2021 Summer Reading Programs
Tales and Travels Summer Reading Program
2021 Tales and Travels Summer Reading Program
Go ahead, hop in, and buckle up your seatbelt. You do not want to miss out on this summer’s traveling vacation, because we are starting up our engines VAROOM, VAROOM as we shift into gear! The Summer Reading Program will have, 27 youth programs and will be offering 9 activity kits containing 3 programs each week, along with prizes too numerous to count. We will be taking you for a bus, train, or boat ride as we travel through the many Tales of our Library. This 2021 summer event promises to be nothing short of magical, mysterious and outrageously fun! What if I told you that you might learn a little magic trick along the rails?
Dates: June 7, 2021 – August 6, 2021 on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
Time: 1:00pm – 1:45pm
Register Here
Tales and Travels Summer Reading Program Programs and Activities
Week #1: Nature
- Rainbow Fish Activity
- Straw Pan Flute Activity
Week #2: Transportation
- Bridge Chain Reaction Activity
- Moon Rocks Activity
- Morse “Code” Bracelet Activity Sheet
- Train on Track Activity
- Ocean Salt Painting Activity Sheet
- Parts of a Rocket Activity
- Origami Rocket Launch Activity Sheet
Week #3: Celebrations
- 4th of July Wind Streamers Activity
- Two-Ingredient Soda Birthday Cake Activity
- Star-Spangled Slime Activity
- Shrinky Dink STEM Activity
- Popcorn the “Edible” Science Activity
- Bath Fizzy Science Activity
Week #4: Rhymes & Songs
- Radiant Recycled Lizard Activity
- Elephant Blow your Trumpet Activity
Week #5: Stories
- 100 fingerprints Ready, Set, Start! Activity
- The No-Worry Worry Doll Activity
- Paul and Bernadette’s Balloon Bowl Activity
- Oatmeal Scented Goat Milk Soap Activity
- Johnny Appleseed Seed Art Activity
- Cookies and Cream Popcorn Activity
Questions: Contact Denise Bean, Youth Services Librarian, denise.bean@blind.state.ia.us, 515-452-1338
Summer STEM for Teens
The Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled will be hosting an 8-week Summer STEM Program for Teens 14 years and older this summer. Have fun with physical science, engineering, math, coding, and earth science. Teens will discover how to work through the Engineering Design Process through different activities. We will be using hands-on STEM Activities based off of STEM Scale-Up Kits provided to the Library by the Iowa STEM Council. This program will also offer guest speakers focusing on STEM careers.
Program Details
Dates: Thursdays; June 17th– August 5th
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Age: Teens 14 years and older
Location: Virtual via Zoom and/or in Person Experience at the Iowa Department for the Blind (524 Fourth Street, Des Moines, IA)
Register Here
Here is a glimpse of the different topics we will cover:
Physical Science
- Explore slopes and surfaces as you are challenged to build a ramp that allows a skateboarder to go far—but not too far.
- Explore geometry, graphing, and the properties of materials as you are challenged to build a tent for Pam and her friends.
- Explore sound waves and vibrations to develop a phone that helps friends talk over a distance.
Engineering and Coding
- Learn about fair tests to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different helicopter designs. You will use critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to build a helicopter.
- Explore the basic needs of animals as you design a code for a programmable mouse to demonstrate your knowledge of everything a mouse needs to survive by following, writing and debugging code.
Earth Science
- Learn about water and erosion and gain an understanding of how forces change the shape of the land
- Teens will explore the power of ocean waves and come up with a model to protect the beach from erosion.