Virtual Programming
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is an initiative from the 1000 Books Foundation that encourages children to read or be read ONE THOUSAND books before beginning Kindergarten. In as little as 15 minutes a day, families can work toward this goal and help their children to build the skills needed for future school and life success. Babies, Toddler, and Preschoolers ages 0 to 6 are welcome to participate in this ongoing program.
How it works
Register for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten in person at your local Garland Library, or register online using Beanstack: https://nmls.beanstack.org/reader365
Already have a Beanstack account? Just sign in to get started!
Come in and pick up a log, or use one of our printable reading logs below:
1,000 Books Log 1-100
1,000 Books Log 101-200
1,000 Books Log 201-300
1,000 Books Log 301-400
1,000 Books Log 401-500
1,000 Books Log 501-600
1,000 Books Log 601-700
1,000 Books Log 701-800
1,000 Books Log 801-900
1,000 Books Log 901-1,000
Once your child has completed a log, bring it to the Children’s Desk at any of our libraries to receive a prize and the next reading log.
Shhh! A Library Podcast
February Books & Beyond: DIY Space Capsule
Learn about NASA professional Katherine Johnson in honor of Black History Month. Then make your own space capsule!
Art Explorers: Lines and Emoji
Discover how lines convey meaning in art, then use your skills to draw different emojis. Miss Kelly shows us how!
Origami Take and Make Kits
You can do many of these origami crafts with paper you have at home, or you can arrange to pick up a kit at any #GarlandLibrary. Make cranes, frogs, lanterns, and ninja stars!
Take and Make Origami: Crane
Take and Make Origami: Jumping Frog
Take and Make Origami: Lantern
Take and Make Origami: Ninja Star
January Books and Beyond: Science Fiction
Learn about sci-fi author Jules Verne before designing your own sci-fi vehicle.
Winter Reading Challenge: Make Your Own Cloud Dough!
Let's make Cloud Dough! This is a great homemade play dough recipe that you can make with your little ones.
Here are some sensory benefits of cloud dough:
- Helps develop fine-motor skills for future writing and hand-eye coordination
- Encourages creativity
- Can be very calming, much like a squishy stress ball
- Improves social skills by encouraging conversations between those making and playing with the cloud dough
Suppies:
1 c. Corn starch
1/2 c. Lotion (baby or regular)
Gel food coloring
Mixing bowl
Wax paper
Plastic wrap
Winter Reading Challenge: Easy Polar Bear Origami
Learn how to fold paper into polar bear origami with Miss Malia!
Supplies
6”x 6” square sheet of white paper
Pens for decorating (sharpie fine tip)
Winter Reading Challenge: Sensory Snowman
Learn how to build a sensory snowman with Miss Nicole. No snow required! Sensory play encourages the development of fine motor skills, “scientific thinking” and problem solving, and can involve mindful activities which are beneficial for children.
Winter Reading Challenge: Snow Paint
Paint with “snow” along with Miss Kelly!
Winter Reading Challenge: Snow Writing
Learn how to write with snow. Miss Malia shows us how! Snow writing is a great way to build fine motor skills and introduce your child to new textures. Sensory play encourages the development of fine motor skills, “scientific thinking” and problem solving, and can involve mindful activities, which are beneficial for children.
Supplies
Apron
Measuring cups
Spatula or spoon
1 Bowl
Shaving cream
Corn starch
Baking pan or tray
Glitter (optional)
Paint brush or q-tips
Visuals such as letters or numbers
Dark construction paper
Art Explorers: Perspective Drawing
Learn about one point perspective drawing and then make your own holiday road trip perspective drawing.
Turkey Escape Room
Turkey lost his feathers in all the side dishes while the farmer was chasing him on Thanksgiving. Can you solve the puzzles and help Turkey find his feathers?
Pumpkin Patch Escape Room
The Garland Public Library welcomes you to our escape room! This escape room was written for children or families, but anyone can participate as a group or an individual. Figure out patterns, navigate mazes, play number games and test your memory! This escape room was written with the help of Maggi Dieker, a librarian at the Garland Central Library.
Art Explorers: Geometric Abstraction
Explorers will learn about different types of art and use creativity to make their own masterpieces. Celebrate Hispanic Artist - Kazuya Sakai, a Japanese-Argentinian Artist and his geometrical form and the use of saturated colors. We will use paper and markers to create our own a colorful art pieces.
Template (PDF)
Art Explorers: Pointillism
Explorers will learn about different types of art and use creativity to make their own masterpieces. Pointillism is a painting technique that uses small dots of color to create an image.
Creative Kids - Could You Be a Knight
Children will get to create their own shields and learn to joust with a pool noodle. Children can register and then pick-up the knight shield at the Central Library (in-person or curbside pickup). Children can use a pool noodle they already have or some other flexible implement their parents allow them to joust with. Children will learn about historical knights and we will give parents some ideas of other knight themed activities to do at home.
Supplies needed:
Markers
Precut Knight Shield
Pool Noodle
Target
The knight shield for Creative Kids will be offered to the first 24 participants to request them. Call the Central Library at 972-205-2516 to register. Curbside pickup is available.
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) Kaleidoscope Fun
Come have some kaleidoscope fun! Learn how kaleidoscopes work, while creating their own unique design using recycled materials, straws, and mirrored paper.
Supplies needed:
Recycled toilet paper tubes
Straws
Mirror board
Cardstock
Drawing tool (pencil, pen, marker, etc.)
Coloring tools (markers, crayons, etc.)
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) - Creative Creatures
The Children will participate in STEAM activities that involve fairy tale creatures and creatures of their own design.
Flying dragon: Using paper tubes, and their own decoration, the children will create a dragon which will then be placed on two strings. The strings will be used as a lever to help the dragon “fly” up the string.
Pool noodle monsters: children can use their creative side to make a monster of their choosing.
Supplies needed:
Toilet paper rolls
Construction paper
String
Googly Eyes
Pom poms
Pipe cleaners
Scissors
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) - Kawaii Fantasy Creature Comics
Participants will create their own comic strips, and draw fantasy kawaii creatures to go with their comics, using numbers and letters. Comic strip panels will be printed prior to the program.
Supplies needed:
Drawing tool (pencil, pen, marker, etc.)
Paper (copy paper or whatever paper)
Images of the creatures being drawn (PDF)
Comic strip panel template (PDF)
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) - STEAM Like a Royal
The Little Mermaid wants to look beautiful for her prince. Decorate her tin foil tail with sharpies to make her ready for anything!
Rapunzel has been trapped in her tower all her life! Help her explore the outside world by building her an escape route from her tower!
Snow White is hiding from the Evil Queen at the home of the Seven Dwarves. Create a dwarf beard for Snow White to wear as a disguise!
Supplies needed:
Construction Paper
Popsicle sticks
Index cards
Yarn
Pipe cleaners
Tooth picks
Tin foil
Cotton balls
Tape
Scissors
Glue
Sharpies
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) - Dragon Paper Plate Gliders
Participants will create dragon gliders using paper plates to make the wings and the body. They will then paint their dragons with a combination of watercolor paints and sharpies.
Supplies needed:
Paper Plates
Dragon template for tracing (PDF)
Drawing/coloring tool (pencil, pen, marker, watercolor paint etc.)
Stapler
Scissors
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) - Fizz! Boom! STEAM: Science of Magic
Use science to learn Magic tricks! Kids can learn some scientific magic tricks like the floating feather trick and the static can trick. Attendees may then race their cans without touching them, using balloons and the magic of static electricity.
Supplies needed:
Feathers
Paper clips
Magnets
Jumbo Craft Sticks (2)
Electrical tape or other tape that is nicely colored
Aluminum can
Balloon
Scissors
Fishing line
Creative Kids (Ages 6-12) - Ancient Greek Vases
Kids ages 6 through 12 can learn some Greek history with a game of Roll and Draw to create an Ancient Greek vase of their own design! Participants will roll a dice to indicate what to draw, and where, on a shape of an ancient Greek vase. They will also learn some of the history behind the vases and mythology, and the symbols being drawn on them.
Supplies needed:
Paper, any kind will do
Drawing tools (e.g. pencil or markers)
Coloring tools (e.g. crayons or markers)
Dice or a dice alternative (e.g. pieces of paper numbered 1 - 6)
Roll-the-dice template (PDF)
If you don’t have a printer at home, contact the Library about Mobile Printing that you can pickup curbside!
Be creative! Try making your vase with paint instead of pencils, markers, crayons!
Art Explorers: Magical Agamograph
Art Explorers will create an Agamograph. Agamographs are 3-D art made with two to three images. The participants will create two separate images of fantastical landscapes to make their own Magical Agamograph.
Supplies needed:
4- 8.5 x 11 sheets of cardstock
crayons
markers
scissors
glue
Art Explorers (Ages 6-12) - Mythical Creature Mosaics
Draw inspiration from Fairy Tales, Mythology, and Fantasy to make mosaic art using colorful stickers. Create mythical animals like Unicorns, Dragons, Phoenix, Fairies and more.
Craft Kits will include:
6 x 9 in. mixed media paper with a mythical creature pre-drawn.
1 Sheet of 144 florescent stickers (each sticker - size 0.5 x 0.75 Inches)
1 Instruction Sheet
STEAM Activities at Home: Drawing Animals with Numbers
Need an activity to keep the kids busy while at home? Join Miss Dorothy to learn how to draw animals with numbers!
STEAM Activities at Home: Scratch Art Paper
Need an activity to keep the kids busy while at home? Join Miss Dorothy to learn how to make your very own scratch art paper!
Stomp Rockets
In this tutorial, we will be showing you how to make a rocket and rocket launcher from paper, craft supplies, PVC pipe, and a 2-liter soda bottle that you can take outside and launch.
STEAM Activities at Home: Paper Airplanes
Need an activity to keep the kids busy while at home? Join Miss Dorothy to learn how to build three different types of paper airplanes or gliders before measuring how far they fly!
Origami Fukuyama Rose and Kusudama Flowers
Instructions (PDF)