Community members in Turlock, Denair and Keyes can beat the heat without breaking the bank this August, thanks to a wide variety of free programs taking place at local branches of the Stanislaus County Library.
The Turlock Library book club will meet at 10:30 a.m. today to discuss “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs” by Alexandra Fuller. Later at 4 p.m., the library’s Perler Beads activity will allow children ages eight and up to use colorful plastic beads to create individual designs. When heat is applied, these colorful beads fuse together, preserving the crafter’s design. The Friends of the Library will also hold a meeting today at 6:30 p.m.
On Saturday, ages 12 and up can celebrate National Root Beer Float Day by participating in a Root Beer Challenge at 1 p.m. Participants will have the opportunity to taste and rate several brands of root beer, learn about the history and production of root beer, and test your knowledge of root beer trivia. Registration is required, so call the Turlock Library to sign up.
Turlock Teens Talk Books will take place at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and on Tuesday, the library’s Upcycled Pencil Cases activity will be held at 4 p.m., giving library-goers the chance to craft unique pencil cases using VCR cases and other upcycled materials.
The Turlock Teen Advisory Board will meet at 4 p.m. on Aug. 10, where local teens will be able to share ideas and earn community service hours.
Paver Painting Fun will be held at 4 p.m. on Aug. 16. Painters can use provided templates or design their own pavers to decorate a porch, place in a garden or even use as a doorstop. Children ages five and under directly supervised by a parent or adult guardian can take part in Sensory Play at 10 a.m. on Aug. 17. Sensory Play allows children to explore different textures, stimulating brain development while encouraging learning. This program also promotes bonding time between parents and their children.
Turlock LEGO Day will take place at 4 p.m. on Aug. 23, and children will have the opportunity to build LEGO Displays for the library.
Wrapping up the August events at the Turlock Library is Family Game Day, which will take place at 4 p.m. on Aug. 30. Family Game Day consists of an hour of classic board game play, teaching children socialization, sharing, taking turns and hand-eye coordination.
These programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Turlock Library. The Turlock Library is located at 550 Minaret Ave. and can be reached at 209-664-8100.
Keeping with the August fun is the Denair Library, with events starting on Aug.17. At 3 p.m., a Cat Puppet Craft activity will be held, where children can make puppets from paper bags. On Aug. 23, the Friends of the Library will hold their meeting at 11:15 a.m.
The Denair Library will host a STEAM challenge at 4 p.m. Aug. 25, revolving around geometric art. Children eight and up will be able to create abstract prints using paint and oil pastels.
The Denair Library is located at 4801 Kersey Road in Denair. For more information, contact the Denair Library at 209-634-1283.
The Keyes Library is also hosting a number of August events, beginning with the Chocolate Olympics today at 1 p.m. Participants can celebrate the Olympics with contests featuring chocolate, such as a cookie stack contest and a chocolate “egg” race, as well as other fun games.
Book Lovers Day will take place at the Keyes Library from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, and each individual who checks out a book will receive a Hershey’s Kiss. The following day on Aug. 10, readers can celebrate National S’mores Day with the library’s Give Me S’more event. Each participant can make both a s’more to eat and a s’more craft using foam marshmallows.
At 1 p.m. on Aug. 17, the crafting continues with an Owl Puppet Craft activity, where children can make owl puppets using paper bags. Then, on Aug. 24, Craft-a-Palooza begins at 1 p.m. Children will have the opportunity to make a variety of crafts during this time.
The Keyes Library is located at 4420 Maud Ave. in Keyes and can be reached at 209-664-8006.
