Are you in the mood to kick back and relax? Or perhaps you’re like me and want to find a distraction from the Switch 2, rather than obsessively checking the calendar and counting the days until the release of Nintendo’s upcoming console. If you have some time off and are looking for fun activities, then you’re in the right place! Below are some ideas for your weekend planning, ranging from party games to strolls in the sun.
The weather has finally been getting nicer and sunnier, so if you’re up for some outdoorsy activities, consider checking out Happy Trails by Shawn Smith! This book can act as your hub for biking and hiking trails, which vary in distance and difficulty. Pick a scenic location and soak in the fresh air and landscape around you! Lake Simcoe Beaches, the 26th route in this book, looks like it’d be among the best places to take a walk at if you love seeing the cerulean lake glistening under the sun. This route entry lists the beaches and parks in the area, in addition to some restaurants in case you get hungry and want to grab a bite or two. If you don’t like sand or the lake, maybe some of the other trails will be up your alley; after all, there’s 40 routes in the book to choose from!
If you want something even more adventurous, Day Trips Around Toronto by John Barber will give you some local travelling recommendations! Picture this: the skies are painted aqua, the windows are down, and the sun is beaming its rays of warmth — can it get any more relaxing? Whether you like driving or not, the destinations are certainly worth it if you’re up for gazing at art in a museum or walking through a wetland.
The book is divided into four sections: North, South, West, and East. If you live in Vaughan, or more specifically near Kleinburg Library, then you’ll likely recognize the map at the start of the North section in the book. Does the McMichael Canadian Art Collection or Kortright Centre for Conservation ring any bells? We have Culture Passes that offer you free entry and parking!
My personal favourite location mentioned in the book is the Forks of the Credit Provincial Park. The drive there is amazing, and the trails are equally tranquil. There are suggestions in the book that are further away than the ones I mentioned above, so hopefully the weather will be nice for those who don’t mind a longer drive!
To segue off the last recommendation, while you’re out and about on road trips, you’ll probably have your smartphone with you. If so, Smart Photos by Jo Bradford can give you a few photography ideas that will help you capture some memories. Each idea comes with a brief description and guide on how to achieve the desired photo. They also come with at least one example, which gives you a gist of the style.
There have been times when I’ve seen stunning photography on social media, not knowing what they’re called or how the photo came about. This book fills that knowledge gap. I like the mix between creative ideas, like using bubble wrap as a photography accessory, and more basic ones, like the camera inversion technique to spotlight a subject close-up. I use the latter technique when photographing my dog, except I put the camera near the ground — it just looks a bit more “cinematic” to me! If you’re bringing your pets for the ride, try some of these photography ideas too!
I don’t sing, because if I did, all the windows in my neighbourhood would shatter. But these sorts of activities are fun for get-togethers with loved ones. Have you seen the viral clips on social media where people sing songs without being told what they’ll be singing and without seeing the lyrics? It’s commonly referred to as blind karaoke, where the songs are selected by another person. If you know a bunch of songs that span across many genres and can identify instrumentals well, you’ll likely be a superstar. Maybe you can try this game out with the karaoke machine from our Lendery, so you can belt out songs to your heart’s desire!
For the folks who are gift-giving enthusiasts, this book can be an accessory to your generous projects. If you plan Christmas gifts seven months in advance, for example, consider adding something personalized in the presents as an extra “Here ya go!” Hello, Origami by Mizutama will not only help with that, but also potentially kickstart a fun hobby where you can craft interesting things out of basic supplies. Origami in general is also quite therapeutic, so it’s an enthralling activity even if you’re not planning out Christmas gifts in the spring.
Mizutama introduces some basic folding techniques using a mixture of written instructions and visual illustrations that are easy to comprehend, even for beginners. The smaller pieces, like the hearts and stars, are great to get accustomed to origami. Some of the others are relatively more difficult, although the trial-and-error process ends up being a rewarding way to build your skills. The cozy aesthetics of the book and origami design might have something to do with good vibes!
Board games are an underrated VPL gem, and I’ll die on this hill. Our catalogue is filled with a bunch of games for you and your friends and family to play through! What Do You Meme? Family Edition, especially with house rules, can create a jovial atmosphere. For instance, instead of using the caption cards, create your own with scrap paper! For all you meme connoisseurs, you’ll probably recognize a lot of the images on the cards. If you want something bigger and slightly more chaotic, our Lendery’s Jenga Giant set can potentially give you up to four feet of stacked fun! (But be careful… we wouldn’t want it to tumble on anyone!)
Want to become a master at chess? Or at least feel confident enough so that you can be the Beth Harmon-esque pro among your friends and family? Then spend some alone time with How to Win at Chess! Written by Levy Rozman, an International Master who’s known as GothamChess on YouTube and Twitch, this book will help you hone your chess skills so that you’re ready to take on whatever challenge comes your way. Even if you’re new to chess, you’ll the information and techniques to be spellbinding, as if the book is inviting us into the secrets of winning. If you’d like to put the knowledge into practice, I found that playing chess online can be an effective educational process, since playing with actual players is a fun way to gain experience. (Or even playing against online bots, although Rozman writes in the introduction that he isn’t a fan of playing against bots. It’s still fun though!)
If you didn’t know, we also have a Chess Club where you can test your abilities against other players. Can you beat our volunteers? Perhaps you’ll be better equipped after reading this book!
Admittedly, I’ve only played Stardew Valley a handful of times, although I’ve always wondered how food from popular media would look in real life. (Answer: Evelyn’s cookies look delicious!) Now we can recreate some recipes with The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook by ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak. If you’re like me and cooking isn’t your forte, that’s okay, because playing video games can also be a relaxing activity to enjoy. But if you’re a gamer who’s also looking for some recipes, then I’m sure you’ll recognize the characters here. Each recipe lists whose kitchen the food comes out of, in addition to the “yield” (i.e. servings).
The book’s presentation is as cozy as the actual game. Whether you’d prefer to farm in the game or by cook some meals in real life, channel your inner farmer to make Grandpa proud!
Alright, don’t tear me to shreds, but some of us find cleaning to be therapeutic. Being productive before the summer is a plus, since you can rejuvenize the space around you and eventually relax in a neat and tidy environment. So, we’re going back to our Lendery once again, but this time with the LABIGO Electric Spin Scrubber to make washing the floors a less tedious task — because let’s be real, scrubbing floors and bathrooms feel like a knees killer.
Maybe it’s been a long week and the activities above sound too exhausting, which is okay, because resting and recharging is different for everybody. Or perhaps the items above are no longer available; in that case, hopefully they will inspire you to check out similar items in our collection that might bring some fun into these last few weeks of spring. A quick search of the Lendery or board games, for example, will show some great items in our collection!
Alternatively, maybe some good ol’ movies will do the trick. With your VPL card, you can enjoy thousands of films on Kanopy for free at the comfort of your home, just in case your DVD or Blu-ray holds are still being processed. I hope you all have a restful and pleasant weekend!