The Atchison County Library recently wrapped up a fantastic four-day Summer Reading Program filled with fun, learning, and creativity. From June 23 to June 26, children participated in vibrant, hands-on activities that sparked imagination and encouraged a lifelong love of reading. The event took place at the Tarkio Library Resource Center, with an average of 80 kids attending each day.
The program featured an exciting lineup of events:
• Children unleashed their inner artists through painting and other creative art projects.
• On Tuesday, they enjoyed an up-close Wildlife Encounter experience. They met a kinkajou (honey bear), an alligator, a kangaroo, a fennec fox and a parrot!
• Budding scientists explored the science of color through engaging STEM activities.
• Daily story times transported young readers on magical literary journeys.
• Outdoor play and snacks kept everyone energized and smiling.
This event was made possible by the extreme creativity of the library’s Children’s Librarian Amanda Vette and was organized by Library Program Coordinator Shelby Hurst and Director Jennifer Roup. The entire library staff and board appreciate all of the volunteers and fellow staff for making the event such a success. The Atchison County Library was very lucky to partner with the Atchison County Youth Program Associate from the MU Extension office, Teresa Mertens, this year. Teresa was able to plan and lead the STEM activities for the entire week. She, along with Field Specialist in 4-H Youth Development, Annette Deering, helped the kids perform science experiments to show how color moves in different environments and let their imagination run wild by creating their own “moon dough.”
Special guest readers for each day were library board member Jayne Martin, long time Summer Reading helper, Sarah Osburn, and Katey Kroeger, MS CF-SLP from Luke Therapy Services, LLC.
Many kids shared their favorite part of the week, and the majority answered “the animals!” as well as the science experience with Skittles candy and reading time.
The library staff’s favorite part of Summer Reading was seeing the kids excited to start their days at the library and witnessing their huge imaginations. With the help of the Collaborative Summer Reading Program, each child went home with coloring sheets, frisbees, beach balls and a water color pallet, as well as a new book.
The library has many more events coming up, including a Speaker Series with local author Karl Forehand on July 17, teen events and book chat groups who meet in Fairfax and the Books and Breeze Kite Festival fundraiser on August 9. For a full list, please visit the library’s website or Facebook page.
Those were the instructions volunteers were given before an animal was put into their hands to see if they could guess what they were holding without looking. Pictured above is Mason Henggeler after he opened his eyes to discover he was holding an American Alligator named Captain Crunch and below are Evermore Bjorkland and Cooper Martin closing their eyes waiting to hold boa constrictor Snickers.
The Atchison County Library Summer Reading Program brought Wildlife Encounters to town to educate and entertain the kids about different animals and books that feature those animals in them. The kids were able to see a baby kinkajou named Mocha, a boa constrictor named Snickers, an American alligator named Captain Crunch, a fennec fox named Marshmallow, a red kangaroo joey named Nugget, and a blue and gold macaw named Pickles. Wildlife Encounters of Nebraska is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is dedicated to educating the public about our natural world while offering a home for animals in need for over 30 years.
