Summer will look a little bit different this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have our yearly Summer Learning Program. Imagine Your Story is this year’s theme, and the best thing about imagination is that it works everywhere! We’ll be offering a wide variety of programs this summer to encourage exploration: family art projects, picture book science, cooking videos, STEM challenges, and much more!
Daily educational content will be shared online by our staff members. We’ll offer art kits, crafts, and experiments for families to pick up and take home. We might even be able to share an activity or two outside as we learn the best way to navigate safety measures.
This year, you can log the books and activities you’ve completed using a website called Beanstack! Beanstack can be accessed through a portal on our website or downloaded as an app to your device. This website allows users to log the books they’ve read, complete activities and challenges, and earn virtual badges and tickets for prize raffles. There will be a diverse group of gift cards prizes to choose from, so we encourage every member of the family to participate! Click here for more information about Beanstack and how you can turn your summer learning into prizes.
All programs can be found below, or here in calendar view.
Virtual Story Times
Toddler Story Time: Uploads every Tuesday & Wednesday on Facebook
A time to move, dance, share stories and songs with your busiest friends! For toddlers and their families.
Preschool Story Time: Uploads every Thursday on Facebook
A story time for our graduating toddlers. Longer stories, exciting new rhymes and songs, but still all the fun. For families with preschoolers.
Family Fun Mondays
Watch the videos here!
Easy activities for all members of the family to do at home. *Some programs require materials or kits that will be available for pickup that week at the library. Please call or register online to reserve a take-home kit.
June 15: Use household items to spell out your name
June 22: Write a poem or haiku about your room
June 29: Draw a creature using an ink fingerprint as the base, and markers to add detail
July 6*: Enjoy a selection of coloring pages, pens, and markers to spend time coloring
July 13: Tell us about a book you’ve read recently
July 20*: Create a puppet using socks you have at home or other household items
July 27*: Challenge yourself to complete a paint-by-stickers template Request your kit here
August 3*: Create a unique mosaic using foam tiles Request your kit here
Family Art Tuesdays
Watch the videos here!
Simple, collaborative art projects for the whole family to participate in
and enjoy. *Every week of this program will have a take-home kit available for pickup. Please call or register online to reserve a take-home kit.
June 16*: Plate of apples.
June 23*: Field of butterflies
June 30*: Cats in the houseplants
July 7*: Fish in the ocean
July 14*: Succulent terrarium
July 21*: Box of donuts
July 28*: Birds in a tree Request your kit here
August 4*: Seashells on the beach Request your kit here
NTRLZINE
NTRLZINE is based on the DIY aesthetic of online magazines, and made to share creative works from our community that document how we respond to these strange times. NTRLZINE will offer our community a platform to share the projects they’ve been undertaking while quarantined at home,
and will reimagine the library as a gathering place. Once compiled, it will serve as a time capsule and record of these historic times.
This program is open to all ages and abilities, and an instructional video will be published every Tuesday to explain the current week’s theme. All of the submissions will be compiled and published at the end of the summer as our NTRLZINE.
You can earn raffle entries on Beanstack by participating. Submit a copy or send a photo of your creation to northerntiersrc@gmail.com We want this to be an interactive program so if you have any questions or suggestions please email us, we would love to hear from you!
June 16: What is a zine and how can you play a part? Examples and instructions will be provided. Watch the video!
June 23: Have you ever wanted to explore writing? We’ll share some creative writing prompts. Watch the video!
June 30:Good or “bad” we want to see your doodles! Get those hands moving. Instructions & Book Recs
July 7: A photo is worth 1,000 words, so show us what great moments you’ve captured! Instructions
July 14: Create a top-ten list of your favorite books, movies, or anything you can imagine. Book Example & Song Example
July 21:Share your favorite recipe, whether it be a family tradition or your go-to when at home. Recipe Example
July 28: Use photos, ticket stubs, old books, or anything you want to create a small collage.
August 4:Recreate the cover of your favorite book, using any way of creating!
Kids Cook Wednesdays
Watch the videos here!
Easy recipes accompanied with instructional videos to make simple snacks and meals at home. Pick up your recipe sheet from the library and add it to your cooking folder as you learn different dishes every week.
June 17: Quesadilla, crunch wrap, and taco-chili mix
June 24: Grilled cheese and tomato soup
July 1: Buttermilk waffles (gluten free instructions will be available)
July 8: Pesto flatbread with veggies
July 15: Fruit kebabs and fresh granola
July 22: Blueberry (or any berry) crumb
July 29: Avocado toast with eggs and a smoothie
August 5: Chocolate chip cookie cake
STEM Thursdays
Watch the videos here!
Work on projects that combine art, science, math, and engineering. These programs will involve scientific challenges for all family members. *Some programs require materials or kits that will be available for pickup that week at the library. Please call or register online to reserve a take-home kit.
June 18*: Get a seed starting kit from the library and grow a plant at home.
June 25: Read The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee and complete the accompanying challenge at home
July 2*: Use aluminum foil and drinking straws to create a raft that can support coins
July 9: Use household items to learn how water travels
July 16*: Read Blackout by John Rocco and complete the accompanying challenge at home
July 23: Use recyclables from home to build an egg capsule that can prevent an egg from cracking
July 30: Read The Fort That Jack Built by Boni Ashburn and complete the accompanying challenge at home
August 6: Create a kingdom or pet castle from cardboard
Fiber Arts
Feeling crafty? Watch weekly tutorial videos uploaded every Thursday of various fiber art crafts! *This program is open to all ages, and every week of this program will have a take home kit available for pickup. Please call or register online to reserve a take-home kit.
June 18*: Use recycled materials to create a knitting loom. Watch the video!
June 25*: Learn how to cast on and knit in part one of Knitting 101 Watch the video! & Part Two
July 2*: Learn how to purl and bind off in part two of Knitting 101 Watch the video!
July 9*: Learn how to make a simple scarf using basic crochet stitches Watch the video!
July 16*: Learn how to handle and count materials needed for cross stitch Watch the video!
July 23*: Make a counted cross stitch bookmark Watch the video!
July 30*: Use only your fingers and yarn to knit a creation Request your kit here
August 6*: Learn how to Tunisian/Afghan stitch to make a dish cloth Request your kit here
Outdoor Fridays
Watch the videos here!
Explore a variety of activities best enjoyed outside! *Some programs
require materials or kits that will be available for pickup that week at
the library. Please call or register online to reserve a take-home kit.
June 19*: Pick up or download and print your nature journal and take an outdoor nature walk.
June 26: Learn fun yoga poses that all family members can practice and enjoy
July 3: Go outside or stay indoors, but get moving in our fun movement class
July 10*: Make a bubble solution and wand to create art outside
July 17: Learn fun yoga poses that all family members can practice and enjoy
July 24: Go outside or stay indoors, but get moving in our fun circuit training class
July 31: CANCELLED
August 7: Join us at the Northern Tier Library parking lot and read a story with your family as you walk around visiting different stations
Nature Days
Watch the videos here!
Explore the nature all around you, from local parks to you own backyard! Learn about the living creatures you see every day, and how you can help with various citizen science projects. Weekly videos and projects will include:
June 19: What can you find in your own backyard or local park? Track your sightings in iNaturalist to help scientists with their research
June 26: So many creatures are active at night while we’re sleeping. Learn about them, and how you can help track fireflies with Firefly Watch
July 3: Pollinators are important to plants and to us! Look at some pollinators you might see in your yard and help track them with Project Bee Watch
July 10: Birds are all around us, all year long. Discuss feathered friends and help researchers with Hummingbirds at Home and other projects
July 17: What do invasive species do to the local environment? Discover their impacts and how you can track them with the Lost Ladybug Project
July 24: Which reptiles and amphibians can you find in this area? Learn about them and track frogs with FrogWatch USA
July 31: Plants are so important to all of us. Help scientists keep track of seasonal changes with Project BudBurst
August 7: Find out how you can make your own yard a good environment through Audubon’s Certified Backyard Habitat Program
Dress-Up Challenge
To receive an extra raffle ticket every week, we encourage you to participate in our weekly dress-up challenge. Send us a picture of your outfit, and maybe you’ll see yourself on our website or Facebook page!
Week of June 15: Dress up as a community hero (nurse, paramedic, teacher, firefighter, etc.)
Week of June 22: Use anything you have at home to show your love for Star Wars
Week of June 29: Wear something from your favorite sports team or show us gear from a sport you play
Week of July 6: Wear your red, white, and blue to show your love for America
Week of July 13: Dress up as your favorite comic character
Week of July 20: Wear all kinds of mismatched colors and combinations together, the wilder the better
Week of July 27: Dress up as your favorite fairy tale character
Week of August 3: Show your love for Pittsburgh by wearing your black and gold
*Take-home kits are available for pickup this week. Please call or register online to reserve one.