Category Archives: Events

Summer Reading Wrap-up

Events,

Thanks again to everyone who was part of our summer reading program this year.  Special thanks to Casey’s, The Leather Guy, The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, and Conquer Ninja Gym for donating prizes!  Thanks to Tri-City United Community Education for partnering with us for the popular eagle program!

Thanks also to our great volunteers, the grown-ups who bring their young ones to our events, and particularly to every kid who participated!  We had 287 sign up, which is a great number.

We have given away all of our grand prizes baskets and hope that everyone had a good time and maybe even learned something, whether they won or not.  We captured pictures of a few happy faces.

Don’t stop reading!

Summer Reading Week Six

Events, , ,

This is it, the final week of summer reading 2022.  We hope you have been enjoying it as much as we have.  Be sure to bring your booklets in by 2:00 on Saturday to get all the grand prize entries you have earned.  Winners will be notified on Monday.

Maker Monday

We will make fun and tasty fruit and vegetable bugs.

Teens & Tweens Thursday 

We will make fun and tasty fruit and vegetable bugs.

Coding Club will not be held this week.

Ice Cream Social

Join us at Sticha Park at 12:00 noon on Friday for free ice cream!

Summer Reading Week Five

Events, , ,

There’s still lots of fun to be had with the summer reading program as we enter our next-to-last week!

Maker Monday

 

We will make fun clothespin dragonflies, match animal tracks and make yummy rainbow sprinkle pretzels.

National Eagle Center Event

Join us Tuesday at 11:00 am at the TCU Lonsdale Elementary School for a presentation with a live eagle.

Teens & Tweens Thursday

We will make a god’s eye craft.

Coding Club

Learn coding for ages 8-12 and 13+.  Please bring your own device if you have one.

Pre-school Storytime

Enjoy stories and other fun for ages 3-6 with a cowboy theme.

Drop-in Crafts

Make a eagle puppet and a loon collage.

Summer Reading Program Week Three

Events, , ,

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already finished two weeks, but there are four weeks to go.  There’s still plenty of time to sign up!

Maker Monday

We will write our names with natural materials.  If you want to bring along small amounts of grasses, leaves, or other natural materials to use, feel free.  Please only harvest with permission; don’t pull up your neighbor’s flowers.

We will also have a trail mix bar.  There will be no nuts or peanuts, but we can’t guarantee everything was produced in a nut-free facility.

Toddler Storytime

Our monthly storytime for ages 18 months to 3 years with a baby theme.

Teens & Tweens Thursday

We will make beautiful handmade journals.

Coding Club

There is no leader for Coding Club this week.  If you want to get together to work on your projects, you may, but there will be no one to guide you.

Preschool Storytime

Enjoy stories and crafts for ages 3-6 with an Independence Day theme.

Drop-in Crafts

We will have a cool 3-D paper campsite and a campfire craft for you to put together.

Summer Reading Program Week Two

Events, ,

Summer reading program is off to a great start!  We saw lots of you on week one and hope to keep the momentum going for week two.  Haven’t registered yet?  There’s still lots of time!  Come on in and bring your friends!

Maker Monday

We will craft a paper plate camping scene that goes from day to night and a 3-D tent.  We might also sing some camp songs if anyone will sing along.

Teens & Tweens Thursday

We will make a very cool leather bookmark.  You don’t want to miss this one!

Coding Club

Learn coding for ages 8-12 and 13+.  Please bring your own device if you have one.

Summer Camp Escape Room

We have slots available Thursday at 2:00 and 3:30; Friday at 11:30, 1:00, 2:30 and 4:00; and Saturday at 10:30 and 12:00.  Please call the library ahead of time to sign up.  Limit of 5 per session.  Recommended for ages 10 and up.

Storytime

Princesses!

Drop-in Crafts

Make a camp necklace and a s’mores headband.

 

Summer Reading Week one part two

Events,

As we wind down our first week of summer reading  2022, let’s look back at what we’ve done already.

 

Kickoff Cookout

We had a FANTASTIC turnout for our first day event.  We signed up 89 kids and served 140 hot dogs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maker Monday

Flower Power: Helping Bees and Butterflies

Kelly from 4H gave a great talk on pollinators and everyone went home with a plant!

And that’s not even including Teens & Tweens, Coding Club, storytime or the cool drop-in crafts.  We’ve got five more weeks to go!

Summer Reading Program Week One

Events, , , , , ,

Week one is actually more than a week, since we start on a Friday, but please play along.  You can sign up for the summer reading program starting on June 10th or any day after that until July 22nd.  Here’s what’s happening just in the first week!

Friday, June 10 at noon: Kickoff Cookout at Sticha Park

Eat hot dogs and chips, drink lemonade, sign up for the summer reading program and get a free book!  All ages.

Monday, June 13 at 2 pm: Maker Monday

For our first week, we will make egg carton bees and butterfly rings.  Plus, we will have a bee relay race.  Best for ages 6-10.

Wednesday, June 15 at 1:00 pm: The Power of the Flower:  Helping Our Bees and Butterflies

Educators from the Rice County Extension Department will present a program about the importance of pollinators, including a craft and a plant to take home!  Best for ages 5+.

Thursday, June 16 at 11:30 am: Storytime with Chione Quintet

Join us for a special musical storytime based on Twin Cities author Ka Vang’s Shoua and the Northern Lights Dragon.  All ages.  (This event was rescheduled.  This is the correct day and time.)

Thursday, June 16 at 1:00 pm: Teens and Tweens

For week one, we are making workout headbands from old t-shirts.  Bring your own t-shirt if you have one in a cool color.  We will also have some at the library, but they may not be cool.  Best for ages 11+.

Thursday, June 16 at 2:00 pm: Coding Club

Learn coding by working on self-directed projects.  Ages 8-12 can learn Scratch or Dot and Dash robots.  13 and up may learn Python or advanced projects.  Bring your own device.   (If you are interested but don’t have a device, contact the library and we will try to arrange use of one for you.)  Best for ages 8+.

Friday, June 17 at 10:30 am: Storytime

Every week we have a pre-school storytime with books, fingerplays, songs and crafts. This week’s theme is princesses.  Best for ages 3-6.

Drop-in crafts

Each week we will also have a drop-in craft to do in the library anytime.  Week one we have a toilet paper roll bee and a mix and match flower.

Kim Todd author tour

Events, , ,

Join us Tuesday, June 14th at 7:00 pm for Minnesota author Kim Todd.  You don’t need to have read the  book to enjoy her presentation about pioneering female reporters who dared to tell the truth.

Kim Todd, Ph.D., is known for her award-winning storytelling about science, nature, and history.  Her most recent publication, Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s “Girl Stunt Reporters,” is a 2022 MN Book Awards Finalist.

Summer Reading Program Grand Prize Baskets

Events, , ,

When you sign up for the summer reading program, you get a chance to enter a drawing for one of these grand prize baskets.  Earn more entries by filling out your reading log.

This year there are 14 different baskets!  Numbers in parentheses are suggested ages, but choose whatever you like.  (Please note: some items may be a choking hazard for younger children.  Use caution.)

 

  1. BATH FUN (0-4)
    Octopus bath toy
    Dragon bib
    Sand toys
    Penguin stuffed animal
    Mermaid rubber duck
  2. ANIMAL FUN (18 months-4 years)
    Leapfrog 100 Animals
    Fox stuffed animal
    Beach ball
    Green Frisbee
    Sidewalk chalk
  3. HERO FUN (3-8)
    Paw Patrol fire truck
    Patriot beanie baby
    Dirt bike toy
    Green sunglasses
    Blue jump rope
  4. NATURE FUN (3-8)
    Binoculars
    Bug catching kit
    Stuffed hedgehog
    Yellow dinosaur Frisbee
    Yellow jump rope
  5. MUSEUM FUN (4-8)
    Children’s Museum of Southern MN passes
    Trolls World Tour coloring pack
    Dog stuffed animal
    Red Frisbee
    Watermelon sunglasses
  6.  ART FUN (6-14)
    Window art kit
    Modeling clay
    Squishy Palz
    Purple jump rope
    Natural branch pencil
  7.  GAMING FUN (7-11)
    Minecraft Uno game
    Two paracord bracelets
    Slinky
    Camping stickers
    Natural branch pencil
  8. FASHION FUN (8-15)
    Hair chalk
    Pink unicorn stuffed animal
    Daisy novelty glasses
    Natural branch pencil
    Rainbow splash ring
  9. CAMPING FUN (8-14)
    S’mores Squishmallow
    Camping stickers
    Unicorn paddleball
    Goofy string
    Natural branch pencil
  10. OUTDOOR FUN (8-16)
    Nerf gun
    ATV toy
    Camping stickers
    Tire splash ring
    Natural branch pencil
  11. WIMPY KID FUN (9-12)
    Diary of a Wimpy kid book
    Diary of a Wimpy kid bag
    Camping stickers
    Mandalorian coloring pocket activity
    Natural branch pencil
  12. SUMMER CAMP FUN (10+)
    Burt’s Bees lip shimmer
    Read Beyond the Beaten Path book light
    Camp iRead reflector
    Plastic boomerang
    Natural branch pencil
  13. NINJA FUN (10+)
    Conquer Ninja gym passes (not pictured)
    Read Beyond the Beaten Path water bottle
    Camping stickers
    Blue shark Frisbee
    Natural branch pencil
  14. DRAWING FUN (11+)
    Drawing pens
    Sketch book
    Fluffy rainbow pen
    Planner stickers
    Natural branch pencil