ABC ACTIVITY TIME
ONCE UPON A TIME!-D3 (Dance, Drama, Draw)
Friday, June 28th, July 19th & August 9th 10:00 AM TWO’S, PRESCHOOL Drop in playtime including sensory activities, fine and gross motor skills, pocket charts, manipulatives and more. This is a time for your child to practice skills that will help them get ready to read! Open to preschoolers with their favorite adult. The focus is for parents to participate in the learning process with their child while having fun! No registration required.
3ATURDAY !UGUST TH s 002%3#(//, %,%-%.4!29 + 4( '2!$% The pages of your favorite fairy tales will be the inspiration as we explore princes and princesses, dragons and ogres through art, dance and drama activities! Your child will participate in 3 thirty minute sessions of interactive fun! Parents of preschoolers are encouraged to stay with their child. Sign up starts August 1st! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
HAWAIIAN ISLAND ADVENTURE!D3-(Dance, Drama, Draw) 3ATURDAY *ULY TH s 0- 002%3#(//, %,%-%.4!29 + 4( '2!$% Escape to the tropics. Join us as we experience art, dance and drama centered on the tropical islands of Hawaii! Your child will participate in 3 thirty minute sessions of interactive fun! Parents of preschoolers are encouraged to stay with their child. Sign up starts June 1st! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
MAD SCIENCE- Up, Up and Away 7EDNESDAY *ULY TH s 0%,%-%.4!29 + 4( '2!$% This spellbinding special event illustrates the principles of air pressure. Children will be astonished as a soda bottle is crushed by the atmosphere, and will learn how the forces at work affect the world around us. Be amazed when a ball is suspended over the audience and marvel at the strength of your own lungs with these radical air-pressure experiments. It’s all possible when you send kids Up, Up and Away! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
portage district library 300 library lane portage, mi 49002 269.329.4544 www.portagelibrary.info
MARK’S ARK! - ANIMAL FUN FOR ALL 7EDNESDAY !UGUST ST s !PRESCHOOL Mark’s Ark will be bringing in animals and creatures that have no legs, maybe two legs, definitely four legs, and yes,….1,000 legs! No registration required.
YOUTH SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR 2013
MARK’S ARK! ANIMAL EXPLORATION Wednesday, August 21st 0ELEMENTARY + 4( '2!$% This program is especially created for elementary age children (and a favorite adult). Mark’s Ark will be bringing in animals and creatures that have no legs, maybe two legs, definitely four legs, and yes,….1,000 legs! Middle school age children are also welcome. Children under the age of 5 may attend the family event at 10:00 AM. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
at the Portage District Library June 5th-August 14th SUMMER KIDS, SUMMER TEENS
A summer full of fun and reading begins on Wednesday, June 5th! We have a reading program for every age! Participants can earn prizes during our 10 week reading program! Register online at www.portagelibrary.info or come down to the lower level and sign up at the summer reading table. Local teens are volunteering during this time to help you sign up and collect your earned prizes.
Middle & High School Summer Reading Program
Teens earn prizes for each week they finish and submit a book into the reading program. Participants can submit books of their choice as well as school summer reading requirements.
Starting June 5th, sign up for any of the reading programs online at www.summerfun.portagelibrary.info or visit the Portage District Library for a summer full of good reads! Happy Reading! Registration is required.
Youth Summer Reading Program
Preschool and elementary age children earn prizes for reading (or being read to) books of their choice throughout the summer! Simply, keep track of the number of hours read and every 5 hours earn a prize. The goal is to read 30 hours before August 14th.
All Summer Reading Programs & Events are generously sponsored by the Friends of the Portage District Library
youth summer events calendar SUMMER KICK OFF &RIDAY *UNE TH s 0CELERY FLATS HISTORICAL AREA !,, !'%3 Did you know that Portage Township was incorporated as a city in 1963? That was 50 years ago! We cannot wait to share all the fun things we have planned for you this summer that tie into our history and the love of reading. Help begin the celebration with a kickoff party! Enjoy our first event with a Josh & Roy Vaudeville Show in the Amphitheatre from 7:30pm-8:15pm. While waiting for the movie to begin at 9:45pm (dusk) we have various interactive booths. Be sure to bring bug spray and blankets to sit on for your movie-viewing enjoyment. Concessions are available for purchase. This year we are proud to present the original version of Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Free Family Event. A joint venture with the Portage Summer Entertainment Series. No registration required.
B.A.R.K.-BOOKS ARE REACHING KIDS ELEMENTARY + 4( '2!$% Sign up your child to read one-on-one to a well-trained canine at the library this summer! Studies show that children who practice reading aloud to a non-judgmental K-9 can improve their reading skills. Your child can read a book of their choice for 20 minutes. Don’t miss out! This promises to be a very “pawsitive� experience. This program runs June 17th-August 9th with various times, days, and types of dogs available. Please call the Youth Information Desk at 269/329-4544 ext. 603 or stop in to register for a date and time. Registration begins June 5th. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
LUNCH & LEARN: While You Dream, Who Is Up In the Sky? 4HURSDAY *UNE TH !- 0MEET AT THE CELERY FLATS AMPHITHEATER !,, !'%3 Discover the nocturnal world of animals such as bats and owls while exploring the constellations. You will have more fun than your wildest dreams. Movement, music and fun-filled props make this program a dream come true. These programs are a cooperative effort with the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Portage Parks and Recreation Department. No registration required.
BABY & TODDLER TIME -ONDAY *UNE TH TH -ONDAY *ULY TH TH ND TH !).&!.4 4/$$,%2 This special time is designed for children from birth to 23 months. Delight and stimulate your baby’s senses with books, rhymes, and music. A developmentally appropriate playtime will follow. No registration required.
EXPLORING CELERY FLATS WITH A NATURALIST -ONDAY *UNE TH s 0- 0MEET AT CELERY FLATS INTERPRETIVE CENTER !,, !'%3 Join Naturalist, Dan Keto, and explore the rich natural world encountered along the trail and around the historic buildings of Celery Flats. You and your family will be amazed at all the living things that can be found. Discover ways you can explore nature around your own backyard. These programs are a cooperative effort with the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Portage Parks and Recreation Department. No registration required.
FAMILY STORYTIME
HAVING A GREAT TIME OUTSIDE- at Haverhill Park
Wednesday, June 19th & 26th 7EDNESDAY *ULY TH TH TH ST 10:00 AM TWO’S, PRESCHOOL Children will build language skills while listening to stories, learning rhymes, moving to music, and learning the mystery letter of the week! No registration required.
-ONDAY *ULY ST s 0- 0MEET A HAVERHILL PARK !,, !'%3 Observe nature around the park and the adjacent bike trail. You will be amazed with what you find with the help of Dan Keto, the Kalamazoo Nature Center’s Naturalist. These programs are a cooperative effort with the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Portage Parks and Recreation Department. No registration required.
LEGO! LEGO! LEGO! &RIDAY *UNE ST *ULY TH !UGUST TH !- 0TWO’S, PRESCHOOL, ELEMENTARY + 4( '2!$% Come on in and express your creativity. LEGOS of various sizes will be provided for all ability levels. No registration required.
ART AROUND THE WORLD! -D3 (Dance, Drama, Draw) 3ATURDAY *UNE ND s 0- 002%3#(//, %,%-%.4!29 + 4( '2!$% Get ready to become an adventurer! We’ll explore the culture of foreign lands through an art project, dance, and dramatic folk tales! Your child will participate in 3 thirty minute sessions of interactive fun! Parents of preschoolers are encouraged to stay with their child. Sign up today! REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
DIG INTO A WORLD BELOW YOUR FEET -ONDAY *UNE TH s 0- 0-%%4 !4 0/24!'% $)342)#4 ,)"2!29 PROGRAM WILL BE INDOORS AND THEN MOVE OUTDOORS !,, !'%3 “Worms and, centipedes and, roly poly’s oh my!� Explore the strange world below your feet. Connect yourself to the importance of this amazing ecosystem and learn how these little creatures actually affect your life. These programs are a cooperative effort with the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Portage Parks and Recreation Department. No registration required.
JIM GILL!!!! 4HURSDAY *ULY TH s !- !CELERY FLATS HISTORICAL AREA TWO’S, PRESCHOOL, ELEMENTARY + .$ '2!$% Jim Gill will strum energetic rhythms on his banjo while everyone claps, jumps, dances and even sneezes along. The concert is filled, of course, with songs and stories from Jim’s award-winning recordings and books for young children and feature it regularly during storytime! Your youth librarians love his music! Bring your own chairs for seating on the lawn by the big red barn. A joint venture with the Portage Summer Entertainment Series. No registration required.
WESTLAKE NATURE PRESERVE FROM BLACK OAKS TO BOGS -ONDAY *ULY TH s 0- 0MEET AT WESTLAKE NATURE PRESERVE !,, !'%3 Beyond the pavilion, there is a path that leads through the forest towards a gem of a bog. Join Naturalist, Dan Keto, on a walk to observe the plants and animals that call this unique place home. These programs are a cooperative effort with the Kalamazoo Nature Center and the Portage Parks and Recreation Department. No registration required.
RETURN OF THE BIG TRUCKS!!!!! 4UESDAY *ULY TH s !- 0"%'). ). ,/7%2 ,%6%, -%%4).' 2//-3 !,, !'%3 Calling all construction kids! Meet Big Truck Driver Mike and learn some construction site safety. Please gather in the lower level meeting rooms for safety information then head out to the parking lot to climb aboard real dump trucks, excavators, front-end loaders, and more. Remember your cameras! Parking is limited so please plan ahead. Co-sponsored with the City of Portage Street Department.
No registration required.