Rock Island Library Offers Free Fun, Learning During School Break
Rock Island, IL: Rock Island and Milan School District families looking for free things to do over the March 13-24 school break will find options at the Rock Island Public Library.
Two "Crafternoons" will allow families to drop in to make and take several simple crafts suitable for children from the pre-Kindergarten to 7 age ranges. On Tuesday, March 14, the Rock Island Main Library will offer butterfly crafts from 2:00 to 5:00 pm in the Children's Room, and on Thursday, March 23, the Southwest Branch will offer several puppy-themed crafts from 3:00 to 5:00 pm in the Community Room. To complete the puppy experience, therapy dogs from the QC Canine Assistance (QC CAN) program will also be on paw from 3:30 to 4:30 pm at the Southwest Branch on March 23, as the part of a Read to a Dog event.
"Reading aloud to a dog provides children with a judgment-free way to practice reading skills. Kids can make the craft and then go to read to a dog, or vice versa," says Children's Librarian Ranell Dennis.
The Southwest Branch will also host a Family Craft Night at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, March 14. Families can make a wise owls pillow box craft. The craft is free, and registration is required. Participants can register online at the library website, in person at the branch, or by calling 309-732-7338.
Activities at the 30/31 Branch include a free LEGO STEM project for school-aged kids from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Wednesday, March 15. The library's Stem-AZING events feature a different hands-on project on the second Wednesday of each month in science, technology, engineering and math at the 30/31 Branch.
Intersession events at the Main Library include a Dance Me a Story event at 6:30 pm on Monday, March 20. Ballet Quad Cities presents a child-friendly introduction to their ballet, Wild, Wild West. Kids can then grab a costume and try telling their own story through movement. The free event is for families and kids of all ages.
Events for teens during school break include a Teen Coding Night on Thursday, March 16, also at the Main Library. From 5:30 to 7:00 pm, teens ages 12 to 18 can learn about how coding is used to create video games and apps. Participants will learn basic coding with the Scratch program, play coding games, and practice simple coding on library laptops.
Wrapping up the second week of school break is the library's monthly Teen and Tween Gaming Night on Thursday, March 23. From 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm, participants can play board games and a variety of video games for Wii U, Wii and Xbox 360platforms. The event is in the Main Library Community Room, and is open to ages 8 to 18.
For more information about Rock Island Library hours, services and programs, visit the library's online branch at www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-READ, or follow the library on Facebook or Twitter.
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