Has the winter weather and shorter daylight hours created more indoor time for your family? This is the perfect opportunity to capture the moment with winter-themed activities.  Young children can learn a little bit about hibernation, elementary-school aged kids can conduct cool winter-themed science projects and kids of all ages can enjoy making snowflakes for all occasions.

Here are a few titles to help you get started.

Under the Snow
This beautifully illustrated book provides an interesting look at how animals adapt to living in winter conditions. Author Melissa Stewart, an award-winning science writer, captures the quiet and calm of winter days. This is a perfect read-aloud for young, budding scientists.

Explore Winter: 25 Great Ways to Learn about Winter
Aimed at elementary school-aged children, this book is chockful of experiments that can be conducted at home with common household items. Science concepts are introduced, vocabulary defined, and simple activities are provided that emphasize the subject. There are also fun facts and jokes interspersed throughout the book that kids enjoy.

Snowflakes for All Seasons
Tired of the same old snowflakes patterns? This book has an abundance of ideas to craft one of their distinctive snowflakes. You can also learn different techniques for creating your own unique snowflake for different occasions. Who knew you could have so much fun with just a pair of scissors and paper?

We are almost in the month of December.  Having grown up in Minnesota, I must say that, in spite of the sometimes very cold weather, I always considered December my favorite month of the year.  It was always a special time filled with activities like baking special cookies to give to the neighbors, playing in the snow (when we had snow), concerts, visiting friends and family, etc.  Moving to CA I don't get to see snow very often, but there are still so many activities one can participate in.   If you would like some ideas about winter activities, or to learn more about the season of winter itself, come  visit us and find out more about this time of the year. 

Divided into two chapters, this book is about friendship between Jefferson Bear and Figgy Twosocks.  Whenever Figgy needs help, Bear is always there.  When it's time for Bear to hibernate, Figgy feels lonely, so she builds a white snow bear to remind her of her friend Bear.  Along the way, she finds a new friend, Hoptail the squirrel.  When spring comes, her friend Bear reappears to play with her, so, in the end, she has two friends: a new one and the old one.

She has learned that sometimes an unhappy thing happens so that it can bring in a new happy thing.

Written by Sally Grindley, illustrated by Penny Dann.

To celebrate the Holiday spirit, Tully Library will host a party on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2012, from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Hot chocolate and marshmallows will be served. Each child will receive a new book to enjoy with his/her family during the holidays. Kids/tweens/teens will make winter crafts to bring home to decorate their home for winter.

 Yosemite National Park in the winter is a marvelous time! From the heights of Badger Pass where one can recreate in the snow, to the beautiful low winter sunlight illuminating Horsetail Falls, and the snow cone at the base of Upper Yosemite Falls, there are winter wonders available to behold that summer visitors do not have the pleasure of seeing.

After a brief winter visit filled with all of the above and more I am thoroughly invigorated and filled with awe and amazement. From Crane Flat, the snow-covered vista of the Clark Range was my destination and the trail (rated as “easiest”) was a perfect introduction to snowshoeing. The following day I enjoyed a ranger-led snowshoe hike in Badger Pass where I learned all kinds of amazing facts about the winter season, what tree squirrel tracks look like and that with snowshoes on, I can safely traverse very steep terrain!

At a cozy evening program in the Cliff Room, I watched  Huell Howser’s California’s Gold classic “Yosemite Firefall” episode (video available on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXsA7E21ErQ). This was a real treat as Mr. Howser’s distinctive style and infectious enthusiasm roused the audience to a round of applause at the conclusion of the episode.

Some books to help you get into the winter spirit at Yosemite National Park:
 

• Frommer’s National Parks of the American West
• First Light : Five Photographers Explore Yosemite's Wilderness
• Snow-shoeing
• Familiar Animal Tracks

For more information on Yosemite National Park, visit the San José Public Library!

What a better way to spend these cold and rainy days, but indoors with a good book about friendship and the winter season.

Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser follows Squirrel, Hedgehog and Bear as they wait for the first snow of winter. Laughter and fun begins when these animals, who are usually sleeping during the winter, try to find ways to stay awake.  Then encounter what each thinks is snow based on what they have heard from their friend Deer. The story along with the simple pencil illustrations in this book will be enjoyed all season long.

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, the first in her Bear series, introduces us to Bear and his friends (mouse, mole, hare, wren, badger and gopher) on a cold winter’s night. The animals seek shelter in Bear’s cave and end up having quite a party until Bear wakes up. The rhyming text along with the bright illustrations will have you wanting to read the other books in this series.

In A Little Bit of Winter, by Paul Stewart , Hedgehog, who hibernates through the winter, wants to know what winter feels like, so he asks his friend Rabbit to save him a little bit of winter to share in the spring. The result is not only funny and silly but very heartwarming.

So gather your friends and family together to enjoy these heartwarming stories during this chilly winter season.