Youth Summer Reading Club at the library will run from June 22—July 31. Things are going to be a little bit different this year as much of the library building remains closed, but there will still be reading records, stickers, guessing jars, crafts, prizes and more. Instructions and self-serve activities await you in the library foyer and yard. Go to the Youth Services Page for detailed information and please visit as often as you can this summer.
Youth Summer Activities at the library will also run from June 22—July 31. The library building may or may not be opening to the public during this time period, but visitors will be welcomed into the foyer space to participate in the Youth Summer Reading Club, to pick up books, and for instruction regarding the activities below. Please follow the current safety guidelines which include wearing a mask while inside public spaces and distancing from others. If there are others in the foyer when you arrive, please wait until they exit to go in yourself.
StoryWalk® A StoryWalk is an outdoor reading experience that reveals a story page by page as the reader follows the StoryWalk route. There will be a new StoryWalk set up around the library grounds each week. So come take a walk, read a book!
Take & Make Crafts Six weeks of DIY crafts! Stop by the Library foyer to pick up a take & make craft bag. Inside each bag you will find all or most of the parts, and the instructions you’ll need to create something new each week.
Outdoor Activities Each week we’ll put out directions and supplies for a new adventure around the library, park and/or town. We might send you on a scavenger hunt or perhaps invite you to add to some outdoor art.
Guessing Jars While you’re picking up your books, craft bag and getting your reading club charm in the foyer, don’t forget to make a guess. A new jar will appear on the foyer table each week along with a poster of winners from the week before. Winners go home with a book from the prize box.
Storytime Bags We’ve made storytime at your house easier than ever. We have put together eight themed Storytime Bags. Each Storytime Bag contains books, songs, rhymes and a craft/activity. Themes include: Pets; Gardens; Counting; Things that Go; Friends; Seasons: Silly Books and Camping. Request one of the bags today by calling or emailing.
Online Resources Visit the Richmond Free Library Youth Services page to connect with TumbleBooks for a fun, gently animated picture book storytime and Storyline Online to hear great children’s authors and other celebrities reading aloud from fabulous picture books. Here you will find links to other great youth sites as well including resources for elementary-aged and older youth.
Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel is currently set up around the library grounds. Follow the Storywalk route from the front of the building to the rear and find out for yourself if Owl, who loves both his upstairs and his downstairs, is able to figure out a way to be both places at once. The story will be set up for the month of September so there’s lots of time to round up your favorite kids and take a field trip to the library. If you didn’t bring a little person to one of the June, July or August walks, don’t miss out on this one.
