By Sierra Solis
Face painting, dressing up and story times are among the activities infants through children age 5 can enjoy at the BOUNCE Family Fun Extravaganza, hosted by Carmel Clay Public Library’s children’s department. Children and their parents are welcomed to come from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 10 for a day filled with stations and games promoting early literacy.
“A big push in libraries is five early literacy activities that kids need to build pre-reading skills. Those are: talk, sing, read, write and play. We got to thinking we could help make those a fun activity at the library … making it a festival to promote the early literacy skills that are important for kids, even before they go to school,” said Elizabeth Essink, children and youth programming coordinator for CCPL.
The free extravaganza will focus on the five main aspects of early literacy, as well as interactive stations teaching science, technology, engineering and math skills, also known as STEM. Stations will be centered around this year’s theme of “space.”
Kids will be presented with a variety of hands-on learning stations, including learning apps on iPads to give more insight to families in using technology for their children’s development. Children’s musician, Jim Gill, will teach the children through music at 10:30 a.m. and noon. For more information on specific activities and times, visit carmel.lib.in.us/attend/calendar.cfm.
”We still hear all the time, ‘why do you have programs for newborns?’ That’s one of the times when they learn the most,” said Beth Jenneman, communications manager at CCPL. “So this whole focus on early literacy (is) to get them in here and their families, and to get them some of the tools that we have. Your baby can learn a lot, even before they talk or walk.”
BOUNCE Family Fun Extravaganza
When: Sept. 10, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Carmel Clay Public Library, 55 4th Ave. SE
Cost: Free
Information: carmel.lib.in.us/attend/calendar.cfm.
