Parsons
As an avid crafter, I was thrilled when Greenwood Public Library opened The Studio in March 2019.
My daughter and I attended several of the programs that first summer. We met up with one of her school friends at the library and made a Forky. We drew coordinating space-themed bookmarks that we still use frequently. We made a Monster Book of Monsters Post-It note holder for Harry Potter’s birthday. In fact, my monster is looking up from me at my desk as I type this.
While I love my final products, what I loved most about these outings was how easy it made crafting with my daughter. I didn’t have to go all through the house looking for our supplies. I didn’t have to spend any time setting up. And best of all, I didn’t have to come up with the idea myself. Though Pinterest and Instagram make it look like it is so easy to create flawless crafts with kids, we all know better. It may still not turn out flawless, but it is definitely so much more enjoyable to create with kids in The Studio where a lot of the prep work is done.
Because we want to make crafting fun for the kids and easy for the caregivers, we are launching a full set of craft programs for children this summer at GPL: The Studio Kids. These programs will give kids the opportunity to do everything from creating decorations for their rooms to making gifts for Mother’s Day. They will even have the chance to learn new skills, like crocheting.
Join us this spring for one of the programs below, and keep an eye out for future programming.
• March 8: DIY Your Space: Create decorations for your room – choose between a wall hanging or Minecraft sword art.
• March 21: YouTube Along: Watch YouTube crafting videos then attempt to make what you see! Are things as easy as they seem? Are the directions good? We’ll rate videos as we go to find our favorite craft.
• April 4: Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle: How can we repurpose the waste we create into something usable? Learn how to make seed starters from recycled paper, create a pencil holder from a can, or create a mosaic from aluminum cans.
• April 18: Kids Create: Join us for a relaxed evening in The Studio. We’ll listen to music, watch videos together, and create. Bring a project you’re working on or start a new one with the materials provided.
• May 3: Mother’s Day Gift-Making: Drop-in and create something special for the mom(s) in your life. Create your own custom sugar scrub or design a thumbprint card or Shrinky dink.
• May 10: Crochet Scrunchie – Learn the basics of crochet to make your own custom scrunchie. Pick from fun yarn types like velvet and faux-fur.
Of course, there are plenty of things for kids to do in The Studio at any time – and these also require minimal effort for parents and caregivers. We have a variety of fun kits for them to try out. They can test out engineering skills with Magna-Tiles or Keva Planks, make friendship bracelets or weave a potholder. And those are just a few options. We also always have colored pencils and coloring sheets available if you are just looking for something easy and relaxing. No matter what you are in the mood for, The Studio always has something creative ready for you to come and explore.
