see the Storytime page for upcoming Storytime information

Be Creative
@ Your Library!
Research has shown that children who read over the summer are more prepared for school success in the fall. The same is true about children who have opportunities to use their imaginations and creative talents in new and exciting ways. This summer we encourage you to join our “Be Creative @ your Library” summer reading club. Whether you are reading to your children, they are reading on their own, or both, everyone is welcome to joins us for a summer full of fun, free & creative family activities! The programs at the library this summer promise to spark the imagination as well as a love of reading for all involved. You never know what fun activities, reading incentives, or surprises you may find at the library all summer long!
Be Creative @ Your Library registration begins Monday, June 22 and continues throughout the summer. Readers who complete four weeks of the program are invited to our Finale at the Pruyn House on Tuesday, August 11.

Special Summer Events

Summer Reading Kick-Off Event: Uncle Brothers
Monday, July 6 at 7:00 PM
At the Crossings Park on Albany Shaker Road
Kick off our summer reading club with a lively, family-time performance by the Uncle Brothers of Orangeburg, NY. Uncle Brothers’ original children's songs have brought them high acclaim from both kids and parents. With this upbeat show, the whole family will be singing and smiling! Bring a blanket or a chair and join us at the gazebo in Crossings Park. NEW this year is our Create a Cupcake sale at the kick-off! You may choose a vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry cupcake, which you’ll frost and decorate with all sorts of sweets, for $2 per cupcake or 3 for $5. All proceeds will go to our program expenses. So plan to have dessert together at the Crossings! Free kick-off tickets are available at the Youth Services Desk starting Monday, June 22.

Battle of the Books...
Wednesdays, July 8- August 5, from 6:30-7:30 PM
Exclusively for teens entering 6-7th grades, Battle of the Books is a 5-week program featuring games, snacks, art activities, and books! Each week, teams will be given a book to read at home, and on the last day of the program, teams will compete in a kid-created trivia contest based on the novels. A $2.00 fee will be collected at registration to cover the cost of a team t-shirt. Please register in-person beginning Monday, June 1 at the Youth Services Desk.

Summer Scraps
Friday evenings, June 5 and August 7 from 6:00-10:00 PM
Have you been busy making summer memories with your family? Well, take some time to get them into your scrapbooks so you can enjoy them even longer! Our Scrapbooking group meets on Friday evenings from 6:00–10:00 PM. Bring a friend or a child 12 years & older and join us for a free, relaxing evening of creativity! For younger kids interested in scrapping, you can join with an adult from 4:30-6:00 PM. Adults are welcome to stay for the later scrap. Please call or visit Youth Services to register at 810-0315.

Smart Cookies Cooking Club
June 29- July 2, from 6:30-8:00 PM
Cook up some fun! Grab a friend and sign up for a week of All-American food and festivities. Each evening, we’ll prepare a new recipe and give it a taste. Then, we’ll invite our families to join us for our Independence Day picnic on Thursday night, July 2!For kids entering 4th grade & older. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Monday, June 8.

Campfire at the Library
Friday, July 24 from 6:30-9:30 PM
We look forward to this all year! Sit around a crackling “campfire,” sing lively camp songs, watch silly skits, and hear lots of funny stories. Eat some pizza, too! A $2.00 charge for the pizza will be collected at registration. For kids in 2nd grade & older, accompanied by an adult. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Monday, June 22.

Bookmark Contest
Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2009
Be creative! Enter your original designs in our 11th annual bookmark contest. A local artist and library staff will select 2 winners for each month of the year. The winning bookmark designs will be distributed at the library and displayed on our website. Entries will be judged by the age groups 6-9 years and 10-14 years, and winners will be announced at our Finale on Thursday, August 13. Entry forms available beginning Monday, June 22. Deadline is Friday, July 31.

On Your Way to School
Tuesday, August 25 at 9:30 AM
Kindergarten is coming up! We’ll help you to get ready for your big day with stories, crafts, songs, and a short bus ride. Please register at the Youth Services Desk beginning Friday, July 31.

Finale
Correction: Finale date is Tuesday, August 11, 2009, from 3:00-8:00 pm
at the Pruyn House on Old Niskayuna Road
Children who complete our Be Creative @ Your Library! summer reading club will receive an invitation to our Finale party. As always, the Finale will be full of family fun, games, food, and creative crafts. Plus, we are introducing a first-time-ever Finale event: Colonie’s Got Talent! This friendly competition will be our after-dinner evening entertainment. If you would like to participate in Colonie’s Got Talent!, please register in person when you sign up for the summer reading club, starting Monday, June 22.

TWEENS’ NIGHT OUT
Fridays June 19, July 17, August 14 , from 7:00–9:00 PM
Don’t sit home alone on Friday night: Get your friends for DJ dancing, Guitar Hero, Wii, DDR, snacks, soda & pizza! It’s an after-hours party for kids in grades 5 – 8. Since the building will be closed to the public, you’ll use the staff entrance in the back and pick up will be promptly at 9:00 PM. A $2.00 fee will be collected at registration for pizza & soda. Please sign up at the Youth Services Desk two weeks prior to each program.

SUMMER CALENDAR

Monday Programs
Drop-in Crafts: All Ages.... 10:00-11:30 AM or 2:00-3:30 PM

Drop-in Craft
July 6, 13, 20, 27, & August 3
10:00-11:30 AM or 2:00-3:30 PM
Find a time to drop in to make & take a masterpiece! Doors will be open in the morning between 10:00-11:30, and again in the afternoon between 2:00-3:30. For all ages. No registration needed.

Tuesday Programs
Preschool Programs ...10:00 AM
Workshops: 1st Grade and up... 2:00-3:00 PM or 3:30-4:30 PM
Bedtime Stories 6:30 PM

PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS...
Stories on the Lawn
July 7 - 10:00 AM
What could be better on a lazy summer day than to spread a blanket on the ground and have someone read stories to you? You bring the blanket and friend, and we’ll provide the stories. For all ages. No registration needed.

Music & Motion
July 14 - 10:00-11:00 AM
Lisa Russo engages kids of all ages with joyful music and movement in this interactive program. Jump, play, and sing today! No registration needed.

Family Yoga
July 21 - 10:00 AM
Yoga is a fantastic family activity! Raya Ioffe is back to sing, dance, improvise, and act out stories with us. It’s a healthy way to play! All ages welcome. No registration needed.

Creative Playtime
July 28 - 10:00 AM
Dress for a mess! Get creative with bubbles, playdoh, fingerpaints, sidewalk chalk, and water toys! Bathing suit & a beach towel are best. For all ages. No registration needed.

Stories on the Lawn 2
August 4- 10:00 AM
If you didn’t get a chance to join us last time, or would love to join us again, bring a blanket and we’ll treat you to stories on the library lawn. For all ages. No registration needed.

WORKSHOPS...
Creations in Clay
July 7- 2:00-3:00 PM or 3:30-4:30 PM
Kids will create a two-dimensional design using 8 colors of clay in this art-based program led by the traveling Scotia-Glenville Children’s Museum. For kids in 1st grade & older. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Tuesday, June 30.

Ick-ology!
July 14 - 2:00-3:00 PM or 3:30-4:30 PM
Explore Your Shore! Quadricentennial Grant Program
George Steele will scoop up some Hudson River water for us to view! We will have a close-up look at bugs, snails, tadpoles and the other “icky” inhabitants. For kids in 1st grade & older. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Tuesday, July 7.

Art of Animal Tracking
July 21 - 2:00–3:00 PM or 3:30-4:30 PM
Ever wonder what animals live near to you? Learn to identify the tracks of six common mammals from ecologist George Steele. You’ll make tracks across a t-shirt to keep too! A $2.00 charge for the t-shirt will be collected at registration. For kids in 1st grade & older. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Tuesday, July 14.

Tie–Dye
July 28 - 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM
Put a burst of color on your t-shirts & socks! First, make sure they’re white, 100% cotton. Then, wash & dry them, put them in a Ziploc bag with your name on it, and drop them off to us when you register. We’ll get them ready for dyeing. On the day of the program, make sure you wear old play clothes! Open to children ages 1st grade & older; those younger than 10 years will need an adult partner. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Tuesday, July 21.

High School Musical 2: Gotta Dance!
August 4- 2:00–3:00 or 3:30-4:30 PM
Love to dance? How about the movie High School Musical? If so, join us for an amazing afternoon! Instructor Jen Stanley has been dancing for 30 years and will teach us the choreography to two of the musical’s dances: "All for One” and “What Time Is It.” No previous dance experience is necessary. Just be sure to wear comfortable clothing and lightweight shoes that stay securely on your feet. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Tuesday, July 28.

Tuesday Night Bedtime Stories...
Pajama-Rama!
July 7- August 4 at 6:30 PM
Kids! Put on your PJs and bring mom & dad to the library for bedtime stories! Every Tuesday night this summer we’ll have a family drop-in storytime for children of all ages. It’s a great way to end the day. No registration needed.

Wednesday Programs
Baby & Me: 9:30-11:00 AM / Club 1,2,3: 1st-3rd Grade: 2:00-3:00 PM
Battle of the Books: 6th and 7th Grades: 6:30-7:30 PM



Baby & Me
July 8-August 5, from 9:30-11:00 AM
Meet new families and make new friends! Children ages 12 to 36 months and their caregivers are invited to join us Wednesday mornings anytime between 9:30 and 11:00. You’ll find shelves of books to share, buckets of toys to play with, and plenty of room to move around. Please make other arrangements for older siblings, as this is a special program for caregivers and their little ones. No registration needed.

CLUB 1 2 3
July 8-August 5, from 2:00-3:00 PM
Finish your lunch & head on over to the air-conditioned library for our cool, creative, Club 1,2,3! Hear stories, play games, do crafts, and share a snack. For kids entering first, second & third grades. No registration needed.

Battle of the Books
July 8-August 5, from 6:30-7:30 PM
Don't miss our exciting book-based program for older kids! See above for the full details. Please register in person at the Youth Services Desk beginning Monday, June 1.

Thursday Programs
Craft Club: 4th & 5th Grade...1:30-2:30 PM; 6th-8th Grade...3:00-4:30 PM
Family Night: All ages ...7:00 PM



Craft Clubs...
July 9- August 6
4th & 5th Grade...1:30-2:30 PM
6th-8th Grade...3:00-4:30 PM
Our Craft Clubs make it easy to be creative! For 4-5th graders who are ready to try their hand at some complicated creations, we’ve chosen crafts that both girls & guys will like, all related to the summer reading club theme. 6-8th graders in the Tween Craft Club can plan and develop their own unique designs. We’ll supply the materials, you’ll provide the creativity! Please register for each class one week in advance. In-person registration for the first class begins July 2 at the Youth Services Desk.

Family Night Programs...

The Puppet People’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Thursday, July 9 at 7:00 PM
Explore Your Shore! Quadricentennial Grant Program
Ever a crowd pleaser, this show is a thrilling comic rendition of Washington Irving’s #1 haunting tale. Hand crafted marionettes, life sized puppets, special lighting, spooky smoke effects, and folk music make this a magical performance. Join The Puppet People for a masterful marionette production, but be careful.... do not lose your head! After the show, we’ll move outdoors to enjoy ice cream sundaes. Free tickets available in Youth Services beginning Thursday, July 2.

From Sloops to Steamboats: Early Travel on the Hudson
Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 PM
Explore Your Shore! Quadricentennial Grant Program
The Rensselaer County Historical Society makes the Hudson come alive through images and accounts of adventure, rivalry, and shipwreck! Following this spellbinding presentation, families will compete in a “Whatever Floats Your Boat!” Contest. We’ll build a boat with aluminum foil, pile it with pennies, and see whose lasts the longest! Free tickets available in Youth Services beginning Thursday, July 9.


Mr. Magicman
Thursday, July 23 at 7:00 PM
Mr. Magicman presents a show that is family friendly and lots of fun. Magic and comedy are combined with music and audience participation to make a lively and entertaining experience. Free tickets available in Youth Services beginning Thursday, July 16.

Dazzle Dogs
Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 PM
Dazzle Dogs is a remarkably unique and “dazzling” team of dogs who will delight audiences of all ages with their exceptional talents. One has to see to believe the antics of these dynamic dogs as they dance, fly over and through agility obstacles, and perform stunts that will truly dazzle all! Free tickets available in Youth Services beginning Thursday, July 23.

Reptile Adventure
Thursday, August 6 at 6:30 PM
Reptile Adventure brings science and excitement to our library! With this hands-on, interactive show you will discover some stranger-than-fiction facts about reptiles. Free tickets available in Youth Services beginning Thursday, July 30.

 

http;//www.colonie.org/library/ysprogs.html
Last updated 6/8/2009