A New Collaboration!

We are excited to announce a new collaboration with the Canton Repository!

Laugh, Play, Read is now a weekly feature of games, stories, puzzles, arts, and information designed to foster early literacy and enrich children’s lives. Find a copy every Sunday in the Lifestyle section of The Canton Repository or visit this page to download and print your own for free.

Everything you love about the Laugh, Play, Read blog now delivered through our local newspaper and our website. Each week you will find activities you can do with your child as you read and learn about a new topic, laugh with characters in a comic strip, and play fun games. You’ll also see content highlighting the StartSmart initiative at your local Stark County District Library!

Make sure you stop by and tell us your favorite activity each week.

Laughing is a Sign of Learning

Did you know having a sense of humor helps children develop self-esteem, learn to problem solve, foster creative thinking, and hone social skills? This is according to author Louis Franzini, who wrote the book Kids Who Laugh: How to Develop Your Child’s Sense of Humor, in an article on Parents.com.

The root of humor is taking something familiar and changing it in a unusual way. Typically, babies will start laughing around the age of 4 months. Up until this point, they are just beginning to learn how the world looks, feels, and sounds. As a child develops,  she learns to use humor as a way to build up self-esteem for a friend who may be feeling blue or for her own self if she makes a mistake. Laughter or a good sense of humor can help a person look at things in an unusual way.

So what are some ways you can encourage your child’s sense of humor? Read funny books, of course! Play with puppets! Make up stories! Sing silly songs together! Play dress up! Play Peek-a-Boo! Have fun with your food!

Here are some favorite laugh-out-loud picture books from our staff at the Stark County District Library.

• Goldie Locks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems
• We Are in a Book by Mo Willems
• The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak
• This Book Just Ate My Dog by Richard Byrne
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
• Steve, Raised by Wolves by Jared Chapman
• Mother Bruce by Ryan Higgans
• John, Paul, George, and Ben by Lane Smith

Add to our list! Comment with your favorite laugh-out-loud books below!