2024 Summer Library Program Begins Soon

May is here and for the Children’s staff at Bellevue Public Library, that means Summer Library Program (SLP) planning! 

Summer READING Programs are wonderful, but they exclude the child who is not interested in reading. Bellevue Library chooses a different approach. The Children’s staff bring together books and activities and community, and package it up into a Summer LIBRARY Program that has a little something for every child. Reading, participating in library activities, going on adventures within the community, and learning new things are all part of the experience. Children earn rewards as they participate and try new things. Once a child has completed his or her weekly adventure, they bring the passport to the library to collect their prize. The Prize Table is primarily manned by Bellevue Library Junior Friends, youths in our community who volunteer at the library and earn service hours.

Bellevue Library’s SLP will run from June 1 through July 31 and includes a variety of Family, Early Literacy, and School-Age programs. Children can visit the SLP table at the library beginning June 1 to sign up and grab their Passport to Adventure! As always, participation is free and open to the public, whether you have a library card or not!

Stop by the library starting May 15 to pick up a 2024 SLP calendar. It’s packed with storytimes, LEGO clubs, mini golf, movies, trivia, coloring with first responders, and more! Activities that are underlined require registration. Registration can be made through the calendar on the library’s website (www.bellevuelibrary.org) or by scanning the QR codes in the library. June registration opens on Saturday, May 18. July registration opens on Saturday, June 22.

Without further ado, here is the list of amazing programs being offered in June and July for families with children through grade 6. Please note that not all activities take place at the library.

Back by popular demand, we are excited to announce our 3^rd Annual Independence Day Parade of Mini Floats! This community activity is sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution Omaha chapter. Shoebox-sized entries can be dropped off starting Monday, June 17. All entries must be submitted by 8 pm on Monday, July 1, to be eligible for a prize. Each entry’s primary designer must be in or between grades PreK and 6^th. The winning entry will receive $50; five runners-up will receive $10 each. Entry forms are available at the front desk beginning June 1. No names on entries please. 

Adventure Play on the Library Lawn will happen each Tuesday in June and July from 12-1 pm, weather permitting. This activity is for families with children of all ages.

Adventures in Storytelling is back, thanks to the folks from Omaha Organization for the Purpose of Storytelling (OOPS for short). Join us on Tuesdays, June 25 and July 16, from 6-7 pm for amazing adventure stories. You can kick back and listen or stand up and give storytelling a try! This activity is for all ages.

Baby & Toddler Storytime will take place each Tuesday from 10-11 am. This activity is geared towards children ages 0-2 with a helpful adult. June 18 will be presented in Spanish and English by Bellevue East Spanish Instructor, Piper Porras. 

Choose Your Own Adventure Book Club is geared towards children in grades K-6. There are two dates to choose from each month. This is a read-together book club sponsored by Chooseco, LLC. Snacks are provided.  

• In June, we will read Trouble on Planet Earth by R.A. Montgomery. Choose between Tuesday, June 18, from 4-5 pm and Thursday, June 27, from 2-3 pm. 

• In July, we will read Escape by R.A. Montgomery. Choose between Wednesday, July 10, from 4-5 pm and Thursday, July 11, from 2-3 pm. 

Coloring with First Responders is a family favorite! Join Bellevue First Responders on Wednesdays, June 26 and July 24, 4-5 pm in the Children’s area for a fun hour of coloring. We might even have a visit from Pawficer Mo and Officer Meyers! This activity is for all ages.

Family Storytime in the Park will be held each Wednesday from 10-11 am at Everett Park in Bellevue, weather permitting. This activity is for families with children of all ages.

Family Trivia is back and this time it’s all about Disney! As some of you know, Disney World is Miss Michelle’s favorite place on earth! Families are invited to join us in person on Monday, June 24, from 6-7 pm to learn all sorts of fun Disney facts!  Prizes and bragging rights will be up for grabs by the top three scoring families! Teams must have at least two people, including a child in or between grades Pre-K and 6^th. Each team must have the Kahoot! app downloaded on a smart phone or tablet to play. Snacks provided! This activity is for families with children through grade 6.

Glow-in-the-Dark Mini Golf Party will take place on Friday, June 14, from 6-9 pm. Once the library closes, the lights will go out and the glow party will begin! Sign up your team of 2-4 mini golfers to try out this nine-hole, glow-in-the-dark putt putt course in the library! Registration is required. This team activity is for families with children ages 6 and up, teens, and adults.

Honeybee and Meadowlark Book Clubs are offered at Bellevue Public Library and Papillion Public Library (Sump Memorial). Each book club begins with reading the Little Bluestem nominee for the month, followed by a discussion of the Honeybee or Meadowlark nominee for the month. Honeybee Book Club is geared towards children in grades 3-6. Meadowlark Book Club is geared towards children in grades 5-8.

For the month of June: 

• Honeybee Book Club will be held from 4-4:30 pm on Monday, June 10, at Papillion and Monday, June 17, at Bellevue. We will discuss Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel by James Howe and Andrew Donkin, illus. by Stephen Gilpin [reading level: grades 3+].

• Meadowlark Book Club will be held from 4-4:45 pm on Monday, June 3, at Papillion and Thursday, June 20, at Bellevue. We will discuss Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds, illus. by Jason Griffin [reading level: grades 6+].

For the month of July: 

• Honeybee Book Club will be held from 4-4:30 pm on Monday, July 8, at Papillion and Thursday, July 11, at Bellevue. We will discuss Controlled Burn by Erin Soderberg Downing [reading level: grades 3+].

• Meadowlark Book Club will be held from 4-4:45 pm on Monday, July 1, at Papillion and Thursday, July 18, at Bellevue. We will discuss Attack of the Black Rectangles by A.S. King [reading level: grades 4+].

We’re having a Jigsaw Puzzle Competition! Grab your friends and show off your jigsaw puzzling skills on Saturday, July 6, at 1 pm! Teams of 2-5 people will compete against each other to complete the same 300-piece puzzle in the fastest time. Please register once per team. Have fun, win prizes, and earn bragging rights! Registration is required. 

May 29 through August 2, Kids Cruisin’ Kitchen, sponsored by the Omaha Salvation Army, will deliver hot, nutritious meals, free of charge, to children 18 years of age and younger. Meals are served on the library lawn. Meals can be brought in during inclement weather. All food must be consumed at the library. (No meals June 19 or July 4.)

Kids in the Kitchen is for children in grades K-6 with a helpful adult. On June 5, we will be making a gluten-free pasta & meatball bake. On July 3, we will be making blueberry & lemon pan-cakes (not to be confused with pancakes!) For each activity, our Zoom room is open from 4-5 pm in case you have questions or just want to visit with friends on Zoom. Registration is required. This is not an in-person activity.

LEGO Club will be held in the Children’s area each Monday in June and July from 3-4 pm. It will also be offered on Saturdays, June 1, 22, & July 20, from 3-4 pm. This activity is for all ages.

On Wednesday, July 24, from 6-7 pm, kids in grades 3-12 are invited to join us for Life in a Different Light: Exploring Biofluorescence with Nebraska Wildlife Rehab. During this event, kids will explore this phenomenon with a presentation and associated experiments. (Lights will be turned off periodically during this event.)

Maker Lab is geared towards children in grades K-6. On June 28, kids will learn how to paint an adorable “Bird on Puppy” masterpiece using watercolor paints with the help of Cinnamon Cooney, aka The Art Sherpa. There are two sessions to choose from. On July 17 from 4-5 pm, we’ll celebrate all things adventurous when we design and put together our very own Adventure Buttons to wear on backpacks, shirts, or anywhere else that needs a little pizzazz. Registration is required.

Music & Movement with Sing Omaha will be presented on Wednesdays, June 26 and July 31. Choose the session that best fits your family and join Heidi Bush from Sign Omaha for a half hour of music, dancing, and play. Families can choose between 9:30-10 am or 10:15-10:45 am. This activity is for children ages 0-5 with a helpful adult.

Nebraska Game & Parks: Discover Fishing Series is brand new to our SLP calendar. Whether you haven’t fished in years or you’ve never touched a pole, this is the perfect event to learn about fishing. Come Thursday, June 20, for “Discover Fishing and Discover Fly Fishing” and on Tuesday, July 23, for “Discover Fishing and Discover Bow Fishing.” These events take place at Kramer Park at American Heroes Park in Bellevue from 6-8 pm.

Pawsitive Reading will be held on Saturdays, June 22 and July 6, from 9:30-10:30 am. Children can sign up to read to one of our volunteer service animal teams – Archie (Sheltie) with Phyllis (human) and Roger (Corgi) with Courtney (human). One session per child, please. Siblings may read together or in their own time slots. Registration is required. This activity is for all ages.

Pizza and a Movie will be held on Monday, July 15, from 5:15-7:10 pm! This activity is for families with children through grade 6. Grab a pillow and blanket and join us at the library for pizza and the movie Magic in the Water [PG]. Pizza–eating starts at 5:15 pm, the movie at 5:30 pm! Registration is required. 

Pre-K STEAM is for families with children ages 3-5 with a helpful adult. Each Pre-K STEAM activity is designed to encourage curiosity and spark imagination. Monday, June 10, 10-11 am, is all about maps. Monday, July 8, 10-11 am, is all about bridges! Registration is required. 

Preschool Storytime will take place each Tuesday from 10-11 am. This activity is geared towards children ages 3-5 with a helpful adult. The June 20 storytime will be presented in Spanish and English by Bellevue East Spanish Instructor, Piper Porras. 

Senior Citizen Reading will be held on Thursdays, June 27 and July 25, from 11 am to 12 pm. This event encourages intergenerational interactions, which studies have shown offer mutual benefits to both the children and seniors. Children may read or be read to. 

Stamping Club is held Tuesdays, June 11 and July 9, from 3-5 pm in the Children’s area. Kids can create their own works of art using paper, stamps, ink, markers, crayons, and colored pencils. This activity is for families with children of all ages.

Wildlife Encounters will be at the library on Friday, July 26, from 2-3 pm. We will embark on a literary safari as we explore books featuring animals from every corner of the globe. Six animal ambassadors will come along for the ride.

Phew! That’s quite a list! Bellevue Library would like to thank our many partners and sponsors who make this variety of programming possible: 

• Bellevue First Responders
• ChooseCo, LLC
• Daughters of the America Revolution Omaha Chapter
• Marco’s Pizza Bellevue
• Nebraska Golden Sower Award
• Nebraska Game & Parks
• Nebraska Wildlife Rehab
• Omaha Organization for the Purpose of Storytelling
• Omaha Salvation Army
• Our Pawsitive Reading therapy animal teams 
• Papillion Public Library
• Piper Porras
• Putt & Par Tee
• Sing Omaha
• Umami Asian Cuisine
• Wildlife Encounters

If you have questions about Bellevue Library’s Summer Library Program or youth volunteer opportunities, please contact Michelle Bullock at michelle.bullock@bellevue.net or (402) 682-6659 (VM).