Because of the COVID-19 social-distancing recommendations, Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) is continuing to offer children’s programming virtually this fall, so that families can participate from the comfort and safety of home!
Videos of Mother Goose Time, Toddler Time, Preschool Story Time, After-School Breaks, and Middle School Programs will be posted on the online Virtual calendar on FBCL’s website each week.
Age-appropriate stories, songs, and puppet shows are featured in the Mother Goose Time, Toddler Time, and Preschool Story Time videos. The schedule is as follows:
- Tuesdays – Mother Goose Time (infants 1-12 months of age)
- Wednesdays – Toddler Time (1-3 years of age)
- Thursdays – Preschool Story Time (3-6 years of age)
Families of toddlers and preschoolers may pick up to-go activity packets from the library for the month. These packets contain fun craft activities that can be done at home. Call the libraries to request to pick up the packets through the Curbside Pick-Up service.
The After-School Breaks – which take place on the second and fourth Mondays – include crafts, stories, and more for school-aged children in grades K through 5. The schedule for October is as follows:
- October 12 – Secret-Agent Art. Learn how to draw invisible pictures, make a DIY decoder to send secret messages, and test spy skills with a memory challenge!
- October 26 – Kitchen Science. Using simple ingredients found at home, make plants, crystals, and bubbles that get bigger and better over time!
The Middle School Programs – which take place on the first and third Mondays — include activities specially designed for kids in grades 6 through 8. The schedule for October is as follows:
- October 5 – How to Draw Spider-Man
- October 19 – Art Garden, Part 1. Create a colorful garden. In Part 1, you will design their own planters. Part 2 will take place on October 24.
As an extra treat in October, a variety of special activities are planned every Saturday. Links to these pre-recorded videos will be available on FBCL’s online Virtual calendar.
October 3 — Preschool Story Lab. This activity is for preschoolers from 3 to 6 years of age. The Preschool Story Lab is a creative story time event that encourages children to discover and explore concepts in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). FBCL’s children’s librarians will read books, sing songs, and demonstrate a variety of STEAM activities that can be done with simple kitchen supplies.
October 10 – Bilingual Story Time. Families with children of all ages will hear stories in Spanish and English, and will enjoy a variety of other activities such as songs, stories, and finger plays. This family program is geared toward children ages 3 to 6.
October 17 – Fall Festival: “Wizard of Oz,” presented by Bright Star Theatre. Follow comedic duo Lenny and Mabel down the yellow brick road to the land of Oz and meet all of your favorite characters along the way! Gain courage with the Cowardly Lion, take heart with the Tin Man, and find your wits with the Scarecrow in this fun interactive retelling of the L. Frank Baum classic. This family program, for children of all ages, is made possible by the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.
October 24 – Middle School: Art Garden, Part 2. Youth in grades 6 through 8 will pot plants in the planters they designed in Part 1, and learn plant-care basics.
October 31 – Middle School: Lava Lamp. Presented by Seven Lakes High School senior Aryana Suhartono, Houston Regional Director for the EduSTEM Initiative, this video will demonstrate a science experiment using items commonly found at home. Viewers will discover how to create a colorful lava lamp that will also give them a better understanding of the chemical processes behind the reactivities.
The materials list for the “Lava Lamp” experiment includes the following: one clear bottle, vegetable oil, water, Alka Seltzer tablets, and food coloring.
For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).