Category: Programs – Children

Discover Your Summer Events & Activities

Join us for Discover Your Summer: Summer Reading decorating events, kickoff parties, crafts, and more! | All Ages

SUMMER READING CLUB CHALLENGE

June 21 – August 27 | All Ages

This summer, join our Discover Your Summer Reading Club to read and get rewards, enter raffles for prizes, and more! Click the button below to learn more.

Learn About Summer Reading Club!

Download our Summer Event Guides below!

Discover Your Summer: Drop-In Crafts!

August 9, 23, & 30 | Open Hours | Teens

Stop into the Central Library every other Tuesday between June 14 to Aug 30, to see what creative project is waiting for you.

At the following library locations: Central Library

Discover Your Summer: Crafts & Scavenger Hunts!

All Summer Long | Open Hours | All Ages

Check with your local library branch to see what activities, crafts, and scavenger hunts they have going on that week! Available while supplies last.

At All Library Locations

Summer reading Challenge accepted!

Wednesday, August 17
3:00-4:30 PM | All Ages

The Summer Reading Challenge is on! Join us for a monthly meet-up to enjoy some snacks and chat about the books that we’re reading – and what we’re excited to read next!

At the following library locations: East Forest Park Branch

How Many? How much? How heavy?

June 21 – August 27th | Open Hours | All Ages

Using your best guesses, guess how many, or how much, or how heavy are the items in our Guessing Jar. Twice a month there will be a new jar. Closest guess wins a small prize.

At the following library locations: Indian Orchard Branch

Summer Feeding = Summer Reading

Monday through Friday: June 27 – August 26th | All Ages Up to 18

Visit the library locations listed below for special activities, like gardening programs, food trucks visits, as well as delicious nutritious lunches for kids up to age 18!

For more information go to: www.homegrownspringfield.org

August Crafts for Children, Teens, and Families

Crafts and activities at the library in August! | Children, Teens, and Families

Sand and Sea art

Mason Square Branch – Reading Garden
Wednesday, August 3 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Ages 5-10 & Families

Join us for summer fun as we make a beautiful craft using sand and seashells.

Beach Drink Creations

East Springfield Branch
Wednesday, August 17 | 3:00-5:00 PM | Children & Teens

You don’t have to be at the beach to learn how to create these special drinks. Come try out a few and find out which one is your favorite!

Let’s draw Manga!

Brightwood Branch
Tuesday, August 16 | 5:00-6:00 PM | Teens

Do you love manga or anime? Do you love to draw? Then come on down to the Brightwood Branch for manga drawing and refreshments!

Sunshine Storytimes at Downtown Farmers Market – July & August

Soak up some sun, get your dancing shoes on, and listen to all sorts of amazing stories at the Springfield Central Downtown Farmer’s Market! | Children

Downtown Farmers Market
Every Friday in July & August | 11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Children

Soak up some sun, get your dancing shoes on, and listen to all sorts of amazing stories at the Springfield Central Downtown Farmer’s Market! We will have water bottles available to keep everyone hydrated. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen!

The Springfield Central Downtown Farmers Market is located at Tower Square Park (1447 Main Street.) For more information, visit their page.

Writing Fun Fridays

We’ll have a rotating selection of colorful materials for pre-writers and beginning writers including worksheets, stationery, writing prompts, easy mad libs and more! | Sixteen Acres | Children

Sixteen Acres Branch
Every Friday in June, July, & August
1:00-4:30 PM | Ages 2-7

Drop in for some fun Friday learning this summer! We’ll have a rotating selection of colorful materials for pre-writers and beginning writers including worksheets, stationery, writing prompts, easy mad libs and more.

Ideal for ages ages 2-7 with younger and older children welcome. Children 7 and under must be accompanied and consistently supervised by an adult.

Minecraft Clubs

Build, play, create – and battle zombies, of course! | Forest Park & Indian Orchard | Children & Teens

Minecraft Monday

Forest Park Branch
Mondays: August 22, September 19
3:30-4:30 PM | Ages 12-17

Join us at the Forest Park Library Monday afternoon for Minecraft adventures! Join our library server and explore the ever-expanding, world-building awesomeness of Minecraft!

Indian Orchard Minecrafters

Indian Orchard Branch
Saturdays: August 27, September 10 & 24 | 12:00-2:00 PM | Ages 10 +

Join us at the Indian Orchard Library for Minecraft at the Library, where we mine, craft, and trade Minecraft tips! Space limited to 8 participants so come early. Please call (413) 263-6846 for more information.

Makerspace Collaboratory Drop-In

There will be a variety of projects and experiments to get you and your family started exploring and creating! | East Forest Park | All Ages

East Forest Park Branch – Makerspace
Tuesdays | 2:00 – 4:30 PM | All Ages

From traditional crafts to digital tinkering, the East Forest Park Makerspace is your place to create, invent, and learn. Each week we will have a drop-in project or two based on a theme.

Want to learn more? Contact the East Forest Park Branch Library at (413) 263-6836.

Taste Test Tuesdays

Come sample new snacks every Tuesday at the Forest Park library! | Forest Park | Children and Teens

Forest Park Branch
Tuesdays | 3:30-4:30 PM | Children and Teens

Come sample new snacks every Tuesday at the Forest Park library! We’ll supply anything from international to limited edition or seasonal snacks – open to your suggestions. Ages 5-18.

Lunch Bunch Cooking Classes

Join us for cooking classes for tweens and for parents to learn to make easy healthy lunches! | Sixteen Acres | Children and Adults

Lunch Bunch – Tween Edition

Sixteen Acres Branch
September 17
11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 8-12

Are you a kid who wants to be more independent and find ways to cook for yourself? Join us to learn how to make fun, healthy lunches. For tweens ages 8-12. Classes limited to 10 participants and pre-registration is required.

Register on our online calendar.

Lunch Bunch – Parents

Sixteen Acres Branch
September 17
11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 18+

Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to making healthy, easy lunches for your children? Parents, join us to learn some fun ways to make healthy lunches. For parents ages 18+. Classes limited to 10 participants and pre-registration is required.

These programs are funded by a grant from LSTA.

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Read just one book a day to build a foundation for lifelong success. Prizes awarded for every 100 books! | Children

All Library Locations
Starts January 2022, ongoing

All it takes is sharing one book a day with your child to build a foundation for lifelong success. Start your child’s book journey today! The goal is to have read 1,000 books before your precious one starts kindergarten.

If you read just 1 book a day, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think. So, let’s get started!

How to Participate

Read with your child. Studies have shown that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding. Reading together is fun and will create life-long memories for the both of you.

Keep track of the number of books you read with your child. Ask your librarian for a paper log to start on your reading journey.

You may choose instead to log your books online using Beanstack. Visit our Beanstack website or download the app to log your books digitally. You can view Beanstack instructions here or ask a librarian on how to use it.

After each 100 books you read, visit your local Springfield City Library branch to collect your free book prize. After 1000 books, come in and get a tote bag!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in this program?
– Any child from birth until they enter kindergarten.

How long does the program take?
– The program will take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced and will depend on how often you read together.

Can we repeat books?
– Yes!

How many of my children can participate?
– All of them (provided they have not started kindergarten). Make it even more fun and read as a family!