Today's libraries are brimming with new non-book items called "realia", especially in the preschool and toddler learning area. Here are five kinds of realia that you can check out and take home to encourage learning after school.
- Videos and computer games top the list.
- Other items include flash cards, book and puppet kits, puzzles, book and tape sets, and music (sometimes with song books, such as Wee Sing).
- Imagination stations include stuffed animals, bird and rock identification kits, rubber stamps, and other craft kits to foster creativity.
- Educational preschooler and toddler games, such as Alphabet Soup or The Phonics Game, are sometimes available to borrow.
- Parents of preschool-aged children may be interested in R.E.A.D.Y. kits, available to check out at some local libraries, too.