June is going to be chockablock with story and music times, book clubs, trivia nights, writing, STEAM and yoga programs, all offered virtually through Greenwich Library.
Greenwich Library Children’s Services summer reading program, “Imagine Your Story,” begins June 15 and runs through August 15. Preschool children and students up to grade six are invited to join the program for fun activities, events and reading prizes. Check out the summer reading webpage at www.greenwichlibrary.org/children/summerreading for more information. The summer reading webpage also has links to the school reading lists, DIY crafts, and details about our summer full of virtual programs.
Parents with young children should definitely check out the wonderful story time recordings by our Children’s Librarians who are working from home and will take place throughout the summer. They are posted periodically on the website and on social media and can be viewed anytime on the Library website or YouTube page. (Subscribe to the Library’s YouTube channel to make sure you don’t miss a single one!). This month will also feature STEAM Storytimes geared toward the preschool set.
And be sure to peruse the Greenwich Library website for a full list of resources and activities for children, including fun activities, homework help, and of course our Digital Library, which has an array of audiobooks, ebooks, movies, TV shows and animated storybooks to ensure your child’s learning never stops.
VIRTUAL – Storytime!
Held NINE times this month! June 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 26 & 30. 10 – 10:30 a.m.
Join us virtually for music, movement, puppets, and stories with Greenwich, Cos Cob, and Byram Librarians! Toddlers and preschoolers (and their parents) can join us for our live stories via Zoom. Register via the Library’s online calendar to receive attendee join link and password before the event!
VIRTUAL – STEAM Storytime
Held two times this month! June 3 & 17, 10 – 10:30 a.m.
Join us virtually for storytime with book and activity suggestions incorporating science, technology, engineering, arts and math. This program is geared toward children ages 3-5, though children of all ages are welcome to tune in. Register via the Library’s online calendar to receive attendee link and password before the event.
VIRTUAL – Bookworms Book Club (For Grades 2 & 3)
Wednesday, June 3, 2 – 3 p.m.
Join us for an online book discussion of Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar. (The book can be found as an eBook with unlimited copies through Overdrive, available with a Greenwich Library card.) Meet the students and staff of Wayside in these 30 stories about a wacky school. When the school was built it was supposed to be one-story tall with 30 classrooms side by side; instead, the builder made it 30 stories tall with one classroom on every floor! Register via the Library’s online calendar to receive attendee join link and password. This humorous story is a great tie-in to the Library’s summer reading program called Imagine Your Story, coming mid-June.
VIRTUAL – Parent & Child Yoga for Tots (Ages 2-5)
Held four Thursdays this month! June 4, 11, 18 & 25, 9-9:30 a.m.
Experience the joy of yoga presented by Budding Buddhas. Miss Kira will lead parents and children (ages 2-4) in a 30-minute, fun-filled Zoom class that combines yoga poses, music, and mindfulness activities. The class concludes with “peacetime” (final relaxation). Register via the Library’s Online Calendar to receive attendee join link and password.
Virtual – Junior Book Club (For Students in Grades 4 -6)
Thursday, June 4, 2 – 3 p.m.
Join us for an online book discussion of The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff. A difficult custody arrangement in the aftermath of a divorce compels fifth-grader Winnie to barricade herself in a treehouse, where she is joined by friends who have grievances of their own. This title is a nominee for the 2020 Nutmeg Book Award. Register via the Library’s Online Calendar to receive attendee join link and password. (The book can be found as an eBook with unlimited copies through Overdrive, available with a Greenwich Library card.)
VIRTUAL – Creating Visual Stories & Games (Entering Grades 6-10)
Saturday, June 6, 12 – 1 p.m.
As part of our Teen Summer Reading program, called “Imagine Your Story,” this class is an ongoing series that will meet four times this month (June 6, 13, 20 & 27). Presented by Happy Code Club, participants will explore topics in game design in order to understand the cause and effect of precise commands on computer actions. Work with visual coding languages in your projects and get introduced to coding blocks and built-in functions that control movement, sounds, language, and visuals. After grasping the concept of the coding blocks, move into projects involving animation via visual coding languages and begin to craft your first games and stories. Register via the Library’s online calendar to receive attendee link.
Virtual – World Music with Anitra with Cos Cob Library
Offered four Fridays this month! June 5, 12, 19 & 26, 3:45 – 4:15 p.m.
We are delighted to welcome you to our virtual children’s concert with local resident and talented singer, Anitra Brooks. Anitra sings in five different languages and teaches the audience the refrains so they can sing parts of the songs along with her. This concert is geared toward preschoolers and early elementary school students, but older children and adults are welcome. This event is supported by the Staff and Friends of Cos Cob Library. Register through the Library’s online calendar to receive attendee join link and password.
Virtual – Fiesta de los Cuentos – Bilingual Storytime
Offered two times this month! Wednesday, June 10 & June 24, 10 – 10:30 a.m.
Join us for a Spanish and English story time live via Zoom! Toddlers and preschoolers sing songs, listen to stories, and enjoy this bilingual program. Register via the Library’s Online Calendar to receive attendee join link and password.
VIRTUAL – Family Book Trivia Night
Offered two Fridays this month! June 12 & 26, 7 – 8 p.m.
Introducing Family Trivia Night! Join us this summer as the Library hosts book-themed trivia games, using the Kahoot app! Register as a family and play as a team against other Greenwich families and librarians. June 12 will be Classic Picture Book Trivia. Example questions: What does the Very Hungry Caterpillar eat on Tuesday? What country is Madeline from? June 26 will be Harry Potter Trivia. Register online to receive detailed instructions, including the meeting link and Kahoot pin. Download Kahoot from the App store to your mobile device (iPad or phone) prior to the program in order to play along answering the trivia questions.
VIRTUAL – Summer Reading Kickoff with Sciencetellers: Dragons – Return of the Ice Sorceress
Monday, June 15, 3:45 – 4:45 p.m.
Young learners will discover just how “cool” matter can be as they experience science in action.
A long time ago in a faraway world, two brave villagers go on a daring journey to release the dragons and save the kingdom from the Evil Ice Sorceress. When things don’t go as planned, however, they might need to look to themselves (and to science!) for the answer. Don’t miss this fun fantasy adventure featuring awesome dry ice effects! Explore the exciting science of solids, liquids and gases as they conduct experiments with DRY ICE. Young learners will discover just how “cool” matter can be as they experience science in action.
Virtual – Sing Along Music Time with Tom Weber
Saturday, June 20, 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Nobody keeps the kids entertained and having a blast like Tom Weber—even virtually! Join us for Tom’s high-energy performance, filled with interactive movement, props, singing, dancing, and a whole lot of energetic fun! His repertoire includes original songs, as well as traditional favorites. Tom’s music gets children moving, singing, feeling confident, and having fun! Registration is required. Register via the Library’s Online Calendar to receive attendee join link and password.
All programs and services are made available to Library patrons at no charge through the support of the Greenwich Library Board of Trustees and contributions by generous donors. For more information on these and other programs, visit www.greenwichlibrary.org.