Hammond Public Library - Programs for Youth

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Any outside organizations that are interested in bringing a group of 10 or more children, please contact Main Library to set up a visit for a program. (Call the Head of Youth Services at 219-931-5100, Ext. 330). Programs begin promptly at the time listed. If you are running late, please join us for the next program time.

Programs

During May, Youth Services is busy preparing for “Dig into Reading,” our Summer Reading

Program, which begins June 1 and runs through August 31. We are digging up tons of fun

for this summer, and we hope you will join us!

There are four separate youth program levels. See the Summer Reading page for details

of all four programs:

Early Literacy (newborns through age 2)
Read to Me (ages 3 to 5)
Primary (kindergarten through grade 3)
Intermediate (grades 4 through 6)

Below are dates, times and details of 90 youth programs offered this summer. Please join us!

Babies and Books (Ages 0 through 18 months) Thursdays at 10 a.m.

Join us on the following dates to hear stories and to learn new songs and rhymes to help your baby’s mind grow!

June 13, June 20, June 27
July 11, July 18, July 25
August 1, August 8, August 15

Tiny Tots (Ages 18 months through 2) Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

Join us on the following dates to sing songs, learn rhymes, and play!

June 13, June 20, June 27
July 11, July 18, July 25
August 1, August 8, August 15

2’s and 3’s (Ages 2 through 3) Thursdays at 11 a.m.

June 13 – Run into the library, and hear a story, do rhymes, and make a simple craft about a cute little mouse!
June 20 – Do you like vegetables? Join us this week to hear a story, sing songs, and make a simple craft about vegetables.
June 27 – Hop, hop, hop into the library this week to hear a story, sing songs, and make a simple craft about bunnies!
July 11 – Pavers, backhoes, excavators, OH MY! Who doesn’t love BIG MACHINES?! Join us this week for a story, songs, and a simple craft about big machines.
July 18 – It’s Beach Day at the library! Join us today for a story, songs, and a simple craft!
July 25 – Ahoy, Matey! It’s Pirate Day at the library. Come one down to hear a story, sing songs, and make a simple craft.
August 1 – We are playing with mud today! Come hear stories, sing songs, and make a simple craft!
*Note to parents: Please dress your child in play clothes.
August 8 – How does your garden grow? Join us for a story, songs, and a simple craft.
August 15 – Hear those dinosaurs ROAR! Join us for a story, songs, and a simple craft.

Little Listeners (Ages 3 through 5) Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

June 11 – Do you like to garden? Join us for stories and songs about gardening, and plant some seeds to take home!
June 18 – Who lives underground? Come find out with stories and songs about burrowing animals! Make your own worm home out of craft supplies!
June 25 – Let’s go to the beach! Come in for stories and song, and make an aquarium out of a paper plate!
July 9 – Aaarrrggghh me hearties! Join us for stories, songs, and make your own pirate hat, eye patch, and treasure!
July 16 – How big is the earth? Come find out by listening to stories and songs! We will also be making a smaller version of the earth to take home with you!
July 23 – It’s Big Machines Day at the library! Come hear stories, songs, and make your own license plate!
July 30 – Let’s take a journey through the ocean. Join us for stories, songs, and to make a marble starfish! *Note to parents: please dress your child in play clothes.
August 6 – It’s Dino Day at the library! Join us for stories, songs, and to make a Tyrannosaurus craft!
August 13 – It’s Mud Pie Day! Join us for muddy stories, songs, and to make mud pies!
*Note to parents: Please dress your child in play clothes.

Kids Can 2! (Ages 6 through 8) Tuesdays at 1 p.m.

June 11 – Dirt to Grow On – Dig into different types of gardens, play a game, and make a carrot hanger.
June 18 – Wiggly Worms – Learn about nature’s little dirt mover, the worm, play a wiggly worm game, and create your own worm to take home!
June 25 – Do You Gnome? – Learn all about these little lawn creatures through games and activities. You will also design your own gnome!
July 9 – Digging Up the Old Guys – Dig into prehistoric times by discovering facts about dinosaurs! Can you piece together a dinosaur? Come find out, and make your own!
July 16 – Ants, Ants, and More Ants! – Come find out how much fun ants can be! You will also play games and create your own picnic placemat.
July 23 – Are You Crabby? – Learn all about hermit crabs, including having them as your pet! If a real one doesn’t interest you, you will get to make one out of paper!
July 30 – Oh, It’s a Troll Thing! – Hear stories about these little tricksters, and design a troll for a Summer Reading mural!
August 6 – Go Digging for Gold – Pan for and learn all about gold. Play golden games and make a coin bag to take home.
August 13 – Let’s Get Digging – Wrap up Summer Reading by playing favorite games, enjoying a wormy dessert, and designing a fluorescent worm to take home.

Just for Tweens (Ages 9 through 13) Mondays at 2 p.m.

June 10 – Get the Dirt on Dirt – Discover how dirt is made and its importance to humans. Play a game, and plant a sesame garden to take home.
June 17 – It’s Time to Spud It – Experiment with potatoes, and try to pass the chip test!
June 24 – Ahoy, Mates! – Enjoy being a pirate and scavenge around the library for hidden treasure. Learn pirate-y habits, and make a parrot craft to take home!
July 8 – Oh, Those Mummies – Dig up fun facts about Egyptians! Wrap up like a mummy, learn a new alphabet, and create a craft in hieroglyphics.
July 15 – Are You a Warrior? – Learn about China’s Terracotta Soldiers, and design one of your own from clay.
July 22 – Do You Like Money? – Dig up facts, stories, and mysteries about U.S. currency. Create your own coin, and tell its story.
July 29 – King or Queen for the Day – Here’s your chance to learn the ceremonies, foods, and traditions of a King and a Queen. Draw your own land decree, and design your own crown!
August 5 – Everything is Rock Solid – Read hard, solid, and fun facts about rocks, gems, and crystals. You’ll even get to take home your own pet rock!
August 12 – The Dirt of it All – Wrap up Summer Reading by playing games, dancing, and decorating a wall-worm for your home.

Tween Lego Club (Ages 9 through 13) Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Do you think you can build the biggest and best dinosaur? Join us on the following dates to do just that! All dinosaurs will be displayed for a contest at the end of summer.

June 12, June 19, June 26
July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31
August 7, 14

Tween Science Club (Ages 9 through 13) Thursdays at 2 p.m.

June 13 – Do you like science? Join us each week for something different and exciting! This week we will plant seeds so we can watch them grow during the summer. We will also make a garden journal.
June 20 – Have you ever thought about starting a rock collection? Join us to find out how to get started! Tweens are encouraged to bring a rock with them!
June 27 – Ever wonder who lives underground? Join us to learn about burrowing animals and play “Predator or Prey.”
July 11 – Ever wonder how fossils are created? Come find out, and make your own fossil to take home!
July 18 – So, you think you can be an archaeologist? Join us to test your ability as one!
July 25 – How are crystals formed? We will be making 3 types of crystals this week for you to take home. *Note: Crystals will be ready to take home the following week.
August 1 – What is in our soil? Tweens are asked to bring in a sample of soil for experimentation.
August 8 – What causes a volcanic eruption? We will recreate different types of volcanoes.
August 15 – Have you ever tried panning for gold? Join us to give it a try! We will also have a show-and-tell of our rock collections, and make final observations of our plants from the first week.

Reader’s Theater (Ages 6 through 13) Thursdays at 3 p.m.

June 13 – Do you like to act? Do you like to create? This summer, the Reader’s Theater Group will be performing How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long. Join us for more information! *Note to parents: Please join us as well at the beginning of this first session.
June 20 – Have you ever thought about being a pirate? This week we will start reading lines for our performance in August. Don’t worry if you don’t want a speaking part, we have something for everyone!
June 27 – There is still time to join Reader’s Theater! Come and see how much fun we are having! This week we will start making a commercial to advertise our performance in August.
July 11 - Are you creative? Do you like to make things? Come to Reader’s Theater to start working on our set for our performance in August.
July 18 – Lights, Camera, Action! This week we will be making our commercial to promote our performance of How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long in August.
July 26 – Time to get crafty! Join us as we make our flyers and tickets for our August performance.
August 1 – It’s rehearsal time! Join us to rehearse for our performance in August.
August 8 – Join us for our first dress rehearsal with props and costumes!
August 15 – It’s almost time for the big performance! This program will be our final dress rehearsal.
Saturday, August 17 – At 2 p.m., our Reader’s Theater Group performs How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long.

Summer Movies (Ages 6 through 13) Fridays at 1 p.m.

Free popcorn while supplies last.

June 14: Holes
June 21: A Bug's Life
June 28: Dinosaur
July 12: Gnomeo and Juliet
July 19: Land Before Time
July 26: James and the Giant Peach
August 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
August 9: Hoot
August 16: How to Eat Fried Worms

Special Programs

Saturday, August 17: Join us at 2 p.m. as Reader's Theater performs How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long.
Saturday, August 31: Celebrate the end of Summer Reading with a bash! Play games, make crafts, and have from from 2 to 4 p.m.