Summer fun at County library branches is free of charge

Summer is always a busy time at the public library as children are freed from their school desks to drop by and enjoy the many offerings of their neighbourhood branch.

The active play room at the Picton Branch Library is a year-round hit, particularly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday storytimes. And it’s popular all day long on rainy or very hot days as children and their grown-ups look for somewhere to spend time (without spending money).

We’re so pleased to announce that this summer, a similar opportunity will be available at the Wellington Branch. On Saturday mornings, after 10:30 a.m. storytime is finished, the meeting room will be transformed into a gross motor play area. The Picton branch will share some of their resources like balance beams and wobble boards, and thanks to a generous benefactor new items are on their way, including a toddler slide, balance disc and more. We are also thinking of creative ways to have these resources available when the meeting room is not already reserved, so stay tuned.

STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) programs are always popular at the library and this year we’ll have weekly meetups where children can explore together. Each week on Tuesday, from July 7 through Aug. 25, drop in at 2 p.m. It all starts on July 7 with marshmallow architecture, where participants will check out pictures of famous buildings and then get creative replicating the designs.

Other weeks will include popsicle stick catapult building, squeegee painting and more – check out peclibrary.org to see the complete schedule or just drop in and find out what’s happening. All are welcome.

The flex space at the Picton Branch Library is a large, industrial style space, and we’re thrilled to have a unique children’s program planned for this summer.

Maria Serranno of Save the Wheels PEC will teach roller dance to children ages 9 – 12. Participants do not need any prior experience, just a willingness to try something new. Bring your own roller skates and safety gear. This program will be held weekly from July 30 through Aug. 20. Space is limited, register at peclibrary.org to reserve your spot.

Join us to sing, dance and learn with the Livi and Friends Liveshow. This performance, made possible by the Elderberry Fund (Sarah and David) will take place on Saturday, July 11 at 2:30 p.m. They joined us previously to rave reviews – a great show for the ages 2 – crowd.

Young readers can also participate in the TD Summer Reading Club by registering at any branch of the library. This year we have a sister library – the Rimbey Community Library in Alberta and we’re thrilled to say we’ll be “Reading to Alberta” this year. Every book read by a child represents one kilometre so join in the fun and help us reach our friends in Alberta. They’ll also be “reading to Prince Edward County” and issuing the same challenge to their readers.

Be sure to keep an eye on the library website calendar at peclibrary.org for more dates to be added.