Tag Archive for: Making

March 17–22: Spring Break Week Activities
Alisha

Spend Spring Break at the Library!

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The week of March 25th marks Spring Break Week for many of the schools in the Eau Claire community and the library’s Youth Services staff has all the fun things planned!  In addition to storytimes and Dabble Box Open Labs we’ll have special programs scheduled daily.  Can’t make it in for a scheduled program?  Come in to complete a scavenger hunt, play a game, or check out a great read, movie, video game, or activity from the Library of Things to take home.  Reservations can also be made for our Escape Room which will be available at specific times throughout the week.

Special programs for 6th grade and under include a Wings of Fire Celebration, Perler Beads craft program, Family BINGO, and Pokemon Club.  Teens in grades 7th-12th grades are invited to a Teen Switch Tournament, a Taylor Swift Eras Party, and the Teen Late Night.

Check out the full list with more details here!

Shannon

Winter Break Week!

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Winter Break is almost upon us, which means it’s time to head to the library for tons of extra fun! Kids, Teens, and their families are invited to join us during Winter Break Week  (December 26-30) for a flurry of seasonal activities.  

When you visit the library, you’ll find scavenger hunts, craft activities, and games all week long–just stop by the Youth Services desk (Level 1) for details. While you are there, ask about our Winter Library Programs (December 26–February 29)! Sign up for our Family or Teen program to earn a prize! Click here for full info. 

Of course, we also have some special events happening throughout the week. On Tuesday, December 26, join us for a Color Bash! Together, we’ll brighten up the shortest days of the year with some color. Explore light experiments, prisms, and colorful crafts, no registration required. Details here! 

Or if you prefer icy experiments and snowy crafts, visit us on Wednesday, December 27 for the Ice Bowl! Youth Pre-k through grade 6 will enjoy a cool afternoon excavating objects from ice, testing whether salt melts ice faster than vinegar, designing a snowflake, and more. Click here for all the details. 

Teens will also have a chance to get creative during Winter Break Week. Youth in grades 7-12 are invited to join us for a cozy afternoon of macrame and hot cocoa at Knotty & Nice on Wednesday, December 27. Projects are beginner friendly, and registration is required. For information and to register, click here. 

On Thursday, December 28, kids of all ages (and their grown-ups) are invited to stop in and play Family BINGO for fun and small prizes. This event is so popular, it’s offered twice in one day! No registration is required, please click here for times and details. 

Finally, on Friday, December 29, teens in Grades 7-12 will have an opportunity to make art they can eat at Teen Cookie Decorating! Using icing and sprinkles, teens will create a cookie masterpiece in the library’s cozy kitchen. Registration is required by clicking here. 

And, of course, we always offer books, movies, video games, maker kits, and so much more, so stock-up for chilly weather and family time. Be sure to stop down – we’re always happy to see you! 

Alisha

Mondays = Fundays this Summer!

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Mondays at the library this summer are going to be SO. MUCH. FUN!  With programs for grades K-6 on seven consecutive Mondays, there is something that will suit everyone’s fancy.  Arts and crafts enthusiasts will like the Upcycled Art or Explore with Paint programs.  Are you a fan of comic books?  Check out the Comic Book Bash!  Have you ever secretly wanted to send something over the library’s bridge from the second story down to the first?  Then come to the Zip Line program where we’ll build a creation to send down the one-story zip line.  Are your interests rooted in gardening?  Visit the From Seed to Plant program.  A Grossology program will be held for the strong-stomached, and science (and/or candy) fans will love our Candy Science program.

“Do I need to bring anything,” you ask?  Nope!  All materials will be provided, while supplies last.  Come to one or all!

See all of out summer activities at www.ecpubliclibrary.info/kids/summer2023

Schedule

June 12: Upcycled Art

June 19: Zip Line

June 26: Comic Book Bash!

July 3: From Seed to Plant

July 10: Grossology

July 17: Explore with Paint

July 24: Candy Science

Shannon

Hang Out in The Lookout!

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Have you been to The Lookout? It’s a space here at the Eau Claire Library meant just for our school age visitors! We were excited to add this area to Youth Services during our renovation, and we immediately filled it with all sorts of fun things to discover and do.
In The Lookout, you will find iPads loaded with tons of games, computers for kids and their grown-ups to use, a weekly Try-It Tray activity, art supplies, board games, a scavenger hunt, and various other special activities. And, since we are constantly thinking of new fun things to do, many of the activities change weekly—so you should find something new just about every time you are here. Make sure to check out The Lookout during your next visit to the library. It just might become your new favorite place to hang out!
Jill

The Tale of the Valentine’s Day Juice Box Robot

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Valentine’s treats for your kid, but make it crafty… and kinda healthy. That was the challenge that I set myself in 2014 when my son was 4. I saw an idea online to make a robot out of various kid-snacks, so I got out my glue gun and made it happen.

At the time I was making videos at work to showcase the library’s die cut collection. The Juice Box Robot used the small heart die cut, so I decided to record a quick how-to video for the Valentine’s treat. And the Valentine’s Day Juice Box Robot video was born! 9 years and almost 62,000 views later, we still get several calls or emails every January from people looking for the free printables.

So, what is the die cut collection? The library has over 500 individual wooden die cuts that cut through paper or other thin material to make shapes. The shapes can be used for bulletin boards, teaching aids, party decorations, cards and scrapbooking, and much more. The collection and machine are free to use and available anytime the library is open, just bring your own paper to cut.

What else can you make with the die cut machine? The sky’s the limit!

Stop by the Youth Services desk on your next visit to the library and ask for a tour of the Resource Room. We would be happy to show you how the die cuts can make your next project easier!

Watch the Valentine’s Day Juice Box Robot video…

Download our free printable Juice Box Robot templates…

YS Librarian

VIDEO: Make a Valentine’s Day Juice Box Robot

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Check out this cute Valentine’s Day Juice Box Robot! You can make this project for a fun Valentine’s Day treat using mostly healthy snacks and die cut shapes from the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library. Use the die cut machine any time the library is open. And it’s totally free, just being your own paper. Questions? Contact us at 715-839-5007 or ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us.

Download our free printable templates…

Color
www.ecpubliclibrary.info/kids/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/robot-labels-color.pdf

Black & White
www.ecpubliclibrary.info/kids/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/robot-labels-b-and-w.pdf

Shannon

Fold a One Page Book

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I love simple projects that lead to huge creative fun, and One Page Books fall firmly into that category. All you need for this project is a regular sheet of paper, a pair of scissors, and your imagination. The hardest part is deciding what to fill them with—you are bound to have tons of ideas. Luckily, they are so fast to make, there’s no need to choose: you can make a whole library of books in no time! Bonus: You can even make these books by repurposing paper from the recycling bin. Have fun!

 

Julia

Craft Round-up!

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Arts and craft projects are one of the most popular activities available for you and your family to do while visiting the library. The Youth Services staff is always looking for inspiration for new projects from our collection, trustworthy online resources and, of course, from one another. Here’s a round-up of projects from some of your favorite Youth Services staff to keep you busy while we are moving back downtown. Happy crafting!

Fold an origami friend with Ms. Shannon!

 

Learn to make DIY Butterflies with Ms. Jill!

 

Play the Monster Drawing dice game with Ms. Reid!

 

Make a mask with Miss Riss!

 

Build a town entirely out of paper!

 

Bonus Challenge! Draw a picture of your favorite animal on top of your head!

Jill

Boredom Busters

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When is the best time to play on a pogo stick? Springtime!

While spring isn’t here quite yet, Spring Break is fast approaching, and with it a whole week of your kids looking for something fun to do. Here at the library we have lots of books with activity, experiment, craft, recipe, and game ideas for kids of all ages. Check out some ideas here.

We also have some great activity and craft videos from past years that demonstrate fun ideas to do with your family. Even though materials are no longer available from the library for most of these videos, you can still gather materials around your house and plan a fun crafting session with your family. Check out the playlist here.

Finally, the library is planning a week of activities for Spring Break including special scavenger hunts, take and make activity bags while supplies last, live online storytimes, and our always popular Family Bingo Online program. Learn more here!

Jill

Art Week at the Library!

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Chase away the February blues with Art Week at the library! Most Eau Claire schools are off Thursday and Friday, so we are celebrating!

All week long, the Youth Services division will offer drop-in art stations and scavenger hunts in the library.

We are also hosting professional artist Dan Gogh who will be teaching two free art workshops online! The “Drawing Animals Workshop” is offered for elementary aged students, and tweens and teens in 5th grade can attend the “Drawing Manga Workshop.” Both are on Friday, February 25. Register here to receive the zoom link.

But, wait, there’s more!

On Thursday, February 24, join us on Zoom for Pajama Storytime Online at 6:30 p.m. Be sure to snuggle up in your snazziest PJs! This Storytime will feature bedtime stories, songs, and all the Storytime fun you’ve come to expect. Register here to receive the Zoom link.

And, of course, we always offer books, movies, video games, maker kits, and so much more, so stock-up for chilly weather and family time. Be sure to stop down – we’re always happy to see you!