Mid‐Michigan Leadership Academy

Creating fun, engaging learning opportunities for kids during the summer months is easy with the Michigan eLibrary (MeL). Whether travelling or staying home during this season, there are myriad resources to keep children curious.

 Backyard Fun

Home Improvement Reference Center offers easy wood building projects that encourage backyard exploration and discovery. Build a rolling garden, an observation station, or a balance beam and portable putting green with the detailed plans in this handy eResource.  After constructing one or more of these projects, expand on the learning by delving into the eBook Public Library Collection.  John W. Guyton’s Bug Lab for Kids : Family-Friendly Activities for Exploring the Amazing World of Beetles, Butterflies, Spiders, and Other Arthropods is one of over ten titles in the Lab Series.  After learning more about things that creep, crawl, and fly, check out the STEAM Lab for Kids filled with 52 hands-on experiments and Experiment with Outdoor Science: Fun Projects to Try at Home to encourage even the youngest mad scientists.

On the Road

The pandemic brought about a renewed interest in camping. It’s easy to get started and relatively inexpensive. The Pure Michigan website provides information on the over 103 state parks and recreation areas that are counted among the over 1,000 campgrounds available in our great state.   Once you have chosen a place, check out these great articles found in MasterFile Complete.  From Backyard to Back Country offers solid tips on camping in various forms from a backyard glamping oasis to hiking trips through rugged terrain. Backpacker magazine offers some practical tips on selecting the most appropriate tents and sleeping bags for your camping needs.  Of course, no camping trip would be complete without cooking over a fire and telling spooky tales. The Complete Book of Fire from the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center offers practical advice on the art of building a safe fire and creating open flame culinary delights.  Top the adventure off with Ten of the Best Ghost Stories from the eBook K-8 collection.

Happy Trails

Whatever adventures you choose to engage with this summer season, the MeL team wishes you the best in reading, playing, learning, and growing. Share how you used the eResources this summer by emailing woodgramzah@michigan.gov with the subject line “How We MeL” no later than September 1, 2023 for your chance to win a MeL umbrella!