Summer Fun at the Rochester Public Library
We are pleased to have Heather Acerro, Head of Youth Services at the Rochester Public Library, providing us the scoop on all things library! She will be regularly contributing to Rochester MN Moms Blog on behalf of the library.
Whether you are looking for a way to escape the humidity, fill a morning or afternoon with activity, keep on track with reading to your baby, or keep your school age kids from experiencing summer slide, Rochester Public Library has something for you this summer!
Summer Reading Programs for kids birth through 12th grade kick off this weekend. Pick up a reading log at the library, bookmobile, or BookBike or download from our website.
Feed Your Brain, for babies through kids entering 6th grade includes 15 hours of reading in 15 minute steps. Also included are activities that can be completed and counted towards reading time. After completing the log, kids can turn it in at the library or bookmobile for a re-usable lunch bag, a brand new book, and a family swimming pass to the YMCA.
Brain Food for teens entering 7th through 12th grade is an opportunity for an unlimited number of hours reading. The more teens read, the more opportunities they have to win! After 10 hours they will receive a reusable lunch bag and a choice of a family swimming pass to the YMCA or a coupon for a free book from Friends of the Rochester Public Library Bookstore, after 20 hours of reading they can select a brand new book, and for 30 hours and every 10 beyond, teens receive raffle tickets to be entered into grand prize drawings at the end of summer. Grand prizes, selected by Teen Library Council members include movie passes to the Paragon Chateau Theater, a painting party for 8 at Color Me Mine, a 3 month subscription to OwlCrate, a Fuji Instax camera, and a year’s supply of macaroni and cheese.
Family Activities
Whenever the library is open, there is something to do. Stop by to make art in the Art Room, play in the Minnesota Children’s Museum-Rochester Smart Play Spot, meet up with friends, explore the Discovery Cart, or just pick out some books and movies. To find out what is happening, check the online calendar.
It’s easy to see what is available for a variety of ages with the color coded events on the calendar. Light orange programs are for preschoolers, medium orange are for families, dark orange for tweens (grades 4th-6th), yellow for teens (grades 7th – 12th) and green are BookBike events out in the community.
Tuesday nights, and Wednesday and Thursday mornings will feature family programs all summer long (except for RochesterFest week). Tuesdays at 6:30PM is Family Storytime, Wednesdays at 10AM will be special events such as Justin Roberts in concert, magicians, and more, Thursday mornings at 10AM will be a rotation of Family Storytime, Dance Party, Creation Stations, and Movies.
Extra special events in June include another Stuffed Animal Sleepover. Families and stuffies can select one of two storytimes to drop of their friends: June 17th at 3:30PM or 4:30PM.
A brand new program this summer is Rainbow Family Meet Up on first Tuesdays 6 to 7:30pm, starting June 7th. This is a safe and welcoming meet-up for LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual) kids and families.
Teen Programs (grades 7-12)
In addition Zine*o*Cide and q club, our year-round teen programs, we also have regular Brain Food food-related programming on Wednesday afternoons, and Thursday Crafternoons scheduled throughout the summer.
q club has been busy planning SteamPUNK Your Pride, our 2nd annual Pride Prom, for Saturday, July 16 from 6-9 PM. This safe and welcoming after-hours party is just for LGBTQIA teens and allies in grades 7-12.
RPL’s Teen Library Council will be celebrating Harry Potter’s birthday and the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Saturday, July 30 with an all ages after hours event from 10 PM- midnight. Costumes are encouraged, and participants will be entered into a drawing to be the first to check out the new book.
Everyone is welcome at RPL and we hope to see you often this summer!
