Youth Services Newsletter: May 2022
Spring has sprung! We are so excited about the sun shining outside our windows, the flowers blooming in the Children's Garden, and, of course, the many programs on our May calendar! This month we're looking forward to puppet storytimes, Cinco de Mayo festivities, a visit from guest storytelling artist Motoko (https://motoko.folktales.net/bio.html) , and more. We'd love for you to join us!
In-Person Events:
In the interest of social distancing, space is limited and registration is required for ALL children’s events. Registration links for our programs are located on the library's Events Calendar (https://woburnpubliclibrary.org/events-calendar/) .
Masks are no longer required in the library. However, masks are encouraged in the Children's Room, especially for those who are unvaccinated, have a weakened immune system, or live with a highly vulnerable person.
Children's Room Events
Decorative image of Crazy8s Club logo.
Crazy 8's Math Club
Mondays (May 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Join Miss Christine for Bedtime Math?s Crazy 8s, where you?ll build stuff, run and jump, make music, and make a mess - it?s a totally new kind of math club! Make mischief and memories with activities like Glow-in-the-Dark Geometry, Bouncy Dice Explosion and Pirate Treasure Hunt. You?ll get to take home some cool gadgets, too.
(Best for grades 3-5. Registration is required for all 8 weeks - if you register for Monday, April 4th, you are registered for the entire 8-week program. Please do your best to make it to as many meetings as possible.
Puppeteer Leigh Baltzer surrounded by four puppets.
Puppet Storytime
Wednesdays: May 4th and 25th (5:30 pm - 6:00 pm)
Tuesdays: May 10th and 31st (3:30 pm - 4:00 pm)
Friday May 20th (11:00 am - 11:30 am)
Leigh from Through Me To You Puppetry invites kids to join Newton for some storytime fun! Newton and his puppet friends will take turns reading stories and singing songs. At the end of the show, you are welcome to stick around and "meet" the puppets! Best for ages 3-6, but all are welcome.
Mexican flag against a blue sky.
Cinco de Mayo Celebration
Thursday May 5th
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Miss Esther from Spanish Fun Program invites families to celebrate "el Cinco de Mayo" with delicious guacamole, chips and lemonade. ¡Come to la Fiesta! We will play "La Lotería" (BINGO) and learn facts about this Mexican holiday.
Photo of storyteller Motoko, who is wearing a salmon-colored kimono and carrying a traditional Japanese parasol.
Folktales from Asia
Saturday May 14th
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Parents’ Choice Award-winning storyteller Motoko (https://motoko.folktales.net/bio.html) enchants children (ages 5 and up) with fun folktales from Asia, combined with songs, mime, and origami. Every child receives Motoko’s original paper sumo game!
This program is funded by a grant from the Woburn Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Mass Cultural Council logo.
Two Australian Labradoodles sitting beside each other and looking into the camera. The one on the left is light brown, and the one on the right is white. They are both wearing red and blue bandanas around their necks.
Read to a Therapy Dog
Fridays (May 13th, 20th, 27th)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Young readers are invited to spend 10 minutes reading aloud to dogs from the Therapy Dogs International Program. Registration is not required for this event - 10 minute time-slots with a dog will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. We will try to accommodate as many children as we can without overwhelming the dogs. Siblings and parents are welcome to join.
Information on the benefits of reading to a therapy dog can be found here (http://sites.tufts.edu/vetmag/fall-2017/the-benefits-of-reading-to-dogs/) . For more details about each participating dog and their handlers, please see the individual event pages on our calendar (https://woburnpubliclibrary.org/events-calendar/) .
Multicolored craft supplies on bright piles of paper.
Family Craft Time
Thursday May 19th
Saturday May 28th
3:30 - 4:30 pm
Join us for a family craft! Use our supplies (scrapbook paper, glitter glue, stickers, and more) and see what you can create!
Multicolored crayons, pom poms, stickers, and googly eyes on wooden table surface. Yellow and teal text reads: Story Crafternoon.
Story Crafternoon
Tuesdays (May 3rd, 17th, 24th)
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Join Miss Christine for some stories and a simple craft! Best for ages 3-6. Siblings welcome!
Yellow ducky and three pastel building blocks on green background. Purple texts reads: Baby Lapsit
Baby Lapsit with Bouncing Beans
Thursdays (May 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th)
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Children learn through play! Bouncing Beans facilitates developmental playgroups where children and caregivers can learn and grow. Our playgroups are designed by a pediatric occupational therapist, and in addition to fun activities, general tips to build upon skills will be shared. Children are accompanied by a caregiver.
This baby group (recommended for children birth to 12 months) will provide your child the opportunity to practice skills in different positions, and to build upon sensory-motor, communication, attention, and social skills. Infant massage, simple sign language, and a familiar routine will be introduced.
Please bring a blanket or yoga mat for your family to sit on - this will help facilitate social distancing and increase comfort for all!*
Blue, red, yellow, and green building blocks stacked on a light blue background. Red and green text reads: Toddler Time!
Toddler Time
Friday May 6th
11:00 am - 11:30 am
Join Miss Janice for movement, music, and stories! Best for ages 1-3. Siblings are welcome.
Two human outlines dancing against multicolored musical note background. Text reads: Moving to the Music.
Moving to the Music
Saturday May 7th
3:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Bring your imaginations to the library for an afternoon of dance and dramatic play, and join us for creative movement and music led by Miss Kat. Best for ages 3-7.
Green bunny slippers and yellow crescent moon against dark purple starry background. Green and purple text reads: PJ Storytime.
PJ Storytime
Wednesdays (May 11th and 18th)
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Get a jump start on bedtime! Join Miss Kristine for songs, movement activities, and stories.
Best for ages 5 and under. Siblings are welcome.
Toddler playing with multicolored bead-maze.
Playtime for Toddlers
Fridays (May 13th and 27th)
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Bring your toddlers to the library to play, read books, color, and socialize with other families. No registration required. Drop in and hang out with us!
Stack of multicolored children's books.
Rookie Book Club
Monday May 23rd
6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Join our beginner's book club for children who are reading at a K to 2nd grade level. (Book TBA - please check back soon on our online calendar. Copies will be available at the Children’s Room desk.) Children (age 5 +) who are not reading independently yet can have the book read to them. We will talk about the story and do some related activities.
If you would prefer to attend this meeting virtually, please email Janice at jgrantmenes@cityofwoburn.com.
Cover image for 'Lightfall: The Girl and the Galdurian' by Tim Probert. A girl with light skin and short brown hair stands on top of a grassy hill next to a small cat and a tall, grey humanoid creature with long arms and legs and a frog-like head. Both are clad in fantasy-style clothing and are surrounded by flying birds. The hill is littered with half-buried pieces of metal that look like lizard heads with glowing eyes.
BeTween the Lines Book Club
Wednesday May 18th
3:30 pm - 4:15 pm
Join our book club for tweens (approximately ages 8-12). This month's book is the graphic novel Lightfall: the Girl & the Galdurian (https://find.minlib.net/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3937974) by Tim Probert. We will talk about the story and decorate bookmarks while we chat.
To minimize crowding and encourage social distancing, registration is required. If you would prefer to attend this meeting remotely, please email Christine at camatrudo@cityofwoburn.com
Teen Room Events
Cover image for Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Teen Movie Screening: The Force Awakens
Wednesday May 4th
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Join us for a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. No registration required.
As a new threat to the galaxy rises, Rey, a desert scavenger, and Finn, an ex-stormtrooper, must join Han Solo and Chewbacca to search for the one hope of restoring peace.
Two glass jars filled with swirling purple, black, and pink material, like view of an outer space nebula.
Teen Crafternoon: Calming Galaxy Jars
Tuesday May 10th
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Capture the starry skies in a jar! Join us in the Makerspace to create your own Galaxy Jars.
This is an event for tweens & teens in grades 6-12.
Collage of numerous anime characters against an outer space background.
Teen Anime Club
Wednesday May 11th
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Join us to discuss your favorite anime, manga, & Japanese culture. We will watch episodes of our favorite shows and even try the Pocky flavor of the month.
This is a teen event for students in 6-12th grade.
Cover image for Cruella
Teen Movie Screening: Cruella
Wednesday May 18th
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Join us for a screening of Disney's Cruella. No registration required.
A live-action prequel feature film following a young Cruella de Vil.
2021, Rated: PG-13
Decorative image
Teen Stress Survival Workshop
Wednesday May 25th
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Pressures from school, family, friends, work: our teens are surrounded and burdened by stress from all sides. Because untreated stress can lead to mental health conditions like depression, our teens need to develop practical strategies to manage day-to-day stress. During this workshop, a trained facilitator shares their experience of surviving stress and depression throughout their teen and young adult life. Participants will learn the signs of stress and depression, identify strategies to manage day-to-day stress, and begin to create a survival guide of their own!
The Stress Survival Workshop is run by Families for Depression Awareness.
This workshop is appropriate for teenagers ages 14+.
Stack of assorted board games
Board Game Cafe
Saturday May 21st
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Have you ever gone to the library hoping to play Settlers of Catan but found that someone else has already taken it out? Or have you ever felt that even though there are so many tabletop games at the library, you don't know which are any good?
Well, you can find out what's good at the Board Game Cafe! This is your chance to explore the library's collection of tabletop games. Try one you've had your eye on, or get some new recommendations. Who knows, maybe you'll find your next favorite game!
Light refreshments will be served.
This is an event for teens & tweens in grades 6-12.
Purple yoga mat being unrolled onto floor.
Yoga for Adults and Teens
Saturdays (May 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th)
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Join Kat (RYT 200 through Yoga Alliance at LPY Yoga & Barre) every Saturday to work out, slow down, feel your breath, and re-center.
Please bring your own mat and equipment.
Cover image for 'Cinderella Is Dead' by Kalynn Bayron. Against a purple and brown background of twisted branches and leaves stands a teenaged Black girl wearing a ruffled blue party gown. She has thick natural hair worn loose down to her shoulders, and she is looking over her shoulder at the viewer.
Iris Book Club
Tuesday May 31st
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Are you part of or an ally of the LGBTQ+ community? Are you trying to find more inclusive novels? Do you wish you had more queer friends? If so, join the Iris Book Club, an LGBTQ+ book club for teens! For May, we will be reading Cinderella is Dead by Mackenzi Lee. Copies are available at the Circulation Desk; pick yours up today!
