Outdoor Activities from PERC

Utah has finally made its way out of the chilly drudges of winter and into sunny, breezy, unpredictable Spring. Children left stir-crazy from winter's storms are excited to venture outside and play, and we at PERC are excited for them! Come by next time you're at the library and check out one of these awesome outdoor toys to support playing in nature with your child:

Play Parachute

Who didn't love it when the teacher would pull one of these out at school recess? The Play Parachute provides hands-on motor skills and cooperation development for children, and comes with colorful plastic balls to bounce on its surface.

Step-A-Stones

Help your child develop confidence and balance with these bright and colorful "stones" connected by adjustable ropes. Start small with little gaps to run and jump across, and when they're ready, lengthen the ropes to give them an exciting challenge!

Jungle Rumba

A fun twist on the classic game of tag! The game comes with colorful flags that you can grab from other players and stick on your own clothing. Whoever has the most flags wins the game, but watch out before your own flags get grabbed away first.

You can find these games and countless others in the Motor Skills section of our shelves. Come find something to engage your child as the seasons get warmer and more inviting. And always remember to have fun! We're here to support your child's growth, every step of the way.

We look forward to seeing you soon. Happy Spring!

Bring a Friend February 2018

Hello PERC patrons! 

It's February, and to help you out through the shortest, coldest month of the year, we want to give back to you, the people who have kept us up and running for so long. How are we doing this? We're giving away a ball tower to one lucky patron!

Bring a Friend February is your opportunity to enter to win a ball tower just like the one your children love to play with when you come in. All you have to do is tell a friend about our services, and when they sign up and mention your name, you will be entered in the giveaway automatically!

It's that simple! What are you waiting for? Tell a friend about PERC, and make this February fun and fulfilling for you and yours. 

Best of luck!

All about art

Did you know that PERC has an entire section of books and games to teach your child about art and famous artists? It's hidden away in a back corner, so be sure and look for it or ask us about it when you come in. Here are some of the interesting items we have:

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Faces teaches your child elementary drawing skills.

Mommy, It's a Renoir! introduces children to masterpieces by famous artists.

Famous Paintings cards teach your kids about art history.

Introducing your children to culture is a great way to end the summer!

The wonders of gears

Have you and your child ever played with gears? Gears are fascinating to children as young as two and as old as twelve. They stimulate a child's creativity, teach cause and effect, and even give children a glimpse of elementary physics concepts.

Here at PERC we have several gear sets. Visit us soon and see what there is!

 

Cooperative games

So it's Monday, which means for many of our patrons it's family night. I don't know about you, but our family nights often included bickering about who won whatever game we were playing. Wouldn't it be nice to play a game that didn't have a winner or a loser, that had everyone working together as a team? Welcome to the world of cooperative games.

At PERC we have a variety of cooperative games available for checkout. They even have their own section in the shelves. We have recently added several new and fun options for your family. Noodle Speedoodle is like Pictionary but you have to use a "noodle" in the picture. In Stone Soup, everyone works together to make a good soup before the fire under the kettle goes out.

Try one of our cooperative games and see if family game nights go smoother!

Winter Hours and New Items

Hello PERC patrons! Here's a heads-up for you - PERC is heading into the fall with our winter schedule. After Labor Day, we will be open Mondays 10-4, Tuesdays 10-7, Wednesdays 10-4, Thursdays 10-12, and Saturdays 11-2, closed on Fridays and Sundays.

We've been very busy over the summer lining up new volunteers to replace some we've lost and processing new items. Here are some of our new toys:

This is my favorite because it's so cute. Meet Gizmo, the Hedgecog (entered into our catalog as Hedgehog Gear Set). This item teaches small children about cause and effect by showing them how turning one gear turns them all. The fact that the teeth of the gears are also the spikes of the hedgehog is just icing on the cake. :)

One of the best things about my job is that I get to play with toys! This one, the Balancing Barnyard, is deceptively challenging. Can you get all the animals balanced on the barn without it tipping over? The animals are so cute that your child will be giggling throughout playtime.

These and many other items are available at PERC. You can put any of these items on hold by logging in at oremperc.info. If you're not sure how to log in, stop by or call us at 801-229-7390 and we'll give you the information.

Peaceabilities

PERC offers a number of themed bags - kits full of materials that all revolve around a specific topic. Some of these include potty training, nursery rhymes, colors and shapes, and kindergarten preparation.

One that we'd like to introduce you to is called Peaceabilities. This system was developed by BYU professors to help children deal with interpersonal relations and to quell tendencies toward conflict and violence. An entire set of Peaceabilities materials was donated to PERC and we are offering it as a themed bag. This system includes eighteen children's books and a variety of activities for children ages 6-11. It would be good for any child, not just those struggling with conflict among friends and family.

For more information, visit http://creativeworks.byu.edu/peace/overview.htm or stop by PERC and check it out!