Library Lines: Dive into Oceans of Possibilities

Rachel Brougham
·4 min read

Let’s dive in to our Oceans of Possibilities Summer Reading at Cheboygan Area Public Library. There are so many fun activities planned.

To begin, join the library at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, for the Kick-Off Party in the Children’s Garden behind the main library building (off Ball Street). This Kick-Off party will include a reading kit for each kid (with all the supplies for the summer reading challenge and a calendar of events), outdoor games, watermelon, balloons and a fun photo-op for the whole family. If it happens to be a rainy day, we will move the festivities inside to the lower level of the library.

Through the delivery service, made possible by the Friends of the Library in Indian River, people who are homeboundÑeither permanently or temporarilyÑ can order up to three things each week. These three things can be anything the library has to offer, including books, movies, games and puzzles.
Through the delivery service, made possible by the Friends of the Library in Indian River, people who are homeboundÑeither permanently or temporarilyÑ can order up to three things each week. These three things can be anything the library has to offer, including books, movies, games and puzzles.

Throughout June, July and August, there will be several amazing activities for the summer. First, Ms. Nancy will be hosting several age-related artsy activities. These will include (for ages 3-5) creating Treasure Bottles, Popsicle Stick Fishy Suncatchers, and Foil Seahorses. For 6- to 10-year-olds, Ms. Nancy will have kiddos creating Clay Turtles, Rainbow Jellyfish, Foam Puppets, and Fleece Octopi. Tweens and Teens (ages 10 to 15) will enjoy creating Clay Fish Bowls, Sand Candles, Wire Fish, and Rubber Fish Printings.

Ms. Nancy’s activities are free but will require registration. To register, you can either stop by the library at 100 S. Bailey St. or give us a call at (231) 627-2381.

Emily Clare
Emily Clare

Also, Ms. Kimberly will be putting on Wednesday Workshops where participants will be able to explore a variety of techniques to work with clay. Wednesday Workshops will take place on July 13, 20, 27, and Aug. 3 from 10:15 a.m.-noon. The Wednesday workshops are $30 per student (which includes the four days of instruction and supplies) and are open to ages nine to adult. Wednesday Workshops do require registration and space is limited, so register today.

For the whole family, the Cheboygan Area Public Library will be showing three outdoor movies in the Children’s Garden, including Disney/Pixar’s Luca (June 17), Disney Nature’s Oceans (July 15), and Disney’s "Raya and the Last Dragon" (Aug. 12).

The library will also be hosting a Rock & Roll Beach Party with music and entertainment that will make for an exciting and fun summer evening. This event will take place at 6 p.m. July 20. It is free and open to the community.

And to wrap up the fun, the Cheboygan Area Public Library invites the community to meet a real mermaid. That’s right — Mermaid Phantom will be swimming into the library at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, and she will read a story and help announce the Summer Reading Challenge winners.

Earlier this year, Tyler Benson, United States Coast Guard Chief and children's author, who had been stationed on the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw and is currently stationed in St. Ignace, was at Cheboygan Area Public Library to read his book to fans. Tribune File Photo by Kortny Hahn
Earlier this year, Tyler Benson, United States Coast Guard Chief and children's author, who had been stationed on the United States Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw and is currently stationed in St. Ignace, was at Cheboygan Area Public Library to read his book to fans. Tribune File Photo by Kortny Hahn

And speaking of the Summer Reading Challenge, kids aged 0-17 can participate in a read-a-thon. The library will provide pages that participants can use to keep track of their reading time and when they fill them up they can turn them into the front desk at the Library and receive ocean animal cutouts that they can put their name on and add them to the ocean display in the library. This way, we can see and cheer on all our readers.

There are calendars available in the library that share all the dates and times of the fun events for the summer. Be sure to stop by the library to pick one up or feel free to check out the Library’s Calendar of Events via cheboyganlibrary.org (click on the “Looking For” tab at the top of the page).

Two other fantastic events planned at the Cheboygan Area Public Library is a new adult Drawing Class session, which will take place in the Studio on the Library’s Lower Level on June 13, 20, 27, and July 11. The four-day class is open to ages 7 to adult with a class fee of $20 per student. Class time is 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Registration in required. Please visit the library at 100 S. Bailey St. or call 627-2381.

The other fantastic event is a concert with the musical talents of Jackie & Gary at 6 p.m. Friday, June 3, as they present “Singing the Good Old Songs Again.” The program is free and open to the community. Be sure to join us and bring your friends for a fun evening of entertainment.

Please note, the Cheboygan Area public Library will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day.

— Emily Clare is program director of the Cheboygan Area Public Library. 

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Library Lines: Dive into Oceans of Possibilities