Children’s Librarian: Susan Slater [email protected] 814 723-4650 x126
Children’s Room Assistant: Kelley Wood
Children’s Room Summer Assistant: Miranda Estes
Color Your World 2025 Summer Program Schedule
Note: Preschools, daycares and/or groups of six or more are encouraged to call the Children’s Librarian to schedule a special time for your group.
Reading Component:
- Children keep track of books read over the summer and receive prizes.
- Parents and/or children can pick up a *Children’s Reading Log Packet in the Children’s Department starting Monday, June 2.
- *Children’s Reading Log Packets will be located on the staff desk in the Children’s Department in a clear acrylic tray with a drawer. Open the drawer to retrieve a Reading Log Packet. Packets may be picked up at any time starting June 2 regardless whether or not staff is present in the Department.
- We encourage the children to read for pleasure, so we do not expect a specific number of books to be read.
- Children will receive prizes for reading whether they read five books, twenty books, fifty books or one hundred books.
- All formats count: e-books, audio books, chapter books, picture books, nonfiction books, comic books, graphic novels, etc.
- Younger children can participate because parents can record books read to their tiny tots.
- Two ways to keep track of books: Parents/children can pick up Children’s Reading Log Packets in the Children’s Department starting June 2. Parents who prefer the online method may use Reader Zone (readerzone.com), which can be accessed via the Reader Zone website, or put a Reader Zone app on their smartphones. Join with the code: 418cb.
- Prizes: Children can turn in their Reading Logs between July 21 and August 6. We will not keep the logs; we just want to record the information for statistical purposes. Children will receive a Reading Certificate, choose a book to keep and a toy-type prize. Those who use Reader Zone will receive email instructions via Reader Zone in regards to prizes.
Weekly Programs
Toddler Time: Mondays, 10:30 am, Children’s Department. Join Ms. Susan for fun theme-based stories, songs, crafts and creative play. Aimed at ages 1 – 4, but all are welcome. Dates: June 9, 16, 23, 30; July 7, 14, 21, 28.
Reading Wednesday: Wednesdays, 10:30 am, Children’s Department. Join Ms. Kelley for story time fun and crafts. Aimed at ages 4 – 8, but all are welcome. Dates: June 11, 18, 25; July 2, 9, 23, 30.
DIY Activities
Painting Portal Short Story Contest: Ages 5 – 11. You find a painting that acts as a portal to another world. Write a story about your journey through the painting and the colorful adventures you have on the other side. Start your story with the prompt: “My painting portal journey began when…”. Pick up a Painting Portal Short Story Contest entry form for details. Starting June 2, forms can be found across from the staff desk in the Children’s Department or download one from the Children’s Program page on our website. Stories and the Writer Information Page are due July 7. Entries will be judged by age categories (5-6; 7-9; 10-11) and winners will be notified by July 15. One winner in each age category will receive a $30 Chloe’s Creamery gift card.
Story Walk: Tuesday, July 1 – Monday, July 14. This story walk focuses on Duck on a Bike by David Shannon. Families, children and preschools can complete this story walk at their leisure during the dates listed above. Certain businesses along Second Avenue and Liberty Street will post pages from the selected book in their windows. Participants will read the story in progression as they walk along Second Avenue and then up and down both sides of Liberty Street. Participating businesses will be noted in the packet. Story Walk packets will be available starting *June 24, can be completed between July 1 – July 14, and are due into the Warren Library by July 15. *Packets can be found across from the staff desk in the Children’s Department or download one from the Children’s Program page on our website. Names of the children who turn in the “Submission Form” from their packet by the due date will be entered into a drawing. Thirteen names will be randomly drawn and winners notified on July 17. Twelve children will each win a gift bag containing a Stuff-a-Duck kit and a copy of Duck on a Bike: one child will win the grand prize of a large fun-filled gift basket.
Special Programs
Ice Cream Social: Monday, June 2, 3:30-6:30 pm, Slater Room. This event is hosted by the Adult, Teen and Children’s staff. All ages are welcome to pop in to enjoy some ice cream and register for the reading portion of our summer programs. You can also pick up summer program schedules for all ages to see what fun we have in store this summer. If you cannot make this event, you can register throughout the month.
Bigfoot Experience: Do You Believe? Thursday, June 5, 6:00 pm, Slater Room. This event is hosted by the Adult, Teen and Children’s staff. People of all ages interested in Bigfoot are welcome to attend. Join producer, lead investigator and New Jersey native Mike Familant as he shares his experiences researching and tracking down the truth behind North America’s most iconic cryptid, Bigfoot. Mike has been researching this amazing creature for over 14 years, and has captured some impressive evidence along the way. From the Florida Swamps to the North Country of Maine and everywhere in between, Mike is the full-time, lead investigator and producer of the show, “In the Shadow of Big Red Eye.” Mike will exhibit some extraordinary evidence backed by facts which he and his team have collected throughout his journey, along with some unfortunate experiences that come along with Bigfooting. A Q&A will be held after the presentation. This event can accommodate 116 attendees. All will be seated on a first come, first seated basis.
Chalk the Walk: Thursday, June 12, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Front Lawn. Children can choose a section of the sidewalk and creatively engage in sidewalk chalk art. If there is inclement weather, we will move inside for a Block Party, which means creative play inside with a variety of the library’s STEM toys. Registration not required.
Confetti Teddy: Monday, June 23, 4:00 pm, Children’s Department. Ages 2 – 11. We will start with a few bear-themed stories and end with each child stuffing their own adorable plush polka dot teddy bear to keep. Each plush comes unstuffed with a stuffing kit, which includes: stuffing packet, wish star to insert into the teddy bear, birth certificate and a buddy bag. Registration mandatory, limited attendance. Registration is online only. When registering, enter one child’s name only per entry. If you have multiple children, you must do multiple entries. Registration starts June 3, 10:00 am. The link to register is https://warren-pa.whofi.com/calendar/event/326499.
Pollinators and Native Plants: Thursday, June 26, 1:00 pm, Slater Room. For children in grades K – 8. Warren County Master Gardeners will teach participants what native plants are and about their importance to our pollinators. Each child will pot and take home a food plant for caterpillars and a nectar plant for moths and butterflies. All supplies provided by the Master Gardeners. Registration mandatory, limited attendance. Registration slips will be available in the Children’s Department starting June 5.
Duck on a Bike Story Walk: July 1 – 14. See details above.
Fuzzy Art Night: Wednesday, July 2, 4:00-6:00 pm, Children’s Department. Children are invited to choose from a variety of velvet art pieces to color, or they might decide to engage in some scratch art. Registration not required.
Fire Safety and Prevention: Tuesday, July 8, 11:00 am, Slater Room. Firefighters from the City of Warren Fire Department will speak to the children about fire safety and prevention. This talk includes a 10-minute video with characters from Lion King and will culminate with a viewing of a fire truck outdoors. This event can accommodate 116 attendees. All will be seated on a first come, first seated basis.
Sundance Kids Farm Petting Zoo: Wednesday, July 16, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm. All ages are invited to visit with Michael Morton’s farm animals on the library’s front lawn, Market Street side. Rain or shine. Stop by and visit with goats, chickens, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, rabbits, tortoises and a Patagonian Cavy. Registration not required.
Erie Traveling Zoo – There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly: Friday, July 18, 11:00 am, Slater Room. Children will have the opportunity to interact with various “creepy crawlies” and investigate why people think that they are “yucky”. Erie staff will use an old lady puppet and book to tell the story “The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.” Erie staff will share two live animals plus biofacts. This show can accommodate 95 attendees. All will be seated at a first come, first seated basis
Chalk the Walk: Friday, July 25, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Front Lawn. Children can choose a section of the sidewalk and creatively engage in sidewalk chalk art. If there is inclement weather, we will move inside for a Block Party, which means creative play inside with a variety of the library’s STEM toys. Registration not required.
The Magic of Color: Saturday, August 2, 11:00 am, Slater Room. Enjoy some magical fun with Cris Johnson, our favorite magician! Watch as the classic book Harold and the Purple Crayon is brought to life, Mr. Gloves makes a colorful rainbow appear, and a wall of 24 Rubik’s Cubes magically forms a picture of a famous character, and much more! Family fun for all ages. This event can accommodate 116 attendees. All will be seated on a first come, first seated basis.
Virtual Author Talks
Library Speakers Consortium: Warren Public Library showcases a virtual author talk series each month featuring bestselling, award-winning, and highly acclaimed authors from around the world. The featured writers and thought leaders will cover a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres. The free, virtual series takes place two to three times a month and includes the opportunity to ask questions to the author.
This summer the Library Speakers Consortium is hosting a K-12 Summer Series with some popular children’s authors.
June 24, 4:00 pm, “Living the Otter Life with Katherine Applegate” (3rd-6th grade). Newbery Medalist and New York Times Bestselling Author.
July 8, 2:00 pm, “Drawing Your World with Raul The Third (PK-2nd Grade). New York Times Bestselling and Three-Time Pura Belpre Award-Winning Illustrator, Author and Artist.
July 23, 4:00 pm, “Illuminating Hope and Grace in the Face of Hardship with Rex Ogle (5th-8th grade). Author of Free Lunch, winner of the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Award.
Register for these virtual author talks and discover other featured authors by linking here:https://warrenlibrary.org/author-talks/
Available All Year
1000 Books Before Kindergarten: Help put your child on the right track for kindergarten and build a solid foundation for academic success by reading early and often to your young children. The Warren Library is providing the opportunity to participate in this popular program open for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Information about this program and reading logs can be found on our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten page here. When visiting the library, information and a reading log for the first 100 books can be found on a shelf directly across from the staff desk in the Children’s Department. Those who prefer an online method may keep track at Reader Zone. Register on their website www.readerzone.com using the program code fc392. Like apps? Download the Reader Zone app from Google Play, the App Store or Amazon by searching for “Reader Zone”; be sure to use program code fc392.
Portions of these programs are possible due to the generous donations made at the Annual Midwinter Library Fundraiser.
