Getting Creative: Library Resources for Homemade Holiday Gifts

As a chill fills the air and mugs steam with tea and cocoa, many of us are looking to use time at home to get creative this holiday season. Homemade gifts bring a special personal touch to the holidays and provide a fun activity for the gift-giver. Looking to get in touch with your creative …

Make Music – Tween Zone Challenge

This week’s challenge shouldn’t be a challenge at all – try exploring different ways of making music! First up is an easy-to-make straw pan flute. Supplies: 6-8 straws Sticky tape Washi tape (optional) Scissors Straw Pan Flute Instructions: Cut your straws by twos into different lengths. Cut out a long piece of tape and lay …

Catapults – Tween Zone Challenge

Catapults have been around since the ancient Greeks and Romans started using them to hurl things at their enemies. Probably, sometimes at each other. But, to be specific, the Greek Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse, invented the catapult about 400 BCE. Your challenge this week if you choose to accept it – make a catapult …

Windsock Design – Gnome Zone Weeklong Challenge

Let’s do an activity that combines our creativity, artistic skills and science! Today we’re creating windsocks. In this activity, we will create a design that signals the direction of the wind. Let your creativity soar like the wind! Supplies needed: Main Unit – Choose any one Cardstock paper Paper bag with bottom cut off Plastic/paper …

Creating Community Through Book Sharing

The Do-It-Yourself Library- Have you recently biked around Fort Collins and noticed what looks like extra-large birdhouses in people’s yards and wondered what they were? If you got close enough, you saw that these small structures are full of books, and that the books are all free. These mini-libraries are part of the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) …