Under 5 Fest

The much-anticipated Under 5 Fest is coming up. It is a special event for young children run by the excellent educators of Science Alive. Kids get to experience fun hands-on science activities and exhibits. There will be a petting zoo and storytimes. Kids can play with air and sound, amazing mirrors, and giant building blocks. Our own librarians will be there  – providing a storytelling session at 10:30 am on the weekdays.

Under 5 Fest runs from 6th to the 12th of March 2015, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm daily and will be held at the Table Tennis Canterbury Stadium, 294 Blenheim Road, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch. The cost is $6 per person, but the under 2s get in for free. For group bookings or more information phone 03 365 5199 or you can email bookings@sciencealive.co.nz

Science Alive also have a cool after school science programme in ten of our libraries across Christchurch.

Excellent Science Alive educators lead children through interactive activities to stimulate their interest in science, and there is something to take home every week!

Programmes run during term time except the first week and no bookings are required.

For more sciencey goodness for kids, check out the following library resources:

• Booklists on all sorts of science subjects expertly formulated by our librarian Lisa
• A how-to guide to science fairs
• Good science books – Royal Society prize-winners
• Our homework zone
• Childrens’ science picture books

Here are some pics and the poster, kindly supplied to us by Science Alive.

Having sleeping problems?

Sleeping should be easy, but as every newborn shows, it isn’t always child’s play.

Tess Graham, author of Relief from Snoring and Sleep Apnoea, thinks she can help us have a more restful sleep and more energy by changing the way we breathe. Tess is based in Australia but is visiting Christchurch to share her expertise.

Come along to South Library on Thursday March 5  from 11 am to 12 pm to hear Tess talk about healthy breathing habits. To find out more information and book your place, look at our events page.

Library resources to help with sleep

Books about sleep disorders
Books about helping your baby sleep
Music for relaxation
Articles about sleeping in Health & Wellness Resource Center
Fact sheets, articles and videos about sleep in Consumer Health Complete

Canterbury Japan Day 2015

Canterbury Japan Day is an event organised annually by The Japanese Society of Canterbury with the aim of sharing authentic Japanese culture with Cantabrians.

In 2015 it will take place from 10am to 5pm on Sunday 1 March at Riccarton Park Function Centre, Riccarton Racecourse.

Programme of events

Planned events include:

• the major attraction “Theatre of Princess Kaguya”;
• performances by the Garden City Big Band, the Japanese Drums group Takumi, the Canterbury Japanese Choir, and by Koyu-kai, a group who play traditional Japanese instruments like the koto and the sangen;
• the Kitsuke Obimai – a demonstration of how to put on kimono and obi;
• a traditional tea ceremony;
• calligraphy, bonsai, ikebana and paintings.

There will also be some 50 stalls selling Japanese delicacies and craft objects.

The history of Canterbury Japan Day

The inaugural Canterbury Japan Day was held on 11 March 2012 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Japanese Society of Canterbury and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Japan. It also marked the anniversary of the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami.

The Day proved very popular and has become an annual event, attracting about 20,000 visitors in 2014.

Theme

The theme for this year’s Canterbury Japan Day is Autumn. Colourful leaves (koyo) will decorate the Function Centre, reflecting the fact that the viewing of Autumn leaves is a popular activity in Japan.

In 2014 the theme was Summer and in 2013 Spring.

Check out photos of previous Japan Days on our photostream.

Our online resources

• Japanese organisations: listing of Japanese organisations, reflecting a range of cultural, arts and sporting associations. From CINCH, our Community Information Christchurch database.
• Language courses providers: Japanese language course providers. From CINCH, our Community Information Christchurch database.
• Mango Languages: Mango is an online language learning system that can help you learn a variety of languages, including Japanese. It also contains instructions on how to learn English for native Japanese speakers. Use at a library or enter your library card & password / PIN.
• World Languages Collection: learn more about our collection of fiction and non-fiction in languages other than English.
• New Settlers page: explore the range of resources and services Christchurch City Libraries offers to new residents.

Search our catalogue

• Learning Japanese
• Japanese cooking
• Japanese fiction in Japanese and in English
• Japanese magazines

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