It’s coming to a library near you. Two months of unending fun, excitement, and educational opportunities. What is it (you ask)? It’s our Summer Reading Program! As the school year winds down, the O’Fallon Public Library is gearing up to bring you activities and programs to keep your student reading all summer and their brain from turning to mush.
This summer you are invited to Read Beyond the
Beaten Path. If you haven’t had a chance to check out our website, I encourage you to go to: https://ofpl.info/srp22 and peruse the many fantastic activities your children and teens can take part in this summer.
While there, scroll down and see Professor Penelope Pickle Picket’s video all about “The Beaten Path.” Professor Pickle Picket will make several appearances this summer and you won’t want to miss even one!
Weekly Camps
The first two weeks we will jump off the path to explore STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Highlights include STEM classes facilitated by SIUE’s Lifelong Learning Institute, STEM is Magic – interactive STEM sessions involving “magical” science experiments, and a monthly Summer STEAM Club for kids 6-8-years-old.
Weeks 2 and 3 will focus on art. We will have Art Bingo and Collage College to learn about artists and art.
Does your older child want to learn how to face paint? We are offering classes to learn the basics.
The next two weeks (4 & 5) are all about space! Join us for a rocket building and launching program and a session on the Solar System. The last 2 weeks are all about archaeology and dinosaurs. Come to a dinosaur storytime, Digging for Dinosaurs, concluding in a dinosaur dig.
Preschoolers will love our Dinosaur Stomp! Jam to all the Dino hits of the past and present and make a fun dinosaur craft. The Center for American Archaeology will present Digging for Clues, a program that teaches about archaeological fieldwork and what constitutes an artifact.
Special Programs
We will kick off our program on June 2, 10-11:30 with a visit from A Zoo for You – a petting zoo with animals, birds, and some reptiles, and even a unicorn (pony) to ride.
Talewise, a group of storytelling scientists will be here to regale us with stories of Pirates Lost at Sea. This
program will be outside so please bring a blanket or tarp to sit on.
On Saturday, June 18th we will be celebrating Juneteenth, which honors the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. This family celebration will include a speaker, book giveaways, cake and more.
July 30, at 10:30, we will wrap up our program with local author, Amber Bogan. Amber will have a story
time at 11 AM and we will have a bounce house, snow cones, take and make craft, face painter, and more!
Stop by to celebrate your reading success.
Crafts
Once again, we will offer our kids’ Take and Make Craft Kits each week. It will
be first come, first served so get them while you can. Crafts will match the weekly themes.
Finally
• Registration begins May 28 for Kids and now for teens
• You do not have to have an O’Fallon Public Library card to participate
• All activities are free of charge
• Most activities require registration, please go to our website, https://ofpl.info/calendar, to register
The O'Fallon Public Library News 