Clothespin Monsters!!

All you will need for this craft is a scissor, pipe cleaner, clothespin, embroidery thread, googly eyes, and liquid glue!!

Decide what you want the monster to look like and wrap the pipe cleaners where you need their arms and ears to be, make sure to leave them long enough so you can fold them over at the ends to their hands aren’t sharp.

Open your peg and close it on the end of your thread so it is stuck in place and start wrapping.

If you want to change colors, just cut your thread and tie the new color on, then keep wrapping.

To finish off, tie the thread neatly and put a blob of craft glue to help the knot stick to the peg.

Add some eyes with the glue and you are all set!

Mindful Breathing Sticks

These instructions are to make two mindful breathing sticks. Keep them both or give one to a friend! You will need 2 pipe cleaners and 12-16 pony beads.

First, take one of your pipe cleaners and bend the end up so the beads don’t fall off. Then string 6-8 beads on your pipe cleaner and bend the other side once you are finished. Repeat on your second pipe cleaner.

To Use:

Gently slide one bead to the opposite end of the stick as you inhale slowly and then exhale.

Repeat moving the beads and taking deep breaths until you have moved all the beads from one end to the other.

Repeat the whole activity until you feel calm and relaxed.

Button Tic-Tac- Toe!

Tuesday Take-n-Makes are back!! We will put a new craft kit out every Tuesday by 1 pm. They are free to take and our only activity that registration is not required for. We have a limited quantity, so first come, first serve.

You will need markers ( paint if you want to decorate rocks), a paint chip or a small square of cardstock paper, a mini cloth bag, and 10 buttons or rocks (Any found objects will work as your game pieces).

First, take your card stock square and draw the tic-tac-toe lines. Use another piece of paper to create a straight edge. Then decorate your bag however you wish. Once you are done, it is time to play tic-tac-toe! If you wanted to personalize it even more you could gather small rocks and paint them as your game pieces instead of the buttons. Your bag will keep everything together if you’d like to take it with you!

Summer Events at the Library

Here is an updated calendar of the events we are offering this summer at the Bowman Regional Public Library! Please note: due to limited space and supplies, registration is required. You may register by calling us at 701-523-3797 or emailing us at bowlib@gmail.com. Each event will run twice so be sure to specify which day/time you are registering for.

Calling or emailing is the best way to secure your registration, as social media comments and messages may be accidentally missed, and we cannot guarantee that they will be received in time if events fill up fast.

  • First off, Summer Reading has begun, and we have fun challenges for all ages. You may grab a challenge to track on paper at the library, or head to bowmanlibrary.beanstack.org to participate online! Read books, track your progress, and earn prizes along the way! Summer Reading challenges will run until August 8th.
  • Next, we will be bringing back our Tuesday Take-n-Makes in June! Every Tuesday by 1 pm a new craft will be put out in our Take-n-Make bin in front of the library. (This is the only event that doesn’t require registration, as these crafts are first come, first serve. ) They are just free to take and available for all ages! We will continue these throughout the summer and post all instructions here on the blog!

Thursday, June 2nd: Junior Master Gardener- Lettuce Garden 11am-11:45am (Ages 5-12) Max 10 spots available, Teen Open Studio 3pm-4:30pm ( Ages 13+) Max 5 spots available

Monday, June 6th: Jr. Master Gardener-Lettuce Garden 4pm-4:45pm ( Ages 5-12) Max 10 spots available, Adult Open Studio 1pm-2:30pm ( Ages 18+) Max 10 spots available

Tuesday, June 7th: Tuesday Take-n-Makes available by 1pm out front of the library in the bin. Free for all! (No registration required)

Thursday, June 9th: Jr. Master Gardener- Butterfly Water Station 11am-11:45am (Ages 5-12) Max 10 spots available, Teen Open Studio 3pm-4:30pm (Ages 13+) Max 5 spots available

Monday, June 13th: Jr. Master Gardener- Butterfly Water Station 4pm-4:45pm (Ages 5-12) Max 10 spots available, Adult Open Studio 1pm-2:30pm ( Ages 18+) Max 10 spots available

Tuesday, June 14th: Tuesday Take-n-Makes available by 1pm out front of the library in the bin. Free for all! (No registration required)

Thursday, June 16th: Family Story Time at the Museum 10:30am-11:15am (Pre-K) Max 15 spots available

Monday, June 20th: Adult Junk Journals 1pm-2:30pm ( Ages 18+) Max 5 spots available

Tuesday, June 21st: Tuesday Take-n-Makes available by 1pm out front of the library in the bin. Free for all! (No registration required)

Thursday, June 23rd: Teen Junk Journals 3pm-4:30pm (ages 13+) Max 5 spots available

Monday, June 27th: Adult Junk Journals 1pm-2:30pm (Ages 18+) Max 5 spots available

Tuesday, June 28th: Tuesday Take-n-Makes available by 1pm out front of the library in the bin. Free for all! (No registration required)

Thursday, June 30th: Teen Junk Journals 3pm-4:30pm ( Ages 13+) Max 5 spots available.

Book Club Picks

For the summer, we will be reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir for our adult book club. The discussion for this book will take place in August. There are copies available at the library front desk. Enjoy your summer!!!

Summer Reading 2022

Summer Reading is finally here!!! We have challenges for every age. Track your summer reading and earn prizes along the way! Each challenge has a paper version or you can track it all online at https://bowmanlibrary.beanstack.org.

Here is a little bit about each challenge being offered:

Pre-K: Complete the Activity Bingo card by choosing to read books to your child in ways that fit each of the 9 prompts. Once you have completed all 9, a blackout, turn it in, or contact the library to receive a prize! (Paper Version can be picked up at the front desk.)

Ages 5-12: Track 20 hours of summer reading and complete the included Activity Bingo card and earn prizes along the way! (Paper version can be picked up at the front desk.)

Ages 12-17 (Teens): Set your own reading goals and smash them! Once completed, contact the library for a prize! (Paper version can be picked up at the front desk.)

Ages 18+ (Adults): Read 6 books, each book having an option of 3 different keywords. You must pick a title that includes one of the keywords for each book. (Check out our new display for the paper version and some ideas to get you started!)

Paper Fans

Please note that we will be taking a break from the weekly take-n-make crafts for the month of May. This is so we can get ready for our summer reading program and find some creative new ideas! We will pick them back up again in June!! So stay tuned for our schedule of events!!

For this craft, you will need two square pieces of paper, two popsicle sticks, and glue.

First, decide if you would like to decorate your pieces of paper or draw designs on them. Then accordion fold each piece of paper. (See pictures for reference.) Once they are accordion folded, fold each piece in half. Glue them together so they make a half-circle. Then, add glue to both sides of a popsicle stick and tuck it into the nearest fold at the end. You can then glue the fold shut. You may need to hold it tight for a few seconds, along with any of the other seams you glued to be sure they are sealed shut. Then do the same on the other side. Now you can open and close your fan!

Egg Shakers

You will need 1 plastic egg (filled with either beads, rice, beans, or something that will make noise and hot glued shut), decorative tape, markers, and two plastic spoons.

Decorate your filled and sealed egg and spoons however you wish. . Then you will tape a spoon on either side of the egg, covering the glue. Add more tape on the handles. See the picture for reference. Enjoy your shaker!

Cloud Squishy

You will need white paper, cotton, clear tape, a scissor and markers.

First, fold your white paper in half. Draw a cloud design on one half and cut it out so you have two.

Next, make a face for your cloud with the markers. Do this on the top cloud you cut out. Then you will tape over the first cloud with the clear tape so that there is tape hanging over all the edges.  Cut the tape closer to the cloud so that your tape makes an outline of the paper cloud. It doesn’t have to be much, just enough tape all the way around, in your cloud shape, to fold over the cloud after the next step. You will then cut little slits in the tape all the way around. The trick is to make them close together and cut all the way to the paper edge. (This will make little strips of tape and help you fold them over the paper edge of the cloud, connecting the front and back of the cloud together.)

Here is how the little strips will look before being folded over.

Line up the duplicate cutout of the cloud with the first so that you can fold each small strip of tape over.  Be sure to leave the top open though, for now, so we can add the cotton and fill the cloud. Make sure your remaining tape stays out of the way of the cotton as you stuff the cloud. Otherwise, it will not stick. So it is best to fill the cloud with small bits of cotton at a time. Once you have carefully stuffed the cloud, finish folding the last strips of tape over to seal it up. Enjoy your squishy!!!