This summer we are making a SPLASH with a variety of programs that fall under our Ocean of Possibilities summer reading theme. Some programs are drop-in while others require registration. Once all slots are filled a waiting list will form, so please do your best to only sign up for events that you can attend.
To see all our events in one place, follow our eventbrite page.
We can’t wait to see you @ the library!
These programs have been made possible by grants from the Branford Community Foundation,
Institute of Museum and Library Services and
the Friends of the Blackstone Memorial Library
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Storytimes for
Babies & Toddlers
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Stories & Music for babies up to 24 months
Wednesdays @ 10 AM 0r 10:45 AM | June 1 - August 17
In-person. Babies & their caregivers are invited to sign up for a gentle storytime of rhyming, movement & song. In order to keep classes small we are offering the same class back to back, so double check the time before registering.
10 AM Class 10:45 AM Class
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Stories Live for ages 3 to 5
Mondays @ 10 AM | June 6 - August 15
In-person. Children & their caregivers are invited to sign up for a program filled with singing, dancing, rhyming & stories! Interactive activities will be sprinkled in to reinforce preschool prep. Sign up here.
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Tuesdays are for Twos for ages 2 - 3
Tuesdays @ 10 AM | June 7 - August 16
In-person. Children & their caregivers are invited to sign up for a interactive program filled with singing, dancing, rhyming & stories! Each week will be something new along with your old favorites. Sign up here.
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Saturday Songs & Stories for ages 5 and under
Saturdays @ 10 AM | August 20
In-person. Join us once a month for a feel good storytime for the entire family. We will be sure to include songs, rhymes, books and instruments to get you moving and grooving. Sign up here.
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Page to Paper for grades K-2
Saturdays @ 2 PM - 3 PM | August 6
In-person. Get ready to get messy. Join us once a month for a different art project inspired by various picture books that go along with this summer's Ocean of Possibilities theme. During each session we will read a book from a specific author and then practice different art techniques inspired by the book’s illustrations. Sign up here.
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Commotion in the Ocean: a Theatre Workshop for grades K-2
Saturday August 6 @ 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM
In-person. Come and explore under the sea by discovering the types of animals that lie beneath with theater teacher Ingrid Schaeffer! Commotion in the Ocean will have you acting out the sounds and motions of crabs, dolphins, sharks and more. Ice breaker activities will be included along with a scavenger hunt. Previous acting experience is not necessary. Sign up here.
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Writing from the Wrack Line with Amy Bowers for grades 1-4
Saturday August 13 @ 10 AM - 12 PM OR
Monday August 15 @ 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
In-person. The wrack line is the ocean’s supplier of lost things! It’s where seaweed, shells & other treasures are left behind by high tide. It’s also the perfect place to find inspiration & that is why local writer Amy Bowers is using it as inspiration for this creative writing experience, where kids in grades 1-4 can compose their own stories about lost things. We’ll use a combination of reading, writing & hands-on activities to create our own stories, which would be perfect submissions for the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest!
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Beavers at Work for grades K-2
Tuesday August 16 @ 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
In-person. Wherever you are in Connecticut, beavers are always secretly at work building their own habitat and helping other animals in the process. Come learn about one of nature's most successful engineers and meet others that thrive because of their hard work. Construct your own dam and see if it can pass the “beaver” test! Sign up here.
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JUNIOR Teen Advisory Group for grades 5-8
Wednesdays @ 4 PM - 5 PM | August 10
In-person. Are you an intermediate student who loves books, crafts, games and making the world a better place? Consider joining our Junior Teen Advisory Group! This small counsel of dedicated middle-grade students volunteer to provide book reviews, vote on new purchase, prep for elementary grade programming and more. Sign up here.
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Gaming Cafe for grades 5-8
Tuesdays @ 4:00 PM - 5 PM | August 16
In-person. Join our gaming club where you can meet throughout the summer with a bunch of peeps to decompress, connect and laugh. Each month we will meet in-person to play a combination of multiplayer games that call for strategy, teamwork and plain old fun!
Sign up here.
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Mantel Stories for grades 5-8
Saturday July 30 @ 10 AM - 12 PM OR
Monday August 8 @ 3:30 - 5:30 PM
In-person. They say the author Mark Twain used to tell stories based on photos displayed on his fireplace mantel. With the help of local writer Amy Bowers, explore the library to find your own selection of lost photos. Then use a combination of reading, writing & other activities to create your own stories, which would be perfect submissions for the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest!
Saturday Class OR Monday Class
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Read to a Fish for all ages
starting Thursday June 23 but continuing all summer long
Drop-in event. Stop by the YS Department any time this summer to meet our new fish team members, housed in our 20 gallon aquarium! Children, teens & families are encouraged to get cozy near the tank & read a variety of fish tales, which will be on display all summer long. Working through your own book? No problem! Bring it with you & read aloud, the fish will thank you (they’re too wet to turn the pages themselves). While you’re here, submit a suggestion for the Fish Naming Contest!
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Summer Take -N- Makes for all ages
Tuesdays @ 9 AM - 8 PM | August 23
Drop-in event. The program with no schedule is back for another season, this time for grades K-12! If you’ve enjoyed our TeenCraft Events & Take-and-Makes in the past, this program is for you. Each month, we’re putting together a different craft kit with an underwater theme, No sign up is required but kits are limited. Drop by to pick one up while supplies last!
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StoryWalk on Main: Walk, Read and Write for all ages
On Display along Main Street Friday July 1 - Friday August 26
Drop-in event. This summer’s StoryWalk® on Main will embody all things creative! That’s right, this year’s book is wordless, so we’re putting a new spin on a beloved tradition by asking YOU to be the author while walking along Main Street and telling the story of Flotsam together! This event bridges walking, reading & writing! Want to share what you create? Submit your writing or art in the Flotsam Creative Writing Contest all summer long. All families participating will receive a creative writing journal while supplies last!
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Flotsam Creative Writing Contest for all ages
Accepting Submissions Friday July 1 - Friday August 26 @ 5 PM
Drop-in event. Participate in our StoryWalk®, then submit your own short stories, poems, or pieces of visual art based on walking and reading experience! Tell us a story about the whole book, the page you liked best, or even a graphic representation of what happens next. There’s an ocean of possibilities to explore in this creative contest! Submit your work throughout the summer at the YS Desk or at youthservices@blackstonelibrary.org. Prizes awarded at summer’s end!
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