The Southbury Public Library Youth Services
department is pleased to announce an offsite and virtual event list for October 2024 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:
Build Your Own Sticker Book: Latino Americans (Ages 6-12) – Tuesday, October 1, 4:30-5:30pm, Mat Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join us at Southbury Parks and Recreation for a Build Your Own Sticker Book program, to celebrate and honor Hispanic Heritage Month!
Tunes & Tales (Recommended for Ages 5 & Under) – Thursday, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, Mat Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, No Registration Required. Join Jen for a morning filled with music and stories! Children will sing, dance, and experiment with simple musical instruments.
Storytime at the Farmers’ Market (All Ages) – Thursday, October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, 3:30-4:30pm, 501 Main Street South, No Registration Required. Stop by the Southbury Farmers' Market and enjoy stories with the librarians from the Southbury Public Library!
Monster Mash: Trivia and Crafts (Grades K-5) – Saturday, October 5, 2:30-3:30pm, Mat Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join the children's department staff for a spooktacular afternoon! Win treats during our monster and Halloween-themed trivia, design your own mini haunted house door, and more!
Drop-In Storytime at Parks & Rec! (All Ages) – Monday, October 7, 21, 28, 10:30-11am, Mat Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, 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 take home.
Tiny Food Explorers (Ages 2-5) – Thursday, October 17, 11am-12pm, Multi-Purpose Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, 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: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (Ages 6-12) – Friday, October 18, 11am-12pm, Online, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join Food Explorers for a virtual baking class! You’ll be making Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with a smooth cream cheese frosting. You’ll need an electric mixer and the following ingredients: 1 stick butter, vegetable oil, milk, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, 2 eggs, flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1 can pumpkin puree, chocolate chips, pumpkin spice, 8oz cream cheese and powdered sugar.
Babies & Books (6-24 months) – Tuesday, October 22, 29 and November 5, 12, 19, 26, 10:30-11am, Nursery Room, United Church of Christ, 283 Main Street North, Registration Required - Space Limited. Babies & Books is a 6-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.
Toddler Time (Ages 2-3) – Wednesday, October 23, 30, and November 6, 13, 20, 27, 10:30-11am, Multi-Purpose Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Toddler Time is a 6-week program for children ages 2 & 3 years and their parents/caregivers. Listen to stories and complete a small craft or sensory play activity.
Family Trivia Night (All Ages) – Friday, October 25, 6:30-8:00pm, Multi-Purpose Room at Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required. Join us for another Family Trivia night! Work together as a family team to answer our trivia questions! We'll have a variety of topics, including kid-centric knowledge, general information, and questions aimed at parents, too. The family who answers the most questions correctly will win a $100 gift card to Riverview Cinemas!
Halloween Flower Arranging with the Southbury Garden Club (Ages 7-12) – Saturday, October 12, 11:30am-1pm, Multi-Purpose Room, Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join the Southbury Garden Club to create Halloween flower arrangements!
Tips to Manage Stress & Anxiety: Part 1 of 2 (Grades K-5 with their caregivers) – Wednesday, October 16, 6-7pm, Online, Registration Required - Space Limited. Stress happens to all of us. Why can two people be in the same situation and respond to stress differently? Can going through stressful times without stress be a learned skill? Everyone will come away with information, tools, and techniques to help manage stress and anxiety and help regain and restore balance and calm. Everyone will learn a technique to minimize stress and anxiety and maximize vitality. *Please Note: This is Part 1 of 2 parts. While attendance at both events is recommended, it is not required. You are welcome to come to one or both. Part 2 will be held Nov 18, 6PM, via Zoom.
Teen Programs:
Food Explorers: Chocolate Pancake Tacos (Grades 6-12) – Monday, October 7, 4-5pm, Kitchen at Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join Food Explorers for a fun twist on a classic: pancakes! You’ll be making Chocolate Pancake Tacos! Learn how to make pancake batter from scratch and turn your pancakes into a sweet taco with deliciously sweet and fruity fillings. This recipe is nut free but will contain dairy, eggs, and gluten.
Crochet & Knitting Club (Grades 6-12) – Thursday, October 17, 6:30-7:30pm, Room 201 of Southbury Town Hall, 501 Main Street South. 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.
Food Explorers Online: Sweet Potato Pie (Grades 6-12) – Friday, October 18, 1-2pm, Online, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join us and Food Explorers from the comfort of your own kitchen to bake Sweet Potato Pies with Marshmallow Whipped Cream! You’ll be making your own pie crust and loading it with a deliciously creamy sweet potato filling, and topping it with a homemade marshmallow whipped cream. This recipe is nut free but will contain dairy and gluten.
Book Pumpkins (Grades 6-12) – Monday, October 21, 4-5pm, Mat Room, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Join us to upcycle an old book into a pumpkin! These gourd-geous crafts are surprisingly easy to make. All supplies provided.
Cute Animals Hangout (Grades 6-12) – Wednesday, October 23, 6-7pm, Mat Room, Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required - Space Limited. Come hang out with a variety of cute animals, both furry and scaly! Meet, interact with, feed snacks to, and pet a variety of animal friends including bunnies, ferrets, sugar gliders, snakes, a bearded dragon, and more!
Family Trivia Night (All Ages) – Friday, October 25, 6:30-8:00pm, Multi-Purpose Room at Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Registration Required. Join us for another Family Trivia night! Work together as a family team to answer our trivia questions! We'll have a variety of topics, including kid-centric knowledge, general information, and questions aimed at parents, too. The family who answers the most questions correctly will win a $100 gift card to Riverview Cinemas!
Teen Advisory Board (Grades 6-12) – Tuesday, October 29, 6-7pm, Mat Room at Southbury Parks & Recreation, 561 Main Street South, Application Required. 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. A membership application is required, but we are seeking new members! You can find out more and sign up at southburylibrary.org/tab.
Reading Programs for Children & Teens:
October Monthly Mini Reading Challenge (All Ages) – October 1-30, Online at southburylibrary.beanstack.com. Join us on Beanstack for our next Mini Monthly Reading Challenge, themed Hallow-Read! Read for five hours (about 1-3 books for elementary, middle, and high school readers) and get a SurPRIZE. .
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!).
Who Was? Reading Challenge – Ongoing, Upstairs Children’s Department. How many Who Was?, Where Was?, or What Was? books can you read? Get a checklist from our Children’s Department and keep track. Read 10 books and get your choice of special bookmark. You can repeat this challenge again if you read another 10. All Ages, Best for Elementary School. No Registration Required.
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/