Rock Buddies

This week we are making these adorable rock buddies! All you will need is a rock, yarn, two googly eyes, some liquid glue, felt, and a scissor.

You can also decorate your rock with some markers or paint if you’d like, and can just draw on the eyes and nose.

Cut up your yarn into little pieces to make the hair. Then glue them onto the rock where you want them. Next glue on the two googly eyes and cut a nose out of felt. You can also use the felt to cut other shapes and glue on. Let your rock dry!!

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.

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!!!

Spring Flowers

Before we move on from flowers, we are offering one last flower craft to remind us spring is arriving. For this one you will need a paper cup, a plastic spoon, liquid glue, yarn, old book pages, tissue paper, and a scissor. You can also choose to use paint, crayons, markers, etc. to further decorate your flower pot.

First, take your tissue paper and cut petal designs out so that you end up with 4-5 petals. Glue them onto the front of the spoon where it is concave). Then you will add glue to the center of the spoon and add your yarn in a spiral to create the flower center. Cut any excess yarn you don’t need.

While that dries, decorate your pot. The cup will be upside down. You can tear pieces of book pages to decorate your cup ( we also used our paper bags the take-n-makes come in), or if you want to paint or color it, feel free to do so! Once it is decorated, you will poke a small hole on the bottom of the cup in the center (which is now the top) and stick your spoon in there.

Paper Flowers

You will need a scissor, a paper circle template, colored paper in various patterns, and liquid glue to complete this project.

First, cut out your cardstock circle. Then you will take your colorful patterned paper and tear off petals. Glue the petals onto the cardstock in layers, starting on the outer edge of the circle and working your way towards the center. Included is a button to glue in the center, or you can cut out paper to use.

Shamrock Wands

You will need a paper straw, a shamrock cut out of green paper, streamer material (can be paper strips, string, ribbon, etc.), and glitter. You will need a scissor and liquid glue.

Cut your shamrock out and glue it to the top of your paper straw. Then cut the streamers and glue them on the back of the shamrock. Lastly, add glitter and let the wand dry.