Things to do with your child before they enter kindergarten.

Native Americans drew on the rocks to tell a story about the things they saw and did. Go to one of 3 sites with petroglyphs in Washington County. Bloomington Petroglyph Park, Anasazi Trail Petroglyphs, or Babylon Trail in Hurricane. Take 2 pictures and upload here. Don't forget to take water with you and have fun!

Go for a walk and look for letters of the alphabet all around you! For example, two branches on the ground might form the letter T. The goal is to find the letters without having to move items around to create the letter. Mark off each letter as you find it!

We have lots of books about rock identification in our libraries, and some will even tell you where to go in Southern Utah to find them. The internet has great resources, too. Check out a book (Dewey Decimal number 552.0979) or find a website that can give you some direction and take your knowledge on a field trip. Find some rocks! Identify them. Take a pic. Rock on!

Participant must identify each bird using the image provided. Enter the name of the bird to complete each activity.

Explore the night sky. Enter the name of each constellation to complete this mission. You can find images of constellations, their names and more information about space at your library. Look in the nonfiction section under the call number 523 or ask a librarian for help. 

We have art all around us! There are murals and statues around our towns and paintings in local businesses or government offices. We even have art on the walls in our libraries. You could also visit an art gallery. Find some art and ponder the meaning behind it. What was the artist trying to say? Did they want you to feel something? Describe your art encounter to earn a badge.

With all the sun we get in St. George get outside to hike in this beautiful area we have to live in. There are great hiking apps to show you the routes and comments about the difficulty of the hike. Take 3 pictures and upload them for a hiking badge. (early morning is the time to do it)

We have so much history in this county, its literally right around the corner. There are six history museums in and around St. George, Santa Clara City, Washington City, Rosenburg Wildlife, Silver Reef, Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and Western Sky Aviation. Pick 2 places to go to and upload a picture to complete the mission.

Visit your local library and capture a photo of each of these listed items in your library. Upload a picture of each to complete each activity in this mission.

Visit your local library and capture a photo of each of these listed items in your library. Upload a picture of each to complete each activity in this mission.

Go to a (safe) outdoor location and fill a grocery bag with litter. A park is a great choice, because you can play on the playground as a reward.

It's hot, southern Utah! Go get wet and share a photo of your water adventure to earn a badge.

Did you know we have an app where you can download e-books and audiobooks, including fiction, non-fiction and children's items? You can use your library card to download e-library items to your device. If you've never tried it, give it a go. It's super convenient. Take a screenshot of the book you've chosen and upload it to earn the Libby badge.

There are seven modern wonders of the world. Do you know where they are? Enter the name of the country for each of the seven modern wonders.

We all have a passion for something we do with our hands. Cooking up new recipes makes it seem like you are visiting the country the dish came from. In this mission while you are at the library, find a cookbook from another country. Make the meal that looks and sounds the yummiest, then take a pictures of your plate to upload here. Just a warning, this mission will have you wanting to make this a real vacation.

Books can take you around the world and back, even if you're only in your backyard! Show us all the fun and exciting places you read by marking each place you read. Get out and read!

Meet a public servant (it could be a police officer, a nurse, a firefighter), and say thanks by bringing them a treat. Take a photo with them and upload it to the website.

Reading together develops vocabulary and comprehension, nurtures a love for reading, and motivates children to want to learn to read. Shared reading (interactive reading) is an important way to help children get ready to read. Reading with children will show how books and written language work and that stories have a beginning, middle and end.

Singing emphasizes many early literacy practices, and it contributes to oral language development by slowing down language and making it easier for children to hear the words. Singing is also a great way to increase children’s vocabulary as children’s songs and nursery rhymes include many new and uncommon words. Songs are a natural, fun way for children to learn language. When children sing, they hear different parts of words, pay attention to the rhythms and rhymes of language, and develop listening skills.

Talking with children helps them learn oral language, one of the most critical early literacy skills. Children learn about language by listening to parents and caregivers talk and joining in the conversation. Talking in a way that encourages children to talk will help them understand what they later read. When children listen to spoken words they learn: how letters and words sound, the meaning of words, how words can be put together to communicate ideas, information and feelings.

Just like reading, writing teaches children that print has meaning, letters represent sounds, and written words represent the oral words they use every day. Scribbling and writing help children learn that written words stand for spoken language. For children, writing: begins with developing small finger muscles which will build dexterity for scribbling, then drawing, and eventually writing letters, helps develop hand-eye coordination, and helps build awareness that print has meaning.

Play is an essential part of childhood and is one of the best ways to learn language and literacy skills. As children engage in many types of play and across many scenarios, they talk with a wide variety of adults and peers, therefore developing their oral language, narrative skills, and vocabulary. When children play, they: develop narrative skills through imaginary play, act out real situations, learn communication, cooperation, construction and much more!