We are packing up our gear and getting ready to offer another great Summer Learning Program filled with adventure. Adventure Begins at Your Library is this year’s theme; bringing lots of adventure inspired crafts, daring programs and gathering activities.  We will be offering a wide variety of programs this summer to encourage adventure and togetherness: family art projects, STEM outside, tech gatherings and much more!

We will offer art and making kits to take home, drop-in crafts anytime you visit the library, and spaces to engage with technology, building and making. We will also offer outdoor STEM activities, and our Fresh Air storytimes.

You can log the books and activities you have completed using 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 have read, complete activities, and use tickets to participate in 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! Please check our website for more information about Beanstack and how you can turn your summer learning into prizes.

• Maker Mondays Take Home Kits for Tweens and Teens:

MONDAYS June 10 – July 29

On Mondays, families will be able to enjoy kits to take home from our makerspace. These kits can be requested online or on the phone and will be placed in the library’s lobby for weekly pick-up. Each week is requested separately. We will also offer some in-person programming at the library.

June 10:  Watercolor Bookmarks – create a small work of art to keep your place while reading. This program meets in-person. 3:00 – 4:00 pm

June 17: Mandala Pins – use floss and other craft materials to create a woven pin. This is a take-home kit – registration required.

June 24: Sewn Drawstring Bags – use a sewing machine to create a small drawstring bag. This program meets in-person. 3:00 – 4:00 pm

July 1: Tassel Keychain – create a small tassel keychain with craft materials. This is a take-home kit – registration required.

July 8: LED Flashlight – use a mini LED light, battery, and craft materials to make a small flashlight. This program meets in-person. 3:00 – 4:00 pm

July 15: Marble Maze – use craft and recycled materials to create a small marble maze. This project is a take-home kit, registration required.

July 22: Beaded Bracelets – try different knotting techniques to make a beaded bracelet.  This program meets in-person. 3:00 – 4:00 pm

July 29: Recycled Paper Baskets – use recycled newspapers to learn how to weave a basket. This is a take-home kit – registration required.

• Teen Baking Club:

MONDAYS June 10 – July 29; 5:00 – 7:00 pm 

Adventure, experiment, and taste the world of books through the Teen Baking Club. Held every other week on Monday evenings, we will explore recipes from popular Young Adult fantasy worlds while learning the basics of baking.

This program is geared for teens and tweens 11+ and is hosted in the library’s lower level kitchen from 5pm to 7pm.

• June 17: The Hunger Games – The basics with butter cookies and mix-ins
• July 1: Dune – Adding spice and flavor to baked goods
• July 15: Minecraft – Learn basic cake decorating with icing
• July 29: Studio Ghibli Finale – You pick! Vote on a treat to bake straight from the Ghibli universe

• Beginners Only 

TUESDAYS June 11 – July 30; 10:00 am

Have you ever wanted to try a new hobby, but it felt too intimidating to start on your own? That is the idea behind this group we will meet this summer in the spirit of trying new things! Registration required, as mentioned, some of these will require a fee to cover some of the materials’ cost which can be paid for in person before the event.  

• June 11: Flower Arrangements ($5 FEE)
• June 18: Drawing with Oil Pastels
• June 25: Watercolor Painting
• July 2: Mocktail Creations
• July 9: Sewing Machines
• July 16: Introduction to Language Learning Basics
• July 23: Sourdough Starter ($5 FEE) 
• July 30: Woodburning ($5 FEE) 

 

• Baby Playtime:

TUESDAYS June 11 – July 30; 11:00 am

Come enjoy a half hour of fun with your baby! We’ll share songs, finger plays, stories, and rhymes. Meet other parents and their babies, and enjoy some special time together. This program is intended for babies ages 0-18 months and will be held on Tuesdays, June 11 – July 30) at 11:00 am in the program room on our main level. Siblings are welcome, and only one registration is required for the series of eight playtimes, even if you can’t attend them all.

• Adventure Is…:

TUESDAYS June 11 – July 30; 3:00 – 4:00 pm

June 11 – Home Depot Build-It Kits: Join us at the library and bring your best building skills. We received building kits from our friends at Home Depot and you get to put these kits together using a hammer. Make sure to wear clothes that aren’t too fancy, they might get dust or paint on them. For children ages 5 & up. Registration is required.

June 18 – PPG Science Discovery: Join us at the library and enjoy a hands-on demonstration related to the science concepts that scientists use daily in their labs. Our friends at PPG will visit and invite participants to engage in interesting scientific principles. For ages 5 & up and their families. Registration is required.

June 25 – Home Depot Build-It Kits: Join us at the library and bring your best building skills. We received building kits from our friends at Home Depot and you get to put these kits together using a hammer. Make sure to wear clothes that aren’t too fancy, they might get dust or paint on them. For children ages 5 & up. Registration is required.

July 2 – Tree Pittsburgh: Join Tree Pittsburgh to find which birds and mammals use the forest by viewing signs they leave behind using replica skulls, scat, pelts, and binoculars, ID books, and a bird sound machine. For children ages 5 and up. Registration is required

July 9 – Graeter’s Ice Cream: A representative from Graeter’s Ice Cream will discuss the ice cream making process. We will make and decorate paper ice cream cones, and have samples of ice cream. All ages. Registration is required.

July 16 – Home Depot Build-It Kits: Join us at the library and bring your best building skills. We received building kits from our friends at Home Depot and you get to put these kits together using a hammer. Make sure to wear clothes that aren’t too fancy, they might get dust or paint on them. For children ages 5 & up. Registration is required.

July 23 – Nature Crafts: Join us at the library and make some crafts to take home. Use pinecones to make a bird feeder and peat pots to plant flower seeds. For children ages 5 & up. Registration is required.

July 30 – Home Depot Build-It Kits: Join us at the library and bring your best building skills. We received building kits from our friends at Home Depot and you get to put these kits together using a hammer. Make sure to wear clothes that aren’t too fancy, they might get dust or paint on them. For children ages 5 & up. Registration is required.

 

• Fresh Air Playtime and Storytime:

WEDNESDAYS June 12 – July 31; 10:30 am

THURSDAYS June 13 – August 1; 10:30 am

Every Wednesday and Thursday, 6/12 – 8/1; 10:30 am. Enjoy some toys and games before the start of our family storytime outside. You will need to bring a blanket or camping chairs to sit on the lawn outside. Bring a rattle or noise making toy as well. All ages.

 

• STEAM Outside:

WEDNESDAYS June 12 – July 31; 3:00 – 4:30 pm

Every Wednesday afternoon we will offer a STEAM activity outside, weather permitting. 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Registration is required. Ages 5 and up.

Week of June 12: Soap Making. You’ll get to choose different colors and scents for your own bar of soap.

Week of June 19: Poured Resin and Perler Beads. We will use resin to encapsulate a small perler bead creation into a unique coaster.

Week of June 26: Mosaics. Using tile and grout we’ll create a mosaic to display in our gardens

Week of July 3: Cardboard Creations. Join us in an adventure. Make a shield, helmet or tool out of cardboard and other materials.

Week of July 10: Block Printing. Using carving tools create stamps out of linoleum so you can put them together to create a pattern.

Week of July 17: Heat Press. We’ll use a heat press to transfer designs into t-shirts.

Week of July 24: Succulent Planting. Decorate a small pot and use it to transfer a succulent of your choosing.

Week of July 31: Kinetic Sand. Learn the basics of making kinetic sand. You’ll choose the color and glitter to add to your sand.

 

• Fandom of the Library

THURSDAYS June 13 – August 1; 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Each week we’ll celebrate these various fandoms with crafts and activities.

• June 13: Soccer
• June 20: Pixar
• June 27: Minecraft
• July 11: Professional Wrestling
• July 18: Nintendo
• July 25: Shark Week
• August 1: The Olympics

 

• Paper Art Projects

FRIDAYS June 14 – August 2

Fun and creative works of paper art that families can enjoy making together. This year, our prompts are based on (cute!) cryptids that you might spot while adventuring this summer! Each art kit includes instructions and paper supplies that will be available for weekly pick up inside the library’s lobby. Please call or register online to reserve a kit and note that each week is requested separately.

June 14: Jersey Devil

June 21: Flatwoods Monster

June 28: Mothman

July 5: Squonk

July 12:  Snallygaster

July 19: Loveland Frog

July 26: Dover Demon

August 2: Bigfoot

 

• Friday Cooking Club:

FRIDAYS JUNE 14 – AUGUST 2; 1:00 and 2:30 pm

Four adventurous meals will be created this summer. We will offer a new module every two weeks. 4 sessions of the same program will be offered in two consecutive Fridays. Session A will be at 1:00 pm and Session B will be at 2:30 pm. Participants can sign up to the time and date that is most convenient for each of our four modules. Ages: 7 & up. Registration will be available two weeks before the date of each program. 

All dates offer the two sessions: 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm

Module 1: Space Food Jam – Friday June 14 & Friday June 21

Module 2: Wild-Wild-West – Friday June 28 & Friday July 5

Module 3:  Around the World with a Picnic – Friday July 12 & Friday July 19

Module 4: Ocean Exploration – Friday July 26 & Friday August 2

 

• Drop-in Weekly Programming:

Each engaging activity will be available at the round table by the teen area during library hours. One new activity each week for all members of the family.

Week of June 10: Adventurous Coloring Pages. Enjoy a selection of coloring pages, pens and markers and spend some time just coloring with others.

Week of June 17: Best Explorer Award. Design a medal, jewelry or trophy to award to the best “______” explorer. Tell us what an explorer must do to earn this award.

Week of June 24:  Exotic Birds. You have encountered a new species of bird in your adventure. Create a tail for that exotic bird you saw.

Week of July 1: Adventurous Comic. Tell us a 3-panel story featuring some adventuring. It can be in Space the Jungle or even your own backyard!

Week of July 8: Write a Little Poem or Haiku. Use your poetic skills to write a short poem or haiku about an adventure.

Week of July 15: Paper Tulips. Create your own standing tulip out of paper

Week of July 22: Best Book/Worst Book. Let others know what you are reading this summer. Tell us about the best book you have read and why you loved it. Tell us about a book you didn’t like much and a reason why it wasn’t for you. Remember to be kind!

Week of July 29: Thumbprint Art. Use your thumbprint to draw an adventurer or explorer.

 

• Community Art Project:

Every other week we will set up a community created art installation. Library visitors will get the chance to add an element to every project when they visit the library.

Week of June 10: Paper Flower Arch

Week of June 17: Mushroom Forest

Week of June 24:  Space Landscape

Week of July 1:  Brick Wall

Week of July 8: Leaves in a Tree

Week of July 15: Paper Quilt

Week of July 22: Hot Air Balloon Race

Week of July 29: Excursion Under the Sea

 

• Summer Learning Bash: August 3, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Come and celebrate the end of our Summer Learning Program! Arrive promptly at 11:00 AM for a show and some entertainment at 11:30 am. We will host activities indoors & outdoors. We will have crafts and snacks. Do not forget your Summer Learning Program folder to claim your free book. Play games, make crafts, and enjoy a jump in the bouncy castle! We will offer tons of activities for the entire community to celebrate this accomplishment together.