Libraries Feature Festive Activities for the Winter Season

Catch the holiday spirit at Fort Bend County Libraries! Throughout the month of December, FBCL will have a variety of holiday-themed programs, from cookie decorating to wrapping those hard-to-wrap gifts.

All activities are free and open to the public. Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. 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).

George Memorial Library (1001 Golfview, Richmond)

• Special Family Event: End-of-the-Year Dance Party – Saturday, December 21, 2:30-3:45 pm, Meeting Room. Families with children of all ages are invited to a fun celebration with DJ Jeffrey! Enjoy a variety of fun activities, songs, games, and contests! Space is limited. Tickets are required for entry and will be handed out starting 30 minutes before the event. No late admittance. This event is made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library.

• Special Family Event: New Year’s at Noon – Tuesday, December 31, 11:30 am-12:30 pm, Meeting Room. Families with children of all ages are invited to countdown to 12:00 NOON at this fun event, complete with a bubble release to celebrate the New Year! Space is limited. Tickets are required for entry and will be handed out starting 30 minutes before the event. No late admittance. This event is made possible by the Friends of the George Memorial Library.

Cinco Ranch Branch Library (2620 Commercial Center Blvd, Katy)

• “Jean Kucher’s Marionette Playhouse: Sleeping Beauty & the Handsome Prince” – Saturday, December 14, 3:00-4:00 pm, Meeting Room. Master puppeteer Jean Kuecher, producer of Marionette Playhouse, will entertain with her beautifully handcrafted marionettes on an elaborate stage, with music and lighting. In this puppet show, the Good Fairy helps the Handsome Prince battle the Wicked Witch’s dragon, but then the prince can’t remember how to awaken the Princess Sleeping Beauty! Recommended for families with children of all ages, this performance is made possible by the Friends of the Cinco Ranch Branch Library. Space is limited. Tickets are required for entry and will be handed out starting one hour before the event. No late admittance.

• Teen Craft: DIY Glitter Mason Jars– Thursday, December 19, 4:00-5:00 pm, Conference Classroom. Teens (grades 9-12) will learn how to use glitter to transform Mason jars into decorative accents for their rooms or to give as gifts. Limited supplies will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Cinco Ranch Branch Library. Registration required.

• New Year’s Countdown at Noon– Tuesday, December 31, 11:30 am-12:00 noon. Families with children of all ages are invited to countdown to 12:00 NOON with crafts, activities, and refreshments.

First Colony Branch Library (2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land)

• “Wrap & Yap: A Wrapping Party” – Saturday, December 14, 2:00-3:00 pm. Escape the prying eyes of curious onlookers to wrap gifts at this come-and-go time at the library. A small selection of wrapping paper, tape, and scissors will be provided, but those attending are encouraged to bring their own decorative materials, bows, ribbons, etc. Enjoy festive music while getting creative gift-wrapping ideas. Supplies are provided by the generous support of the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.

• “Things to Do in Sugar Land: Winter Edition” – Tuesday, December 17, 6:00-7:00 pm. Discover free family-friendly things to do in and around Sugar Land during the winter season this December and January. Hear about tree-lighting ceremonies, holiday markets, and much more! Light refreshments will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.

• “Winter Open House: Cookie Decorating, Balloon Art, & Crafts” – Saturday, December 21, 10:30-11:30 am. Adults, teens, and families with children of all ages will enjoy a festive day at the library’s Open House! Join in on craft activities, games, and even cookie decorating, while enjoying light wintery refreshments. The WOW Party Art group will entertain everyone with their balloon-twisting creations for visitors to take home. Take a break from the hustle and bustle and relax at this fun, casual event for the whole family! This come-and-go event is sponsored by the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.

• Movie Screening – Friday, December 27, 2:00-4:00 pm. This animated family adventure/comedy, released in 2002, takes place 20,000 years ago, when the Earth was being overrun by glaciers, and animals were scurrying to save themselves from an impending Ice Age. When a lost human infant is discovered, a trio of sub-zero misfits – a depressed woolly mammoth, a fast-talking sloth, and a devilish saber-tooth tiger — team up and brave deadly elements to return the child to its tribe. This movie is rated PG.Refreshments are provided courtesy of the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.

• Movie Screening – Saturday, December 28, 2:00-4:00 pm. In this 2005 family adventure film based on a popular book series written by C.S. Lewis, the four Pevensie siblings discover a wardrobe that leads them to a magical world, where they befriend talking animals and team up with a magnificent lion named Aslan and other wondrous creatures to battle an evil witch. This Walt Disney movie is rated PG. Refreshments are provided courtesy of the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.

• New Year’s at Noon– Tuesday, December 31, 11:30 am-12:15 pm. Families with children of all ages are invited to countdown to 12:00 NOON with age-appropriate crafts, activities, and refreshments. Refreshments and materials are provided courtesy of the Friends of the First Colony Branch Library.

Mission Bend Branch Library (8421 Addicks Clodine Road, Houston)

• Special Family Program: Movie & Craft– Friday, December 27, 2:00-3:30 pm. Families with children of all ages are invited to come to a “drive-in movie” and enjoy some Pixar short films from the past! Children and their caregivers can design their very own cardboard “car” while watching some delightful short films. (One “car” per family, while supplies last.)

• Special Family Program: Rockin’ in the New Year at the Library – Tuesday, December 31, 11:00 am-12:00 noon, Meeting Room. Families with children of all ageswill celebrate the New Year by counting down to 12 NOON. Welcome the New Year at the library with crafts and a dance party! Space is limited.

Missouri City Branch Library (1530 Texas Parkway)

• Canva: Festive Event Invitations – Monday, December 16, 7:00-8:00 pm, Computer Lab. Canva is a free, online graphic-design tool. Canva’s easy-to-use interface provides access to millions of photographs, graphics, and fonts, enabling the user to create designs for web or print. Learn how this tool can be used to create blog graphics, Facebook covers, flyers, posters, invitations, presentations, and more. This class will focus on creating festive holiday invitations. Registration required.

• Teen: Cartoons & Gingerbread– Friday, December 20, 2:00-3:30 pm, Meeting Room. Teens (grades 9-12) will kick off the winter break by decorating gingerbread houses while watching a cartoon movie. Supplies will be provided courtesy of the Friends of the Missouri City Branch Library. Registration required.

• Popcorn & a Movie – Monday, December 23, 6:00-8:00 pm, Meeting Room. In this modern holiday classic film, released in 1990, Macaulay Culkin plays a mischievous 8-year-old who is inadvertently left behind when his family takes a holiday trip to Paris. After learning to fend for himself, the boy finds creative ways to protect his house against two bumbling burglars who are planning to rob it on Christmas Eve. This movie is rated PG. Refreshments are made possible by the Friends of the Missouri City Branch Library.
• Teen Tuesday: Escape the New Year’s Ball– Tuesday, December 31, 3:00-4:00 pm, Meeting Room. In this fun-filled escape-room experience, teens (grades 9-12) will collaborate to solve tricky puzzles and unravel hidden mysteries to “escape” in time for the New Year! Materials will be provided courtesy of the Friends of the Missouri City Branch Library. Registration required.

Sienna Branch Library (8411 Sienna Springs Blvd, Missouri City)

• Family Program: John O’Bryant’s Library Magic Show– Friday, December 27, 2:00-2:45 pm, Meeting Room. Families with children of all ages will be treated to John O’Bryant’s amazing magic show, featuring magic, illusion, music, storytelling, goofy props, and audience participation. This event is made possible by the Friends of the Sienna Branch Library.

• New Year’s Eve Party at Noon with DJ Jeffrey – Tuesday, December 31, 11:00 am-12:00 noon, Meeting Room. Families with children of all ageswill celebrate the New Year by counting down to 12 NOON with DJ Jeffrey! Welcome the New Year at the library with games, music, and dancing! This event is made possible by the Friends of the Sienna Branch Library. Space is limited. Free handstamps, which are required for admission, will be available starting 30 minutes before the show.

Sugar Land Branch Library (550 Eldridge)

• Winter Holiday Movie – Friday, December 20, 2:00-4:00 pm, Meeting Room. This 2024 animated sci-fi film is an adaptation of an award-winning Middle Grade book by Peter Brown about an intelligent robot named Roz. After being shipwrecked on an uninhabited island, Roz survives the harsh environment by bonding with the island’s animals and caring for an orphaned baby goose. This movie is rated PG.

University Branch Library (14010 University Blvd, Sugar Land)

• Interactive Movie Day – Tuesday, December 31, 2:30 pm, Meeting Room 1. Families with children of all agesare encouraged to sing, cheer, and react along with the film! Movie-themed craft activities will also be on hand. Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved fairy tale, The Snow Queen, this award-winning animated adventure film takes place in the kingdom of Arendelle, which has been cast into eternal winter by the powerful Snow Queen, Elsa. The queen’s sprightly sister, Anna, teams up with a rough-hewn mountaineer named Kristoff and his trusty reindeer, Sven, on an epic journey to break the icy spell. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. This film is rated PG. Space is limited. Tickets are required for entry and will be handed out starting 1 hour before showtime. No late admittance.