Imaginations awakened by stuffed animal slumber party

by Lori R. Cooper

It was a slumber party like no other at the Penn Kidder Library. Children brought their favorite stuffed animal to leave at the library for an overnight stay. Throughout the night pictures of the stuffed animals were taken as they played and got into some shenanigans. Families could check social media to see what their favorite friends were doing all night. They had fun drinking Capri Sun and snacking on devil dogs and pop tarts. The critters even helped with a library community art project.

Kara Edmonds, Library Director, noted a former staff member came up with the idea. They had a sleepover at Dimmick Library recently after a 7 year old patron requested the sleepover again, which had not been done since the pandemic. Edmonds notes, “Kids love the idea of animals coming to life. They get to flex their imagination and write their own stories.” Books such as Paddington Bear and The Velveteen Rabbit use this idea, as well as the beloved movie Toy Story.

lifetime connection.”

After a nap, the stuffed animals got into a bit of mischief using the copier to make prints of their body parts. When they were returned to their owners all of the animals enjoyed telling the stories of the fun they had throughout the night at the library.

Penn Kidder library has a few other exciting things happening. They will be offering 4 hotspots that will be available for check out. This will allow those without internet access to “borrow” Wi-Fi for up to a week, with renewal available for an additional week. Library patrons can go into the library to sign out the hot spot.

Also new at the library, museum passes will be available to check out. Free passes to the America On Wheels Museum, Bucks County Children’s Museum (New Hope), the Lehigh

Valley Heritage Museum and Pearl S. Buck House (Perkasie), and Reading Museum will be available. There is a maximum of 4 passes per patron.

Edmonds wants children to “think of the library as a fun place to be and build a