Bricks 4 Kidz: Does it get any better than this for young Lego-lovers?!?

So, we finally got to experience this kids’ place in Evans… and it. was. awesome.  What is Bricks 4 Kidz, you ask?  Well, it is a small business that brings educational Lego-building programs to schools, libraries, and other public kid-friendly venues (we first encountered them when one of their staffers led a great program at the main branch of the Richmond County library).  As their website explains, their activities are based on the S.T.E.M. (Science Technology Engineering Math) program, and this was evident in the super cool invention-themed building activity that they brought to the library’s summer reading program a couple years back.  I knew that they also have a permanent location set up where they run summer and school break camps, parents’ nights out, and free play days, but my family had yet to make it out there.  Then last month– faced with two Lego-obsessed little boys with Christmas week birthdays– I decided I wanted to look into having their birthday party at an outside venue (no juggling between setting up a Christmas tree and hosting a birthday party at home this year!!).   That’s when I looked into having the party at Bricks 4 Kidz.  And wow, am I glad that I did!!  I went to visit their Evans location and met with the incredibly nice owner, Jeremiah, and his amazing staff person, Lashanda.  I learned that they were voted the #1 venue for a birthday party for kids ages 6-12 in a parent poll conducted by Augusta Magazine last year… and I could see why.  In a nutshell, here is a description of the place and the party we had:

Location:  Their storefront location (just past the Ace Hardware store on Washington Rd. in Evans) is bright and cheery, and a true Lego-lovers paradise.  One large section is lined with bins and bins of Legos and building surfaces.  In addition, there is a section for building and racing cars down ramps, a remote-control car racing area, a basketball game, a Foosball table, and an eating area with tables.

The party:  Depending on the party package you purchase, you can host between 8 and 16 kids, for two hours.  A staffer hosts the entire party for you (our host, Lashanda, was AMAZING with the kids… both my mother, a retired preschool teacher, and I were mighty impressed with her), so there is literally no work involved for the parents (other than providing a cake).  The staffer leads the kids in games and activities, and allows for free play time in-between (the pacing was perfect).  She ordered the pizza and got the kids ready to eat when it arrived, and took care of serving the pizza and drinks (also provided as part of the package), as well as the cupcakes I had brought.  Then each child was able to build their own Lego person and given a mini-model set to bring home as a favor.  Another cute touch is that the birthday kid gets a “Bricks 4 Kidz” t-shirt signed by all the party guests… my boys love theirs.  For just a little extra money, you can choose a theme for the party.  My boys are Star Wars fanatics, so we opted for that theme.  The staffer tailored the games to the theme (in a Lego-carrying competition, for example, one team was “The Dark Side” and the other was “The Light Side”) and the mini-model sent home with everyone as a favor was Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder.

I really can’t say enough about how much ALL of the kids there enjoyed this place.  I’m definitely thinking about signing up my boys for one of their summer camps this year, and in the meantime, I am keeping an eye on their “free play” days to see if we can head to one of those (runs about $10/child).  I’ve found that the best way to keep up with the events they are offering is to “Like” them on Facebook, since they post the program information in their newsfeed.  Information about booking a party, field trips, and summer camps can be found at their website:  http://www.bricks4kidz.com/georgia-augusta-martinez/

Happy building, everyone!!

The “holding Legos under the chin” race

Lego car racing ramps

Other games

Downtown Aiken, SC: The Aiken train museum & kid-friendly shops

WHO:  Everyone!

WHAT:  Downtown Aiken has quite a few fun things to do with kids, including their small train museum and some shops in the heart of their downtown.  The boys and I recently spent a few hours there and really enjoyed ourselves.

WHEN:  The train museum (technically the Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum) is open Wednesday through Friday, 10am-5pm and Saturdays 9am-2pm.  Most of the shops downtown are open Monday-Saturday, from about 10am to about 5pm.

WHERE:  The Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum is located at 406 Park Ave., SE, Aiken SC, 29801.   The city’s shopping district is centered on Laurens Street and Richland Ave/ Augusta Aiken Rd. (Route 1).  To get there from West Augusta, I like to take Broad Street through downtown Augusta, then take the right exit onto Route 1 N/ 78 E (Augusta Aiken Road); you can also take I-20E to Aiken.  Once in Aiken, Route 1 becomes Richland Ave. and crosses Laurens St. and the shopping district.  To get to the train museum, keep on Richland Ave. past Laurens St. and take a right on Chesterfield St., then a left on Park Ave.  The visitor center and museum will be on your left across the divided road.  There is parking on either side of the building.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  First of all, a visit to the visitor center’s train museum is FREE!   Just three years old, the center/museum is housed in the old Aiken Railroad Depot, so right off the bat, when the boys got out of the car, they were excited to see the train tracks and old station shelter there, as well as an old engine, car and caboose out front (though two of them were covered under tarps as they are being restored– we were told that when they are finished working on them, visitors will be able to climb aboard!).  On the first floor of the visitors center, there is a staffed information desk; pamphlets for area attractions (I promptly loaded up… can’t wait to explore more of Aiken!); a small gift shop area with various gifts for the train lover, ranging from a $1 Thomas the Tank Engine ring to a $400 Lionel Polar Express model train; and an adorable train-themed bean bag toss that kept my boys occupied for quite some time.  The second floor is laid out in a circular plan and contains 9 dioramas depicting the towns along the lines run by the original South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company.  A model train runs the entire line, and the dioramas are alternately lit and dark to represent day and night (it is especially neat to see all the lights  in the buildings and train during the “night” setting).  The  dioramas are really well done, and I enjoyed examining them while the boys chased the train around and around the track.  As we left, the staff at the front desk gave each of the boys small train-themed crayon boxes and coloring sheets.  We ended up spending about 45 minutes in the center/museum, had a picnic lunch outside, and then headed downtown.

At the visitors center, the super-friendly staff people, as well as a local mom, gave me some ideas for places to take the kids in the shopping district.  I love window shopping in Aiken, but wasn’t sure I could keep the boys entertained enough to walk around Aiken’s great little downtown, so I truly appreciated the tips!  We ended up parking on Laurens Street and heading first to Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe, an old-fashioned candy store.  This place was obviously a hit!  Even I, who am not a big fan of candy, loved seeing all the rows and rows of jars filled with colorful sweets.  I let the boys each fill a bag with a small amount of candy… the best part was that there were so many choices, they spent a lot of time just choosing the few treats they wanted.  For less than $3, we had a fun timing looking through the shop, making our selections.   The added bonus was that they nibbled their few candies for quite awhile, giving me to windowshop in peace.  Another favorite stop on Laurens was the Aiken Center for the Arts: even the boys enjoyed looking at all the different artisan merchandise, as well as the locally produced artwork in the galleries.  Currently they have an exhibit featuring the artwork from their summer camps, and my kids enjoyed seeing the fun art created by other children.  We didn’t make it to “Betsy’s on the Corner” at the other end of Laurens St., which we’ve heard is a fun, old-fashioned diner complete with an old-timey soda fountain counter, but we spotted their bright red and white tables on the sidewalk and hope to grab lunch there on our next trip to Aiken.  I’d also like to check out Pitter Patter Children’s Boutique, also on Laurens, since we didn’t have time to go in this time.  And if you need a caffeine fix while doing all this window shopping and you are a fan of Augusta’s New Moon Cafe on Broad Street, don’t forget that their Aiken location is on Laurens Street as well!

HOW: For us, this combination of train museum and a little downtown window shopping worked great as a half-day visit to Aiken from Augusta.  For more information, here are the websites for the visitors center/museum and the shops I mentioned:

Aiken Visitors Center and Train Museum:  http://www.visitaikensc.com/whattodo/detail/aiken_railroad_depot

Cyndi’s Sweet Shoppe:  http://cyndissweetshoppe.com/

Aiken Center for the Arts:  http://www.aikencenterforthearts.org/

Betsy’s on the Corner:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Betsys-On-the-Corner/165708713532997

Pitter Patter Children’s Boutique:  http://www.pitterpatteraiken.com/

Railroad-themed bean bag toss at the visitor center (yes, my son wanted to wear his engineer cap for the occasion!)

Checking out the dioramas and model train at the Aiken Visitor Center and Train Museum

Shopping downtown Aiken (as you can see, this is a much better picture than my flip phone takes… this is from beautifulaiken-dot-com)

Lesser-known public library resources: Part 1: TumbleBooks

With schools out for close to three months, summer is a great time for really digging into everything the public libraries have to offer for adults and children alike.  I’ve already blogged about the county library’s great summer reading program (https://kiddingaroundaugusta.wordpress.com/?s=reading&submit=Search).  But there are so many other cool things offered by East Central Georgia Regional Libraries (ECGRL), that I think they deserve their own series on this blog.  I thought I’d start with a library resource that the boys and I have just started exploring… from home!  It is a really cool computer program called TumbleBooks.

WHO & WHAT:  If you have a county library card, then you also have access to a ton of online resources.  The one we’ve recently discovered, TumbleBooks, is an awesome program for kids of all ages, from toddlers on up.  The main feature of the program is “Storybooks”– a huge library of online children’s books.  You can sort them by author or by age group.  Once you select a book, you can opt to have it narrated (basically an audio book, and the “pages” will turn automatically on the screen), or you can select “manual”, turn off the sound, and your children can read it themselves, turning the pages at their own pace.  The books open up in a player on your computer screen that reads them along with their original illustrations, just ever so slightly animated (the pictures move, but it is in no way like a cartoon you would watch on tv).  Along with each book, there is a short interactive quiz (great for practicing story recall!) and a game.  So far, the books we have read/listened to all feature a jigsaw puzzle as the accompanying game, and some additionally feature a word search game related to the story.  There is also an option to sort books by “Language Learning” (these include books in Spanish, French, Chinese and Russian).  Other program features include “Playlists” that allow you to set up a group of books to play continuously one after the other, and a “Favorites” page that allows you to bookmark your favorite books.

WHY WE LOVE IT:  We have only begun using Tumblebooks in the last few days, but I already love it.  We are of course still reading a ton of “real” books, but there are some great things about the online versions as well.  I find that it 1. gets my 6-year-old to practice reading even more than he would if we only stuck to paper versions, and 2. lets him and even his preschool-age brother have more stories read to them even while I’m busy showering, making dinner, etc.  We often use audio picture books for that same reason, and this is a bit like audio books “on steroids” since it provides so many more options than the traditional picture book and CD.  Great stuff!

HOW:  To access TumbleBooks, go to the library homepage, http://www.ecgrl.org, and check out all the tabs in the column on the right-hand side of the page.  There is a thin, light blue one called “TumbleBooks”.  When you click on the tab, it will prompt you to enter your library card barcode and password.  If you haven’t set a password yet, I believe the default is the last 4 digits of your phone number; once you log in, you can change it to any new password.  If you still have trouble, just ask a librarian for help getting set up.  Once you log-in, you will see everything that TumbleBooks has to offer– it is so cool!

So that is officially Part 1 of the Library Resources series… as a teaser for Part 2, let me just tell you that a friend of mine just today let me know about a SUPER COOL thing you can do through the county library system!  I’m so excited about it, and can’t wait to share… stay tuned!

Kroc Tots Activity Hour at the Kroc Center

WHO:  Children ages 18 mos- 5 yrs and their caregivers.

WHAT:  An hour of staff-led activity time at the Kroc Center, including stories, crafts, singing, and free play.

WHEN:  Every Friday, 9:30-10:30am.

WHERE:  The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center downtown.  The center is a very large YMCA-type facility that was awarded to the Augusta Salvation Army and opened just over a year ago.  According to their website, the center features over 100,000 square feet of programming space.  The Kroc Tots hour is held in a large room just to your left when you first enter the building (I was glad it was close to the entrance since I didn’t have a stroller with me and the Kroc complex itself is HUGE!).  One side of the activity room is lined with windows to the outside, while another side is lined with windows into the pool complex, which looked amazing with its network of slides, sprayers, and other fun stuff for kids.  I definitely need to go take a tour of the entire facility soon!  The center is located at 1833 Broad Street, Augusta, GA 30904.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  This was a super fun Friday morning activity; I’m so sad I didn’t know about it during the school year, as it makes a great activity to bring my three-year-old to while big brother is in school or camp.  First of all, it is budget-friendly: free for members of the Kroc Center and only $1.  As I mentioned, the room  itself is very nice, lined with windows and large.  It was set up for activity hours with floor mats, inclines, tunnels and a bean bag toss covering one half for free play, while the other half had tables and chairs set up for craft time.  Once all the kids arrived, the staff person leading the hour (she was great– I wish I could remember her name!) gathered the kids on the mat for a story.  They feature a “letter of the week” at each meeting; this Friday it was Q, so the story she opened with was “Quiet as a Cricket”.  Then the kids moved on to a “Q-themed” craft.  Craft time was followed by singing, and then free play.  I had so much fun watching my little guy play and chatting with the other parents that I forgot to take pictures!  I will have to take some next time we make it there and will update this post with them (hopefully soon!).

HOW:  Kroc Tots is an easy go-to activity because you can drop in on any Friday morning; no need to pre-register or attend regularly.  As I mentioned, the fee is just $1 for non-members, free for Kroc Center members.  Find out more about the Center on their website: http://www.krocaugusta.org/

Pictures coming soon… I promise!

 

Coffee & Books & Wine, Oh My!

Great things are happening in Downtown Augusta, y’all!  I just wanted to write a quick post about a fun little outing I had with the boys on Broad Street yesterday, and report on some exciting things I learned that will be coming to The Book Tavern.

LUNCH:  NEW MOON CAFE:  After a morning meeting on Broad Street, the kids and I were hungry, so we decided to meet my husband, who works off of Broad, and grab some lunch at New Moon Cafe.  The cafe has been in its new digs in the recently renovated JB Whites Building for awhile now, and they have settled in nicely.  The new space is open and airy, with crazy high ceilings and lots of original features.  I had never been there with the kids, so I was happy to see that they do offer a kids menu in addition to their more sophisticated awesome lunch creations (I had the muffaletta, my husband had the turkey bonzai special, which involved Asian apple slaw and sounded crazy but tasted great).  Now that they have plenty of space to spread out in their new building, they’ve added a great little kids table that has a chalkboard surface and is supplied with coloring books and crayons– great for keeping the little ones busy while we waited for our food.  All in all, this cafe surprised me by its improved kid-friendliness.  (FYI: there isn’t a changing table in the restroom, but there is a bench that you could use in a pinch if you have a changing pad with you.)

SHOPPING: THE BOOK TAVERN:  As a thrifty bibliophile, I’ve always loved used bookstores.  My one issue with downtown’s Book Tavern, though, was that I never found their cramped, “blah” space very inviting.  Oh, how things have changed!  A month ago, the Book Tavern moved into the JB Whites Building directly opposite New Moon Cafe.  What a match made in heaven!  There is nothing better than a yummy lunch followed by some book browsing.  The Tavern now enjoys a modern, light-filled, high-ceilinged space boasting two floors.  Kids books are on the first floor in a nook under the staircase.  It is always a nice treat when my boys can pick a book out to take home for just a couple of bucks.  I was excited to see that the upstairs features a great lounge area.

AND JUST FOR THE PARENTS…: Even more exciting that all this?  The Book Tavern’s owner is currently waiting on his liquor license to be approved, at which point he plans to set up a small bar offering French press coffee and tea, as well as wine and beer in the evenings.  I am SO excited about this development, as one thing I’ve wished for in Augusta is a quiet, cozy place to curl up with a book and glass of wine, away from the typical “bar scene”.  Sounds like a great way to unwind kids-free at the end of a hectic day!

** And an extra note to coffee lovers… While we’re on the subject of Broad Street, when it comes to a delicious cappuccino served in a welcoming and relaxing setting, “Sit a Spell Coffee Shop” always gets my vote.  For one thing, the owner loves to make people feel right at home and befriends everyone who walks in; for another, she makes great coffee drinks; lastly, her drinks and food are served in real mugs and plates (drinking coffee from a cardboard cup is one of my pet peeves, so I don’t take this last bit lightly!).  Kids are welcome there, but for me it is a great place to either relax or get some work done without the little guys.

LOCATIONS AND LINKS:

New Moon Cafe and The Book Tavern: The JB Whites Building, 936 Broad Street in downtown Augusta

http://www.newmoondowntown.com/

http://www.booktavern.com/

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/business/your-business/2011-11-27/book-tavern-owner-saw-void-used-books-market-augusta

 

Sit a Spell Coffee House: 903 Broad Street, downtown Augusta

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/business/local-business/2011-04-11/owner-wants-guests-sit-spell-over-coffee

http://augustaschoice.com/blog/2012/04/02/sit-a-spell-coffee-house-is-awesome/

“Hot” Summer Idea: Kids Club at Michaels

Here is a quick post about something I discovered right after we moved here that was perfect for those ridiculously hot summer days when we just had to get out of the house and find something fun to do in an air-conditioned space :)… Kids Club at the Michaels store in the Augusta Exchange.

WHO:  Officially, kids ages 5 and up.  That said, my not-yet-two-year-old was able to tag along and do some of the crafts last summer.

WHAT:  “Passport to Imagination”: Globally-inspired craft time just for kids at the local Michaels store.  Last year, the sessions were weekly and on a drop-in basis; many were free but others cost between $1 and $3 dollars.  This year, their website is advertising a more structured event taking place at specified times, $2/child and online registration required.

WHEN:  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 10am-12pm.

WHERE:  All participating Michaels stores.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  Creative crafts!  Tiny price!  Did I mention air-conditioning??

HOW: Further information and online registration can be found at http://www.michaels.com/Passport/pti,default,pg.html.  I’m going to  try to make it to our store in the next few days to see if they are really requiring registration this summer, or if drop-ins will still be welcome (because sometimes summer requires some spontaneity!)… I’ll post an update when I know more.

Augusta Museum of History

**Note: during the month of August, admission to the museum is just $1 (as always, kids under 6 are free)!!**

WHO:  The museum would probably be enjoyed the most by adults and kids preschool-age and up, though some toddlers might have fun checking things out, especially if they have older siblings to follow around!

WHAT:  The museum offers great exhibits on the history of Augusta, on topics ranging from transportation to James Brown (to name the two most enjoyed by my little ones).

WHEN:  The museum is open to visitors Thurs.-Sat., 10am-5pm and Sun., 1-5pm.

WHERE:  At the intersection of Reynolds St. and 6th St. in downtown Augusta.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  This is a great space for the kids to explore, especially on a hot or rainy day when you’re looking for an indoor activity and are bored with your “usual” hangouts.  My four-year-old’s favorite, without question, is the transportation room.  This large hall houses a real train engine and cars, which you can actually board!  My son is happy as can be just looking at the train, boarding it, and playing “conductor”.  The hall the train is in is made to look like a street, complete with a “worker” fixing some power lines, which my son also found fascinating.  Other big winners for my kids in the transportation exhibit are an old steam fire engine and Model T car “gassing up”, and an old trolley that you can also board.  My boys also liked the new, expanded James Brown exhibit where you can watch videos of Brown’s various dance moves (it’s hilarious to watch a preschooler try to re-enact them) and push buttons to hear audio clips of his songs.  They also liked the golf exhibit, and the four-year-old is anxious to see the baseball exhibit when it re-opens after renovations.  There are also exhibits on colonial life and the military, among others.  All in all, this museum makes for a great outing and kept my little ones entertained for about an hour… well worth the super low admission price, which is usually $4/adult, $2/kids 6-12, and free for under 6, but during the month of August, admission for adults is only $1!!

HOW: Further information on the museum can be found on their website: http://www.augustamuseum.org/index.php.

ALSO… The Augusta Visitors Center is located in the museum gift shop and is open Mon.-Sat. 10am-5pm and Sun. 1-5pm.  This is a great resource for brochures and information on all the places to see and events in Augusta!

Transportation Exhibit, train and workman

Transportation Exhibit, Fire Steam Engine

James Brown Exhibit (the blur is a dancing preschooler!)

Columbia County Library & Memorial Gardens Park

WHO:  Everyone!

WHAT:  Columbia County planners did this one right by placing their library right beside the Columbia Memorial Gardens.  This combination makes for a great outing with kids of all ages!

LIBRARY: The library itself is a beautiful and very kid-friendly facility.  Almost the entire ground level is dedicated to a children’s library that is not only well-stocked with books at easy-to-reach kid level, but also features many kid-sized chairs and tables with bead trackers and wood puzzles.  There is even a puppet theater with puppets that the kids can play with in the back (this is always a hit with my boys).   Other bonuses: a family restroom right there in the back of the children’s library, as well as three sweet little window nooks/ “playhouses” for reading with your little ones.  The library’s storytimes are usually packed and sometimes require pre-registration.

MEMORIAL GARDENS: This park has everything… a toddler-friendly play area and one for older kids, both with very nice, large play structures; several covered picnic areas; an amphitheater; a pond with gazebo (fully fenced in to keep kids that might stray from the playground area safe); convenient on-site bathroom facilities.  But perhaps the best part of all, especially in these hot summer months, is the SPRAYGROUND!  Lots of water-splashing fun to be had for the little ones.

WHEN:  Library Hours: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  I believe the park is open dawn to dusk.

WHERE:  In Evans, GA, right off Ronald Reagan Drive behind the courthouse.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  As I said, this makes for a great outing!  Usually we will pack for a several-hour outing by bring swimsuits for the kids and lunch for all.  The boys play on the playground/ sprayground for awhile, we eat lunch at one of the picnic shelters, and then clean up, change into dry clothes, and cool off by spending some time in the library.  A great combination of different activities that add up to one full and fun day.  The amphitheater offers free movies in the evenings during the summer as well.

HOW:  For more information and phone numbers, go to the followingwebsite: http://www.columbiacountyga.gov/index.aspx?.page=2894

Children’s Library

Sprayground

Bigger kids’ play area

View of the pond from the play area

View of the library from the play area

Sunday Sketch at the Morris Museum of Art

WHO:  Best for adults and children around 9 and up.

WHAT:  A FREE afternoon of sketching in the art galleries.  The Morris provides drawing supplies that are free to use (just return them when you leave):  large and small drawing boards, sketch pads/paper, pencils and erasers, and portable stools to carry into the gallery if you want to sketch a painting that doesn’t have a bench in front of it.

WHEN:  Typically one Sunday a month, from 2pm until 3:30pm (although when I went I was there until almost 4pm and the supplies were still available).

WHERE:  The Morris Museum of Art, at 10th Street and Reynolds.  Supplies are available in the activity room at the top of the stairs before you get to the lobby.

WHY WE LIKE IT:  Did I mention that it’s FREE?!   I personally find this to be a great time to unwind on my own after a hectic week with little ones!  Some parents with older children make it a family event, which I look forward to doing one day as well.  A great way to nourish your creative, artsy side, whether you think you have one or not ;).  I hadn’t sketched since I was a kid taking art classes myself, so I didn’t know what to expect– but I really loved the experience and definitely plan to go often.  Also, the day I went, there was also a string quartet giving a (free, again!) concert in the downstairs auditorium, so it made a very nice afternoon to be able to enjoy the music and then the art.

HOW:  Couldn’t be easier–  just check the Morris’s calendar of events to find out when they are having a Sunday sketch, and go!  There is a sign-in sheet when you get there, but you don’t need to call or reserve in advance at all.  Here is the website where you can find their calendars:

http://themorris.org/

East Central Georgia Regional Library Summer Reading Program

WHO:  Absolutely everyone, from infants to adults.

WHAT:  This year’s children’s reading program theme is “One World, Many Stories” and the adult program’s theme is “Novel Destinations”.  The ECGR Library’s Summer Reading Program for kids is two-fold:

The first component is a reading log; children or their caregiver write down the titles of the books they have read (or, in the case of infants and younger children, books that have been read to them) in the log.  Once they reach 30 books (or older children log 15 hours of reading), they can bring their completed logs to a library to receive a prize and recognition.  We just did this with my four-year-old at Appleby, and it was very well-done.  Not only did they let him pick a new book out to keep from a big box of age-appropriate titles, but they also gave him a large packet of coupons and rewards (for example, free putt-putt golf, bowling, etc.) and let him write his name on a paper hot air balloon that they then posted to their bulletin board.  In addition, the librarians had everyone in the room give him a round of applause, which he of course loved. 🙂

The second component is a series of special storytimes and events being held at the library.  These include visits from the sheriff’s department to discuss summer safety; presentations with animals from the SRS ecology labs; music time; and the list goes on.  Times tend to vary, but in general, the following branches are on this schedule for their programs geared towards young children:

Appleby: Wednesdays at 10:30

Diamond Lakes: Tues. and Thurs. mornings (varies)

Friedman: Tuesdays at 10:00

Maxwell: Wednesdays at 10:00 and craft times usually on Mondays (time varies)

The Downtown Headquarters Library (Telfair St.), in lieu of a storytime at their facility, is hosting special storytimes in Pendleton King Park (in the hydrangea garden to the right of the main entrance) on Thursdays at 10:00.  Their special guest readers have included the county sheriff and the mayor of Augusta!  They provide big blankets to sit on and the garden is very shady (in addition to being downright gorgeous with all the colorful blooms); unfortunately, it is still very warm out there by 10:00, so bring plenty of water and dress accordingly.

Columbia County (Evans): On Mondays, Wednesday and Thursdays, they offer storytimes for 2-year-olds and preschoolers; Tuesdays they have lapsit storytimes for under 2.  They get big crowds, and ask that you call in advance to reserve a spot: 706-863-1946.

FOR THE ADULTS:  As I  mentioned, there is also an adult summer reading program.  This consists of a long list of reading and library-related activities and choosing 25 to complete.  Examples are: attend an evening library event (the Tuesday night outdoor concerts at 8pm on the Appleby lawn, for example); check out a foreign cookbook and try a recipe; read a novel set in China; etc.  The prize upon completion is an umbrella with the reading program logo and the chance to win a mystery grand prize (I’m hoping it has something to do with travel…!).

WHEN:  Unfortunately, I have started this blog near the end of the program, so all entries need to be completed and turned into the library by July 22nd.  If your kids like  books as much as mine do, though, you could still have time to get their logs completed!

WHERE:  Pick up all of the materials, including calendars of events and reading logs, at your nearest ECGR Library.

HOW:  For library branch hours and locations, check their website (below).  Also, by clicking on the “This Month’s Newsletter”, you will see the detailed calendar of special storytimes and also activities and events for adults and young adults. (Warning: the website is a bit confusing in that the “Calendar” is not actually filled out… just go straight to the newsletter for info on programs.)

http://www.ecgrl.public.lib.ga.us/