Join us for Family Story Time at the Library! We read stories, do activities and play together!
This event is geared toward preschool aged children. Register to reserve your spot here Eventbrite Story Time registration
Gingerbread Craft
You will need crayons or markers, a scissor, glue, and various decorations like buttons, craft paper, pipe cleaners, etc. Whatever you would like to decorate your gingerbread with.
Here is the template. Cut out your gingerbread either on brown paper or just color it. Then start decorating. You can also design a house with a brown paper bag or just draw one!
Bees
For this craft, you will need a black piece of paper, yellow yarn, white paper, google-eyes (or just draw your own), glue, a scissor, and crayons (if you would like to add more details).
Trace a round object on your black paper to create a circle and cut it out. Cut three marks on either side of the circle, only cutting in a little bit. Take your string and wrap it around the body of the bee to make its stripes. You can tie it off on the back or just tuck it in. Then glue on the google-eyes. Next, take the white paper and cut out two wings. You can color them however you wish. Glue them on the back of your bee.
Ice Sensory Play
For this craft we included various textured objects to include in an ice sensory play experience. You can use the red cup to freeze your objects if you would like, or find other sized containers to use. All you will need is water, food coloring (not required, but a fun addition), utensils to dig with, and a freezer!
Place your objects how you wish in the container you are freezing them in. Then add water (and food coloring, if using) and freeze. When they are frozen, take the ice outside and play! You can dig out objects, watch them melt, speed things up with warm water, etc. The whole point is to experiment and explore.
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!
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!
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.
