Library Explorers

Library Explorers

Library Explorers is our hands‑on STEAM adventure program for elementary kids ages 7–11 — a place where curious minds get to build, create, experiment, and discover something new every month. Explorers jump into themed challenges that feel more like play than school, turning big ideas into “look what I made!” moments.

We meet during the school year, and after taking a summer break, Library Explorers returned in September. We used to meet on Tuesdays, but we’re officially meeting on Saturdays so both public school and homeschool kids can join the fun. Each month’s date and time will be posted on Facebook and in our calendars. Keep an eye out — adventure is just around the corner.

Announcements

Library Explorers had a truly fantastic launch in September! We kicked things off with our Science Lab theme, where our young scientists got hands-on with carbon snakes, foaming explosions, and took home supplies for their own lava lamps and Coke-and-Mentos experiments.

This month, we are keeping that amazing momentum going by bringing all the spooky fun vibes! For October, our sessions will dive into Halloween-inspired STEM challenges. Kids will get to engineer their own spider webs, mix up batches of creepy slime, and experiment with making floating ghosts.

Want to join the adventure?

  • Who: Elementary students ages 7–11.
  • When & Where: Remember, Library Explorers has moved to Saturdays this year! Exact dates and times for this month’s sessions will be posted on our main library calendar and over on our Facebook page.

Come ready to invent, experiment, and get a little messy! If you have any questions, stop by the Kids Korner and ask a librarian for more details.

Past Sessions

We had an absolute BLAST in our first Library Explorers session for the school year!
Our Science Lab theme brought all the excitement – and the experiments didn’t disappoint! Here’s what we dove into:

Program into + Safety chat – setting the stage for smart, safe science
Science observation handouts – tools to help budding sciencetists notice everything
MEL Science experiments – Carbon Snake and Foam Eruption were HUGE hits
Take-home science fune – mentos + coke and lava lamp making supplies

Such a fun session – can’t wait for the next one!

May was our last session of the school year, and we revisited weather with a fresh focus on clouds, rain, and wind. We talked about the importance of water — starting with our own bodies and then connecting it to rainfall. Explorers made rain in a jar (a messy delight!), created cloud viewfinders that we used to identify cloud types, and finished the day by making pinwheels.

April looked a little different — instead of a separate Library Explorers session, all of our youth groups came together for America 250 Kite Day! We had “Ben Franklin” join us to share his life story and inventions, and then he walked with the kids to the field to fly kites. Lawn games were everywhere, laughter was everywhere, and kids of all ages — young and old — had an absolute blast.

March

We did take photos in March… they were posted… they existed… and then they vanished into thin air like a magician deleted them mid‑trick. So while the pictures have mysteriously escaped, the fun definitely didn’t.

March’s session was all about Bits, Bytes, & Bracelets. Explorers tried out drag‑and‑drop coding blocks to make cute videos and play simple games, built their own binary bracelets, and tackled pattern and logic puzzles that stretched their brains and sparked plenty of “I got it!” moments.

February’s session centered on one big question: Why is it so cold?
Explorers modeled how the Earth tilts and spins, how its position changes during different seasons, and how temperature zones shift as the Earth moves closer or farther from the sun. We explored how all that motion affects the warmth or chill we feel here on Earth. With snow in the forecast, we closed early and sent everyone home with crystal‑making kits so the science fun could continue at home.

January was our very first session together, and we kicked things off with a full STEAM adventure — complete with stations for each part of STEAM.

S – Science — Density discussion and hands‑on testing with different materials.
T – Technology — A coding scavenger hunt that sent Explorers searching for clues.
E – Engineering — Building block structures and testing whether they could stand strong against “wind.”
A – Art — Creating snowman snow globes using the same materials from our density station.
M – Math — Using numbers and geometry to improve and strengthen their builds.