What are the two words that are music to a students’ ears this time of year?
Spring Break!
Winter Break is a time to celebrate the holidays with friends and family. Summer Break is a time to mow the lawn, or, for the older set, get a job. Spring Break is that glorious time when students take a quick trip, read that book they haven’t had time to pick up, or just chill.
The programming wizards at the Eola Road Branch Library of the Aurora Public-Library know that it can be a time when little ones and their parents are itching to get out of the house. So they have planned activities that will take place Monday, March 26 through Friday, March 30.
• First on the list is BINGO for Kids.
Monday, March 26. Kids ages five to seven can play from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and kids from eight to 11 can play from 2:45 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.. BINGO is in the Large Meeting Room. Registration is not necessary.
• Tuesday, March 27, all ages are welcome to enjoy the movie “Wonder” beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Children’s Program Room.
“Wonder” is a 2017 film based on the 2012 novel of the same name by R.J. Palacio. The stars are Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay, and it follows a child with Treacher Collins syndrome trying to fit in. It is rated PG and is 113 minutes long.
Children eight and younger need to be accompanied by a guardian, but registration is not necessary. A good thing about watching a movie at the library is that you can bring your own snacks and covered drinks.
• The Wednesday Spring Break activity is a NAO Robot Demonstration.
From 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. March 28, all ages are invited to meet the Illinois State Library’s NAO robot.
According to Marcus Birch with the Illinois State Library in Springfield, the two-foot-tall robot can walk around, speak, hear, see, hum, feel (with tactile sensors on the head, hands, shoulders and feet), tell stories, kick a ball, balance on one foot, dance, practice tai-chi and laugh.
“It giggles when you rub its head,” Birch said, “and it can get itself back up if it falls down, which it does a lot, so don’t be alarmed!”
Because the NAO can see, Birch said, some people are shocked when they move and the NAO turns its head to look at them.
Birch said children from ages three to 10 get the biggest bang out of the robot. The State Library received it in 2017 through the Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries program. So far, it has visited Sherman Public Library, Downers Grove Public Library, and Collinsville Public Library.
•Thursday, March 29, another all-ages program is planned for the Children’s Program Room. It’s called “Try It” and it runs from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m..
Hands-on experiments will focus on the five senses. There is no registration, and a caregiver must be present.
A paint and sip program that is planned for Thursday, March 29, already has filled up because it had a limited number of spots. But watch upcoming newsletters for similar painting programs.
Throughout March, library customers have been voting for their favorite book characters. Friday, March 30, it will be time to celebrate with a party featuring themed activities and a craft.
For more information on voting, stop at the Eola Road Branch throughout this month. Everyone is invited to the party, and there is no registration.
Next week’s column will focus on Spring Break activities at the Santori Library and West Branch.