The Southbury Public Library Youth Services department is pleased to announce its event list for August for children and teens. All programs are generously sponsored by the Friends of the Southbury Public Library. For more information and to register online please visit our website: www.southburylibrary.org/events.
Children’s Programs:
StoryWalk: Cat’s Colors (All Ages) – Monday, June 15 through Friday, August 21, Along Sidewalk Near Old Field Road. A StoryWalk is a movement and literacy boosting project that places an illustrated children’s book, taken apart and displayed page by page, along a walking route. Take a stroll along our summer selection, Cat’s Colors, by Airlie Anderson! You can find the StoryWalk outside on our grounds, along the sidewalk near Old Field Road. Enjoy an accompanying activity inside the library after you finish the Storywalk (during library's open hours).
Take or Make Craft (All Ages) – Monday, August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Youth Services Department, While Supplies Last. Stop by the Youth Services Department on Mondays this month to make a thematic paper craft. Make it here or bring it home. Crayons and glue available in the library. Appropriate for all ages. Young children may need assistance.
Drop-In Storytime (All Ages) – Monday, August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required. Join Jen for an all-ages storytime! We'll share books, rhymes, and songs, and a small craft will be available to make with us or take home.
Egyptian Cat Prints (Ages 7-11) – Monday, August 3, 1-2:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join Miss Laleh to learn the art of printmaking. The ancient Egyptian artists’ use of strong, defined lines lend well to this printmaking lesson, where a well-defined line will create the best print. Students can observe and draw a decorated cat while learning about the significance of this animal in Egypt as their subject to carve into their scratch foam board. Laleh Golafshani is a local artist, illustrator, and art teacher.
Cooking Camp (Grades 4-6) – Monday-Friday, August 3-7, 3-4pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join Erin Arole, a rising high school junior, for Kitchen Creations Camp! This hands-on camp combines cooking and nutrition. Participants will make a variety of different recipes, including energy ball bites, spring rolls, pizza pinwheels, and fun desserts, while learning how foods fuel their bodies for sports and everyday activities. Through interactive cooking activities, games, lessons, and discussions, campers will discover simple healthy habits and build their cooking skills. No prior experience is needed, just come ready to have fun! Wheat/ gluten and dairy will be present in the program.
Grab & Go Craft: Dino Fossils (Ages 5-11) – Beginning Tuesday, August 4, Youth Services Department, while supplies last. Stop by to pick up your Dino Fossils Grab & Go Craft! Recommended for ages 5-11. Younger children may need assistance.
Soulshine Arts - Music Together! (Ages birth to 5 years) – Tuesday, August 4, 10:30-11:30am, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Leslie Pratt of Soulshine Arts in Woodbury invites children ages birth to 5 years old and their caregivers to join in a morning of family music! Join us as we sing, dance and play while bonding with your children through music.
Family Giant Games Night (All Ages) – Tuesday, August 4, 18, 6-7pm, Second Floor, No Registration Required. Join us for an evening of Giant Games! Drop in between 6-7pm to enjoy a variety of traditional, larger than life, board games. This event is perfect for families or a group of friends; if a team is not made of middle schoolers and above, an adult must be present.
Young Artists (Ages 2-5) – Wednesday, August 5, 10:30-11:30am, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Come enjoy a morning of free art exploration! Children ages 2-5 can create using a variety of art materials and their imagination! Caregiver participation required.
Tunes & Tales (Recommended for Ages 5 & Under) – Thursday, August 6, 20, 27, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, No Registration Required. Join Jen for a morning filled with music and stories! Children will sing, dance, and explore musical instruments.
Yoga for Kids (Ages 2-5) – Friday, August 7, 10-10:45am, and Tuesday, August 11, 11-11:45am, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. CT Yoga instructor Nick Switz, certified with five years of experience and training from Radiant Child Yoga, guides children through a playful class. The class is guided throughout with yoga-based games and captivating stories, fostering creativity, cooperation, and body awareness. The class ends with a calming guided story, offering a moment of reflection.
Yoga for Kids (Ages 6-10) – Friday, August 7, 11am-12pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. CT Yoga instructor Nick Switz, certified with five years of experience and training from Radiant Child Yoga, guides children through a playful class. The class is guided throughout with yoga-based games and captivating stories, fostering creativity, cooperation, and body awareness. The class ends with a calming guided story, offering a moment of reflection.
One Book, One Big Adventure Celebration (All Ages) – Tuesday August 11, 5-7pm, Storytime Room, Registration Requested. Join us to celebrate Pocket Bear, our 2026 One Book, One Big Adventure book selection! We will have several Pocket Bear-themed crafts and lively book discussions!
Dinosaur Art Adventure (Ages 6-11) – Wednesday, August 12, 11am-12pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join art educator Jill Emmer for a fun, creative dinosaur art adventure for ages 6–11! Young artists will explore prehistoric environments and craft their own colorful dinosaur using patterned papers. Using mixed media techniques—including oil pastels and watercolor paints—students will then craft a background for their dino. This imaginative, hands-on workshop encourages creativity, artistic exploration, and a love of ... paleontology!
Tiny Food Explorers (Ages 2-5) – Friday, August 14, 11am-12pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join Tiny Food Explorers for some fun with food! Come and explore new flavors and textures while playing games all about food and MyPlate! You’ll make a hands-on healthy snack that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy.
Food Explorers: Pinkalicious Raspberry Parfaits (Ages 6-11) – Friday, August 14, 1-2pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join Food Explorers for a delicious summer dessert! You’ll be making Berry Cobblers by creating a mixed berry filling, a homemade topping and from scratch whipped cream. Recipe is nut free but will contain dairy and gluten.
Babies & Books (6-24 months) – Tuesday, August 18, 10:30-11am, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Babies & Books is a multi-week lapsit program for children 6 to 24 months and their parents/caregivers. Listen to short stories and songs, and enjoy a small craft or sensory play.
LEGO Club (Grades K-5) – Tuesday, August 18, 4:30-5:30pm, Storytime Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join us for an afternoon of LEGO fun! We’ll provide the LEGO bricks, and you bring the creativity! You can free build, or work off of instructions.
PJ Storytime (All Ages) – Thursday, August 20, 6-6:30pm, Storytime Room, No Registration Required. Grab your PJs and a stuffie and join Miss Jen for a drop-in PJ Storytime! Listen to relaxing stories, songs & rhymes to help you settle down for a good night's sleep!
Last Day of Summer Reading (All Ages) – Friday, August 21. All paper raffle tickets are due by 5pm, and all virtual raffle tickets due by 11:59pm. Make sure to get in your last Summer Reading entries before our raffle drawings close! See our website for details at southburylibrary.org/summer-reading.
Teen Programs:
Minute to Win It (Grades 6-12) – Monday, August 3 from 3-4pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Fast-paced and fun, you’ve got one minute to succeed in these silly challenges! Everyone wins because they’re as fun to play as they are to watch.
Teen Crochet Club (Grades 6-12) – Tuesday, August 4, 18, 6:30-7:30pm, Upstairs, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join us for our crochet (and knitting) club, open to both new and experienced crafters alike. If you’re already working on a project, bring it with you. If you’re new to knitting and crocheting, get started with us! We will have basic knitting and crocheting supplies available. Attend one or both meetings.
Red Cross Blood Drive (Ages 17 & Up, or 16 with Parent Permission) – Thursday, August 6 from 11am-4pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required. Donate blood and save up to three lives! Every 2 seconds, someone in the US needs blood and/or platelets, and you can help! If you are 16, you can donate blood with written parental permission. Sign up and details at redcrossblood.org/give.
Felt Bookmarks (Grades 6-12) – Thursday, August 6 from 6-7pm, Brown Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join us to make felt bookmarks! These are easy to make and infinitely customizable. We'll have multiple colors of felt, along with several patterns. You can also add optional embroidery. These bookmarks require some very simple hand sewing we can teach you how to do.
Chocolate Olympics (Grades 6-12) – Thursday, August 13, 6-7pm, Kingsley Room, Registration Required - Space Limited. Competition can be sweet! Join us for our Fifth Annual Chocolate Olympics to compete in a variety of chocolate based tasks, including a donut hole relay, Oreo stacking challenge, and blind chocolate taste test. Nuts, dairy, and wheat will be present in this program.
Last Day of Summer Reading (All Ages) – Friday, August 21. All paper raffle tickets are due by 5pm, and all virtual raffle tickets due by 11:59pm. Make sure to get in your last Summer Reading entries before our raffle drawings close! See our website for details at southburylibrary.org/summer-reading.
Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12) – Tuesday, August 25, 6-7pm, Tutor Corner Upstairs, Application Required. Do you want to make a difference in the Teen Department? Consider joining the Teen Advisory Board! We meet once a month to discuss ideas for the Teen Department and work on special projects. Membership application required, but we are seeking new members! You can find out more and sign up if you are interested at southburylibrary.org/TAB.
Reading Programs for Children & Teens:
Summer Reading Program: Plant a Seed, Read! (PreK to Grade 12 & Class of 2026 Graduates) – June 13-August 21, In Person and Online at southburylibrary.beanstack.com. Log your reading time to enter to win different raffle prizes, join us for fun events, and more! You can keep track of your time read online at southburylibrary.beanstack.com, or pick up a paper tracker from the second floor circulation desk. Grades 1-12 can also participate in our Read for Beads program.
August Monthly Mini Reading Challenge (Grades K-12 & Adults) – August 1-31, In Person and Online at southburylibrary.beanstack.com. Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge, themed America 250! Read for five hours (about 1-3 books for elementary, middle, and high school readers) and get a SurPRIZE. Continuing this month: you can track your reading on a paper bookmark instead of on Beanstack and adults can join in, too! This is in addition to the Summer Reading Program; you can do both or either challenge.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten (Birth to Entering Kindergarten) – Ongoing, On Paper and Online on Beanstack. Read a book (any book!) to your newborn, infant, or toddler and keep track with a paper log or on Beanstack. Repeats count! 1000 books may seem like a lot, but if you read 1 book a day for 3 years, that’s 1095 books! 10 books a week for 2 years is 1040 books, and 3 books a day in one year is 1095 books. Every book you read you get one sticker, and if you finish you can get a certificate, small prize, and your picture on our wall of fame if you’d like! Pick up a paper log from the children’s department or visit southburylibrary.beanstack.com to get started online. For 0 to Entering Kindergarten.
100 Books Before Graduation (Grades 9-12) – Ongoing, Online at Beanstack. Read 100 books before High School Graduation! 100 books may seem like a lot (and it is), but it works out to about 1 book every 2 weeks. When you sign up, get a special tracking bookmark to fill out as you read. Make it to half way and get a $5 Gift Card to Dunkin' or The Bakery. Read 100 books and get a special throw blanket! Every 10 books you read, pick out something from the prize box (pins, pens, animal sticky notes, and more!).
Please visit the Southbury Public Library website at www.southburylibrary.org/events for program details and registration information. Visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SouthburyLibraryYouthServices/