Send a picture to youthservices@helenplum.org to be featured on our digital photo frame in the Youth Services Department.