Summer Program 2024

Get ready for another awesome year of free summer programming and reading tracking! This year's sessions will take place in the Library's upstairs program room. Our popular reading tracking program is also continuing this year with opportunities to win awesome prizes for reaching reading goals, chances to win our weekly prizes and even a grand prize!

Check out the information below to learn more about the 2024 Summer Program. Print copies of our informational brochure are available for pickup at the Library. Feel free to download the brochure for at home printing.

We recommend you sign up for our newsletter subscription list so you never miss a sign up date and receive updates about the program. If you have questions, concerns, or feedback, feel free to email us at summerreading@stmaryspubliclibrary.ca.

Purpose of the Summer Program

The St. Marys Public Library strives to ignite curiosity and foster creativity in children, celebrating their achievements along the way. That is why we are committed to offering a summer program that promotes reading, literacy, and engaging educational activities, aiming to make learning a joyful adventure.

By offering games, crafts, and playful activities, the program offers children a valuable chance to learn and enhance crucial skills in an enjoyable and relaxed setting. Moreover, it enables preschoolers to participate in activities aimed at fostering literacy, physical development, and sensory abilities, laying a robust groundwork for their future growth.

Weekly In-Person Sessions

Each week, a variety of programs will take place in-person at the Library.

Find out more about each program by opening the tabs below.

Weekly programs, with the exception of Reading Help and Funday Friday events, do not require pre-registration and are run on a drop-in basis. Funday Fridays and Reading Help DO require registration.

Crafty Kids

A dynamic crafting program that is designed to provide your child with the chance to explore various creative projects on a weekly basis that they can take home.

Sessions will run for 1.5 hours. The recommended age for this program is 7+. 20 participants maximum.

Discovery Den

Join us for a program that is dedicated to exploring various topics and answering questions that you have always been curious about. Through engaging hands-on STEM activities and inquiry-based learning, we will delve into children generated based inquiries and more!

The recommended age is 7+, children under 7 are welcome but must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver. 20 participants max.

Club SMPL

Combing technology, toys, and LEGO, this two-hour session offers kids the freedom to experiment and play with various items in an unstructured environment. It's a drop in session, so participants are welcome to join or leave the group at any time.

The recommended age is school age+ but children under 7 must be accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

Reading Help

Enjoy a complimentary 30-minute tutoring session with Ben, our Summer Program Coordinator. During these sessions, school-age children will engage in activities aimed at enhancing their language and vocabulary skills. To participate, children and parents are required to book a 30-minute time slot, available no earlier than one week in advance. Please note that this program operates on a scheduled basis and is not a drop-in event.

To book your 30 minute session each week, register here: tinyurl.com/SMPL-Summer-Program

Funday Fridays

Watch for our free special events, guests, and more. Call the Library, visit the link below or pick up a detailed calendar at the Library to find out what, when and where events are being held.

Registration is required and will take place on our Booking Site

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Library at 519-284-3346 and ask for Ben or email summerreading@stmaryspubliclibrary.ca

Summer Program Reading Challenge (Reading Tracking)

Each year, the Library encourages kids to track their reading for a chance to win prizes. This year's program will use our Beanstack reading tracking software. Beanstack allows patrons of all ages to track their reading, review books, earn badges and more. Beanstack can be used in a web browser or through the easy-to-use app for android or apple.

This year, we are providing three different opportunities to win prizes in the hopes that children will be encouraged to read, and maintain their literacy skills over the school vacation. All reading tracking will be done through the Library's new software called Beanstack.

2024 Summer Program Prizes

Just for completing 1 hour of reading (for Jr kids) or 2 hours of reading (for Sr kids) each week, children will be entered a weekly prize from the Library's prize display case- think LEGO sets, crafter kits, electronics and more!
Grand prize draws will happen at the end of the Summer Program and draw tickets will be earned by reading throughout the summer. The more a child reads, the more chances they have!
Finally, Milestone bags will be given out as children reach reading milestones. Jr participants will need to read 5 hours to get the first Milestone bag, 10 hours to get the second, and 15 hours to get the third. The Sr participants need to read 10 hours, 20 hours, and 30 hours to earn each of their three bags. Each milestone bag has a really awesome special activities and items.

Learn about Beanstack:

Beanstack allows kids (and adults too!) to track their reading, review books, earn badges, and more! Beanstack can be used in a web browser or through the easy-to-use app for android or apple. This means that tracking can be done anytime and there are no more paper log sheets. Make sure you sign up your child(ren) now and pre-register for the Summer Program Reading Challenge today so you don't miss out. Start tracking your reading now to practice AND earn tickets to win some pre-summer prizes! Don't forget, adults can sign up to for chances to win their own prizes; each month, we give away a $30 gift card to one lucky adult participant. Once you've signed in to Beanstack, you'll see the available Library reading challenges. There are two levels of Summer Program reading tracking: Jr- aimed at kids 0-5years, and Sr- aimed at kids 6-12years. Please choose the one that you feel suits your child(ren)'s reading level. Remember this is a reading "challenge". Therefore, if you or a Library staff member notice a child would be better suited to the other challenge, we would recommend, and are able to switch the participant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does registration work?

There is no registration required for regular weekly sessions, including Crafty Kids, Club SMPL, and Wonder Workshop.

Registration is required for Reading Help appointments and Funday Friday events.

Participants can sign up for reading help appointments or Funday Friday events by visiting our Booking page. Registration for both Reading Help and Funday Friday events opens 7 days before appointment times or events.

For a list of events and to sign up, visit our booking page.

How old do children have to be to attend?

All programs offered throughout the summer are aimed toward children 7+. However, children under 7 are welcome to attend as long as they are accompanied by a caregiver who is at least 12 years of age.

How can I stay updated on what's happening?

Throughout the summer, we keep in touch with families by sending regular email updates with information about the what, where, and when of the summer program. Sign up here. Select "Summer Program 2024" and any other newsletter lists you may be interested in and enter your information. Contact the Library if you run into any issues.

Where does the summer program take place?

This summer, most sessions and events will run out of the Library. Some events will take place at the Town Hall Auditorium. There will be directional signage to guide participants to the Auditorium. If any events are taking place off-site, participants will receive lots of notice.

Is there a cost to attend the program?

This is a completely free program thanks to the sponsorship of the Friends of the Library. We are grateful to accept monetary donations and a donation jar is available at each program. Donations are also welcomed at the Library anytime during open hours. Any donations collected will be directed to the Friends of the Library to support future library collections, programs, and services.

Summer BBQ Celebration

Our BBQ celebration is back! Join us on August 14th for a fun filled afternoon with games, food, balloon animals, music, and more! More details to be announced.

Other Summer 2024 Events

The Library is also hosting and a part of many other events over the summer.

Don't forget about our Outdoor Movies in Cadzow Park presented by the Friends of the Library. We will be showing free outdoor movies all summer long! Check out more on our event page.

Call the library at 519-284-3346 or email libraryinfo@stmaryspubliclibrary.ca for more information!