Upcoming term time events, programmes, and workshops at all Libraries
Regular Term Time Events
Chess has been persuasively linked with improving children's concentration, problem-solving, critical thinking, and even mathematical abilities. It is also said to help with memory storage and how young brains manage information – and should not only be perceived as a game for gifted children. It can also enhance children's ability to interact with other people. These chess classes for children and teens will focus on setting up your chess board, how chess pieces move, and general game play.
Hey kids, are you up for a challenge? St Andrews Library's Children's Book Club is for 9- to 12-year-olds who love to read. We set the reading challenges and you pick the books.
Dinsdale Library Kids Club has something new and exciting each Saturday for children to take part in! We will run a variety of crafts, games, LEGO and more from 11am-12pm every Saturday. No registration required!
LEGO Club encourages children to learn while having fun! Creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork are some skills that "playing" with LEGO can teach children.
Join us every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon during the school term to complete exciting LEGO challenges. All LEGO will be provided; just bring your creative thinking hat!
Do you love bright colours and the magic of creativity? Join our seven-week My Craft programme for kids and have fun making your crafts!
Reading Buddies involves reading to therapy dogs to build confidence in reading. This programme is designed specifically for school-aged children/young people who have print disabilities, dyslexia, or other disabilities that impact upon their reading; children who are very frightened of dogs and would like to improve their confidence around dogs through reading; and children who are learning to read in English as their second language, or children who are learning to read in Te Reo.
To find out where and when the next public intake for Reading Buddies is open, keep an eye on our Event Calendar or Facebook page. To enquire about running the Reading Buddies programme at your school, please contact the Whakaahu/Service Development Librarians.
Enjoyed watching ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls or Coraline? From simple cutout animation to Claymation, our Stop Motion LAB will focus on developing essential skills and techniques critical to producing a great stop motion project of your own!
Are you 10 to 15 years old and interested in learning the basics of drawing with paint, from proportions to composition? Do you love to gain new skills and have fun? Join our seven-week Young Artists programme and create your own piece of art!
Occasional Children's Events
Movie Nights
Movie Night is a free monthly or bi-monthly film showing at one of our libraries. We select films from the library's DVD collection, or from our free online streaming service Beamafilm, and show them on a big screen. Most often these are cartoon or family friendly movies featuring children's favourite characters such as Shaun the Sheep, Captain Underpants, Ash Ketchum from Pokémon, Sonic the Hedgehog and various other popular characters. You can also borrow the Movie Night DVDs from our DVD collection.
Harry Potter Events
Once a year, we organize enchanting Harry Potter-themed events for all the magical enthusiasts out there to immerse themselves in the world of wizardry, celebrate their love for all things Harry Potter, and unearth the mysteries of the magical realm. Keep an eye out on our Event Calendar or Facebook page.