The Rock Island Public Library is holding a series of free events and activities for people, regardless of their residency and library card status, to escape the cold this January.
Marketing Director Lisa Lockheart says the downtown location is hosting drop-in toddler playgroups every Thursday through February from 10 a.m. to noon.
“I think, [there’s] a little bit of cabin fever and we're looking for free things to do outside the house. And this is an ideal opportunity for, new parents, parents of babies and toddlers and the caregivers of those children to actually meet other caregivers and parents and have a productive activity for their children to do while they're here,” Lockheart said in an interview with WVIK. “So we set out all sorts of toys and activities and the toddlers can just go play while the parents we often find will exchange notes about things that have worked for them, tips for parenting. And it's really a great way of connecting those parents together with other parents.”
Other events for kids up to five years old are scheduled every Tuesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the library’s Watts-Midtown Branch including storytime.
“There's usually some songs, some activities, as the children's librarians say, to kind of shake the wiggles out. And it's a great way again to introduce those children to the power of a story to help developing those skills that they need to succeed in school later on,” Lockheart said. “Even something as simple as attention span and building that attention span helps set them up for success when they enter kindergarten. And from the academic side of things, the more they hear words, the more they hear stories. It helps with language development and comprehension. So it's a fun activity, but there's also a lot of learning going on.”
The library’s Southwest Branch is also holding storytime sessions Tuesday and Friday at 11 a.m.
The library is continuing its Hug-A-Book-Play program on Saturday, January 17th. The early learning program has been going on for nearly 27 years for kids aged two to five. Lockheart says the library holds between four and five of those throughout the month.
“[K]ids learn best through play, especially at that age group. And so we'll have an obstacle course and other kind of activities they can do while they're here,” Lockheart said. “They'll get to pick out a free book to take home, and they'll be able to put that book in a hug a book bag. So it's a great opportunity to start developing that love of reading and love of books that will set them up for success throughout their entire life. And the way that program started was with a very public spirited Rock Island family who created a memorial for their daughter Merrill [Harris]. And that legacy of that memorial is the Hug-A-Book program.”
For kids in kindergarten to 6th grade, the library holds drop in activities every Tuesday at the Watts Midtown Branch and every Thursday afternoons at the Southwest Branch.
“There's a pony bead craft and that's drop in, so you don't have to register. Just drop in after school and take advantage of those free opportunities for again, that school age group,” Lockheart said. “We're also offering something later on in the month for school ages, which is a magikids event where the kids can learn the Magic the Gathering card game. That's a trading card game where you can create quests and they'll be able to pull a deck and take home cards so that they can play that card game at home too. And it helps develop imagination and curiosity and also connect kids to each other.”
The library is partnering with the Robert Young Mental Health Center for a presentation covering social media impacts on kids mental health, specifically body image perceptions.
“[I]t's directly a parent education workshop. And you know, right now, January builds up a lot of focus on dieting and diet culture and influencer culture. And that can be kind of poisonous for kids' body image, especially with social media comparing themselves to other kids,” Lockheart said. “And the intent is to help create a more body confident kid with positive images about their own body.”
That presentation is Thursday, January 15th, 6 to 7 p.m. at the Watts-Midtown Branch.
The library is also bringing back a second offering of its K-Pop Demon Hunters Cat Craft event on Tuesday, January 27th from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Downtown Library. Lockheart says spots are limited. Another event already running out of open spots is a dogfish shark dissection, set for Tuesday, January 20th from 5 to 6 p.m.
“[W]e do science education throughout the year and we've had several opportunities to do that, different types of specimens. It's a hands-on opportunity to learn about science and help maybe spark some curiosity and spark learning,” Lockheart said. “Kids learn differently. Some of them learn through the pages of a book. Some of them learn through hearing about a program or seeing a program. And for some, hands-on learning is really vital and important.”
To learn more about the programs and activities happening at the Rock Island Public Library, visit their website.
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