While researching fun activities at libraries across America I have discovered such fun activities. Check your local library to see what they are doing this summer and get out of the heat and have some FUN!

I expected to find a Baby and Preschool story time at my local library, but in addition to that, I found a fun activity where they begin with Animal Yoga and stretch and move through a variety of different animal poses then followed by a story time with books, songs, finger plays and ends with another activity at the end.

Here are some fun ideas that are all part of “Summer Reading Programs” that I found while checking out local libraries:

• Preschool Dance Party with kids dancing to the Peppermint Twist

• Book Keeper Book Store- every Thursday the Friends of the Library open their store for 3.5 hours to sell books, book bags, and book related gifts- proceeds go to the library

• Play with Your Food – create your own portrait from cut up magazines pictures of fruits and vegetables

• Giant Candyland – the library is turned into a giant Candyland playing board – the winner wins candy!

• Seeds of Change – learn what it takes to make a garden thrive and create your own art garden pot to take home… or fill it with chocolate mud and scoop up treats

• Tween Book Club – are you a ‘tween who loves to read- check out your library to see what it has to offer

• Kids’ Writers Workshops- write stories, essays or poems to be published. This creative writing workshop is once a week all summer

• Tasty Anime T-shirts – paint some cook anime designs on t-shirts with glow paint. Red about pocky and sushi in some of your favorite manga books. Learn to write your name in Japanese

• Shrinky Dinks – a classic craft that never goes out of style- shrink drawings to 1/3 their original size

• Second Saturday Sensory Storytime – a special storytime for kids with Autism and/or sensory disorders, featuring songs, stories, sensory activities and interactive materials

• Lego Block Party – this library has tons of Legos and Duplos and they want you to come play with them- bring your parents, brothers, sisters and grandparents. Have fun creating!

• Hungry as a Bear for Books – Delicious books are in this Teddy Bears picnic

• A Feast of Song – learn some old familiar songs such as “On Top of Spaghetti” and other food songs

• Marshmallow Ballistics – build your catapult, and launch marshmallows at the unsuspecting tower of cups across the room

• Family Game Night – playing board games is fun, and quality time helps kids with their literacy skills

• Pajama Storytime – everyone comes in their pajamas and have the opportunity to bond with your kids over storytime

• Button Making Party – use colored paper, markers and magazine cut-outs to make custom badges

• Kendama Club – become a “dama” enthusiast. Learn tricks and advance your skills

• Movie Matinee – bring your own snacks and come watch a movie at the library

• Star Party – enjoy the night sky and view the moon, Saturn, the constellation Hercules and more

• Magna Magnets – use recycled bottle caps and old magna to make magnets

Stop by your library to pick up some summer reading, but also to check out the fun activities.