Free, Downloadable Art, Engineering, Math, Science, & Writing Activities for Kids
Teen Reading Ambassadors and Activity Booklet editors
The New York Public Library's Teen Reading Ambassadors internship program brings together 10th–12th grade students to help further the Library's mission to inspire lifelong learning in others, particularly young children. Ambassadors work at NYPL After School programs across the city providing tutoring and literacy enrichment activities to children ages 6–12. They also show children the joy of reading by connecting them with engaging books from the Library’s collections!
A cohort of the Library's Teen Reading Ambassadors used their experience and knowledge of working with young kids in NYPL’s last summer's Summer Learning Lab to create an Activity Booklet. The booklet includes activities that will help children ages 6–12 practice and develop art, engineering, math, science, and writing skills. Each page is designed to be fun and educational! The booklet includes many references to New York City and its diverse communities, inviting readers to celebrate the things that make our city unique.
In addition to book recommendations to learn more about the five subjects areas, each page includes a suggested age group: look out for yellow activities for kids ages 6–7, blue for kids ages 8–9, and green for kids ages 10–12. Keep in mind that these colored bars are only recommendations, and kids are encouraged to enjoy any activities that speak to them!
Are you ready to peek inside? View the full 40-page booklet and continue reading to access smaller subject-based packets.
Interested in Art?
Engaging in art can be a great way to exercise creativity and learn new skills. This packet includes six activities for kids of all ages, in addition to two new book recommendations!
Interested in Engineering?
Engineers find creative solutions to fix everyday problems. The activities in this section introduce kids to a range of engineering concepts, including aerospace dynamics (make your own kite!) to robotics (make a robot hand!). Plus, check out the book recommendations.
Interested in Math?
Math is more than just numbers… It's also drawing, decoding, games, and more! Check out this section to discover new books and get excited about math.
Interested in Science?
Have you ever wondered why volcanoes explode or how deep the Earth is? What about color theory or chromatography? Get all your questions answered, and read about cool science discoveries, in this section!
Interested in Writing?
These writing activities include journaling, fairytales, poetry, comics, and more! Put your ideas down on paper in the six activity pages in this section.
Answer Key and BONUS Activity
After completing the activities, you might be wondering if you got them right. Use the answer key to find out. The answer key includes solutions to Color Your City, NYC Math Match-Up, Decode the Sentence, Multiplication Slices, Sudoku, and Life Cycles. Plus, check out the last page for a bonus Find the Library Lions activity!
Interested in discovering more from our Teen Reading Ambassadors? Visit nypl.org/portalmag to view four previous issues of Portal, a magazine for kids by teens, as well as more book recommendations and downloadables.