Westwood Library
Welcome to the Westwood Library Page!
Brightly.com Monthly Reading Challenges
Mindfulness Activities
Mental health is crucial as we all navigate our way through this unprecedented time. Here are some links that will help bring moments of mindfulness and rejuvenation for everyone:
Live Cams:
California Academy of Sciences
Go Noodle Videos:
- Rainbow Breath
- Bring It Down
- On & Off
- Find Peace
- Rest Well
- Let It Go
- Build Patience
- Tightrope Walk
- Hungry Flamingo
- Super Scooper
- Surfer Dude
Cosmic Kids Yoga Videos:
...and much more!
Have you visited our literary garden yet? Stop by the planter box by the Westwood Library and take a trip down children's literature lane with some of your favorite books!
At-Home Learning Resources
MDUSD Library Website
Here is a list of online resources for accessing learning and literature:
E-books:
Contra Costa County Library E-books & audio books:
Click here (free)
Get Epic: (Teachers: go here to set up a free account for students)
Non-fiction articles:
Britannica School: MDUSD Clever Single Sign-On (westes/mdusd)
Read Aloud Books:
Kidlit.tv (also drawing and cooking demos!)
Learn and Read from Home Activities:
KiwiCo (free activities and subscription kits)
Westwood Destiny Homepage Authors Links
Authors Online
Many authors and illustrators are going online to share their stories and drawing activities with kids who are doing at-home learning. Below is a list of their social media links:
Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Twitter) @studiojjk (YouTube) youtube.com/studiojkk
Peter H. Reynolds (Twitter) @peterhreynolds (Facebook) Peter H. Reynolds - Home
Dan Gutman (Twitter) @dangutmanbooks (Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/Dan-Gutman-60020139122/
Oliver Jeffers (Twitter) @oliverjeffers (Instagram) @oliverjeffers
Grace Lin (Twitter) @pacylin (YouTube) http://bit.ly/2U4xVLc
Jess Keating (Twitter) @jess_keating (Website) https://jesskeating.com/write-with-jess/
Mo Willems (Twitter) @the_pigeon (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmzjCPQv3y8
Mac Barnett (Twitter) @macbarnett (Instagram) @macbarnett
Jacqueline Woodson (Twitter) @JackieWoodson (YouTube) http://bit.ly/393MTW7
(Mostly) Off-Line Activities
Here are some great activities you can do together to encourage reading, literacy, STEM/STEAM, and active play:
- do a puppet show retelling of your favorite book
- create a board game using your favorite book as inspiration
- record yourself reading a story aloud or acting it out (use stuffed animals or use found materials to create simple costumes)
- make a song about your favorite story or character
- use building materials like Lego or Play-doh to create settings from your favorite book
- Build a fort and do Flashlight Reading!
- Cook a favorite recipe with your family
- Play charades
- Build a theme park using elements from a favorite story or around a favorite author
- Use Britannica to travel the world using the Atlas page
- Make a trivia game using information from Britannica articles
- Create a new cover of a favorite book with your own illustrations
- Rewrite the ending of a favorite book OR write a sequel
- See who can build the tallest tower out of found items
- Go on a nature walk, collect leaves, seeds and flowers and make pictures out of them, then create a story
- Challenge each other to draw something with your eyes closed, see how close you get!
