Fun Things to Do
Opportunities for Children and Young Adults
The activities and contests listed on this page have been gathered together for you here as a service. Remember, they are not programs or activities of the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library. If you have questions about any of the things listed, click on the link provided for more details.
National Braille Press Announces Two Free Subscriptions
National Braille Press is pleased to offer free one year subscriptions to two braille magazines - Syndicated Columnists Weekly and Our Special - to all students graduating this spring!
Syndicated Columnists Weekly is a 36-page braille weekly magazine containing the best editorials each week, written by syndicated columnists. Our Special is written and edited especially for blind women. Published six times a year, it covers career issues, fashion, parenting, cooking, handicrafts, travel, maternity, dating, health, and a panoply of other women's issues.
To begin subscriptions for 2008 graduates, call National Braille Press at 800-548-7323 or visit www.nbp.org.
Touch the Future: Career Foundations for Parents and Blind Youth
Touch the Future is an exciting opportunity for elementary and high school blind youth and their parents. Students will explore what type of jobs they can do, match their interests with possible careers, experience a job interview, and learn about resume writing and networking activities. Those who are job ready will get assistance to acquire a summer volunteer and/or real job experience.
Touch the Future meets the third Saturday of each month from 10am - 12 noon at the Tobin community Center, 1481 Tremont Street in Roxbury. Transportation is provided for students living in the Boston area. Parents of participating blind students will meet once a quarter. Call 617-459-4084 for more information.
Free Audio Described Theater Performances
The Huntington Theatre Company offers audio description at a student matinee performance. All tickets are free for students in grades 6-12 at who are blind and low-vision, and their teachers.The Huntington will audio describe She Loves Me on Thursday, May 29, 2008. The performance will begin at 10 am. Visit the Huntington Theater website or call 617-273-1558 for more information.
Take Your Talking Books With You!
Have you taken your braille books or your talking books and cassette player with you to an interesting place or a faraway destination? We want to know where you have taken your books! Take a picture that shows you, your braille or talking books, and the place you visited.
Send or email your photo and a brief explanation of where you were to Rachel Gould at the BTBL. The most unusual and interesting locations will be featured on our website and in the next PerKIDS Newsletter!
Free Downloadable Audio Books for Kids!
In addition to the downloadable books we offer through the Unabridged project, we found some other accessible sites that offer downloadable audio books. Download classic stories in MP3 format from Audio Stories for Children. Also, check out this source of over 200 MP3 Kid's Audio Books as well!
Funky Braille Rap
Check out this funky braille rap! Click to listen to the MP3. The Braille Rap Song was written by Lynn Horton and Tammy Whitten as a fun way to teach braille to their students at the Helen Keller School located in Talladega, AL. Visit the Braille Rap Song page for the lyrics and for more information.
Free Braille Calendars
Free braille calendars are available from the BTBL. These 6 inch calendars conveniently fit in your backpack. Each month begins on a new page, and important dates and holidays are listed. You can add your own list of birthdays or anniversaries on the "Personal Dates" page. Contact the Library to receive your own braille calendar or to get your name placed on the mailing list for next year.
Anna's Angels
We want to let you know about this opportunity to receive free braille books! Through "Anna's Book Angel Program" at Seedlings Braille Books for Children, hundreds of braille books are being made in loving memory of Anna Kristina Bonde and given away free to children around the world.
You can register online at http://www.seedlings.org/bkangel.html or call Seedlings at 800-777-8552. Seedlings will pick at least 10 children each week and send them one free book from his or her "wish list."
Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids
Are you having difficulty finding toys and games that are accessible and fun to play with? The free Toys 'R' Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids lists 85 great accessible toys that are available nationally. Check out the Toy Guide on the web at http://www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled or call the National Lekotek Center at 800-366-PLAY.
These activities are listed as a service, and are not sponsored by the Perkins Braille & Talking Book Library. Please visit the Perkins Statement on Outside Links.