August 1st marked the epic conclusion of the Bellevue Public Library’s “2026 Summer Program: Mythical Creatures and Legends”! Through June and July, the Children’s Area buzzed with the excited sounds of children collecting prizes, attending events, and locating mythical creatures hiding between stacks of books.
Throughout the summer, 1,432 children through Grade 6 signed up for the program. This was a record-smashing number of participants–212 more than last year’s number of 1,220. Children eagerly visited the library each week to collect prizes for reading, playing outside, creating art, and more! School-age kids tracked these activities on their “quest trackers,” which led them on an adventure through mythical islands containing dragons, yetis, fairies, and mermaids. Preschoolers got to color their trackers as they went, helping their imaginary dragon find gold at the end of the rainbow! When participants showed their progress to library staff, they earned an array of prizes–free books, fidget toys, snacks, and raffle entries toward their choice of 35 grand prizes.
But the program didn’t just focus on activities outside of the library. The Children’s Department hosted a whopping 79 events this summer! These programs ranged from Storytimes and dance parties, to making dragon scale slime, to crafting mermaid eggs. Families got to see live science experiments with Science Heroes, meet exotic animals with Wildlife Encounters, and color with our very own Bellevue First Responders. The program concluded with a lively finale–a magic show with magician Jeff Quinn!
The 2026 Summer Library Program was a whirlwind of prize wheel spins and raffle tickets, but the true prize was watching young patrons discover the joy of reading and community connection. While the fidget toys may get lost on the way home, the memories made at the library last much longer. Upon signing children up, many caregivers reminisced by exclaiming, “I remember doing this when I was a kid!”
Read Between Realms: A Summer of Reading, Creativity, and Adventure for Teens
Also from June through July, the Bellevue Public Library invited teens to step through portals of imagination with our “Read Between Realms: Legends & Mythical Creatures” Summer Program. We inspired teens to discover new worlds through books while enjoying a wide variety of creative events, activity kits, contests, and other interactive experiences.
The library set a new record with 167 teens participating in just our thematic Portal Passport: Reading Challenge! They made personal reading goals and earned rewards, grand prize entries, and free books as they journeyed through eight mythical realms. The challenge encouraged teens to read all summer long while celebrating imagination, fantasy, and adventure.
We stayed busy with hands-on programs and take-home activities, including the Summer Squish: Forest Fae Slime workshop, K-Pop Takeover, Build Mode, and kits like Celestial Soap, Peachy Boba Tea Elixir, and Paint & Sip: S’mores Trinket Box. Pop-up events, artistic interactives, and creative challenges gave teens even more opportunities to explore new hobbies, develop skills, express themselves, and connect with friends.
Popular contests added even more excitement throughout the summer, featuring our seventh annual baking contest, Teen ‘Nailed It!’, the teen-y Tiny Art Show, and—as a new addition—the Mystical Minis challenge, showcasing the originality and talent of Bellevue’s teens.
Several favorite programs will continue throughout the school year, with more occasions to create, socialize, and discover new interests. Ongoing series include:
- Journal Studio – A low-pressure creative space where teens explore different styles of journaling, experiment with unique supplies and techniques, and connect with others while creating at their own pace. We had fun this summer making wax seals, trying international snack taste-testing junk journal prompts, and more!
- ArtVibe – Discover and experiment with different kinds of 2D and 3D art—plus meet other teen artists! This summer featured the delightfully chaotic “Goosesplosion!” activity in July.
- Cabinet of Curiosities – Sometimes mysterious, sometimes quirky natural-history-meets-art activities, including this summer’s Enchanted Apothecary Tins.
- Tiny Club – Come make small-scale crafts with big personality, featuring everything from miniatures to tiny collectibles and whimsical creations. In late July, teens put together air plant sandscapes, mini gallery art magnets, tiny crystal mushroom domes, and micro sticker scenes!
- Color Crush – A relaxing drop-in program where teens can color, enjoy snacks, and unwind while exploring creative activities that expand on coloring, from this summer’s sticker coloring to stained glass designs and other artistic techniques.
- Bead Bash – Meet-ups where teens can explore all kinds of beaded art, create fun and useful items, building hand dexterity and fine-motor skills along the way. June and July, teens made beaded sunglasses, fairy wands, hair clips, aromatherapy jewelry, and more.
- Double Pop-Ups – Twice the fun with two featured hands-on activities each month, from sparkling diamond art to bedazzled keepsakes and beyond! This summer’s highlights were dragon and sword bookmarks, dragon magnets, and bedazzled books and pocket mirrors.
- Monthly Activity Kits – Ever-changing take-home projects that bring creative experiences to teens wherever they are, spanning art, crafts, self-care, and seasonal themes. Throughout the summer, teens took home Celestial Soap kits, Peachy Boba Tea Elixirs, Paint & Sip: S’more Trinket Boxes, and two kinds of bookmark kits—a retro reading mixtape and one that looked like a spilled drink!
Our Babysitting Certification courses were also a tremendous success, with all three sessions in high demand. The library regularly offers these programs in partnership with the Nebraska Extension Services during both the summer and the school year.
The fun doesn’t end when summer does! Bellevue Public Library offers engaging programs, creative workshops, special events, and contests for teens in Grades 7–12 throughout the year. Pick up a monthly teen event calendar during your next library visit, or follow the library on social media to stay up to date on everything happening in the Teen Space. We look forward to seeing everyone for another year of creativity, learning, and fun at the library!
Questions? Contact the Teen Services librarian at: [email protected]
Teens are welcome to make collection and programming suggestions all year long through the Teen Space suggestion box or online at: bit.ly/teenlibrarysurvey
Follow the Bellevue Public Library on Facebook (@bellpl) and Instagram (@bellevuepubliclibrary)!
