Basel’s library goes virtual with Story Time for kids

The Covid-19 pandemic has made the last year a stressful one for many, particularly for parents who have seen their child’s after-school activities – football practice, group music lessons, and even playdates – sidelined in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.

“Mom, what can I do now?”

“Dad, I’m sooo bored.”

The good news is that Basel’s GGG library has found a way to help parents navigate through these “at-home” waters. And the even better news is that it involves – you guessed it – learning!

Story Time goes virtual

“Since the Covid-19 pandemic stopped the kids coming to our weekly Story Time sessions, we decided to bring Story Time to the kids,” says Nicole Scoles, Basel West Librarian and creator of the library’s new YouTube English Story Time channel.

“We want to share our love of reading with the local Basel community. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that there is value in being able to share resources while entertaining and educating,” says Nicole. The new channel aims to feature one new story per week, and is geared towards children aged 3-8 years.

Toddler Tales channel – for the little ones

There is also the GGG’s YouTube Toddler Tales channel, which Nicole says they are trialing to see if it provides additional support to parents.

“This channel is similar to Story Time in terms of its concept. The main difference is that the material is designed for children aged 2-4 years,” says Nicole. “So it will include short videos of songs, rhymes and stories for young children.”
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Additional options

Read for Good, a UK-based educational organisation, also has a range of resources available for parents who need to find fun ways of keeping their children busy at home, while also focusing on that all too important educational element. From online arts and crafts videos to audible stories of lengthy novels including the first book of the Harry Potter series and a wide range of virtual literary resources.

We hope this material provides you with the support you need to find a happy balance for your children. At the end of the day, we hope that education – in additional to physical and mental health – remains at the core of our community’s values  during the Covid-induced storm, as well as after the viral waters recede.

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