Old Bridge, NJ – June 12, 2018 – With a theme of “Libraries Rock,” the Old Bridge Public Library will kick off its annual summer reading program on Saturday, June 23rd from 11-2pm with a host of activities for the entire family.
The Library will welcome Mr. Jon at 11am, a creative musical entertainer who will have children and their families singing and playing along with his guitar, puppets, games and magic bubbles. In addition, Friendly’s of Old Bridge will be on hand to offer free ice cream scoops starting at noon. There will be various crafts, games and activities for all ages throughout the day. The kick-off weekend will also include a return visit from the Lizard Guys on Sunday, June 24th at 2:30pm, for an entertaining live animal presentation featuring lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs, and bugs.
This year’s “Libraries Rock” program will incorporate a music theme and will appeal to all ages. Participants can sign up for the program during the kick-off event; by following action boxes on a game board, kids can receive raffle tickets to be entered into weekly prize drawings for games, building sets and electronics. Tickets can be earned by reading, attending Library sessions, listening to music and playing outside, among other activities. Adults can enter weekly prize drawings for items such as gift cards through reading and attending Library programs. The program will conclude on August 18th.
Ongoing summer programs will include Reading Buddies and Math Buddies. These programs help kids in grades 1-5 improve their basic skills and boost their self-confidence by pairing them up with a Teen Buddy for one-on-one mentoring and individual help. This year, the Library will also offer Google’s Chrome Music Lab which allows kids to try fun hands-on experiments with music, including the Song Maker program where users can create their own songs that can be saved and shared. In addition, Battlebots fans will have an opportunity to take their bots for a spin in the Library’s Hexbug arena, using a simple controller to move each bot as they try to knock off their rival’s magnetic parts. There will also be various materials to build different arenas and terrain to create battles between bots.
“We are pleased to offer many educational and entertaining programs this summer that will benefit and engage our patrons, especially children,” noted Library Director Nancy Cohen. “The importance of summer learning programs is well-documented, and preventing ‘summer slide’ continues to be our main objective. Studies demonstrate that students routinely experience learning losses when they don’t engage in educational activities during the long break.”
A full schedule of summer reading program events can be found at www.oldbridgelibrary.org.
The Old Bridge Public Library has consistently been voted one of the three Best Public Libraries in Middlesex County by the readers of the Home News Tribune. The Library is open seven-days-a-week and is located at 1 Old Bridge Plaza at the corner of Rt. 516 and Cottrell Road in the Municipal Center. More information about these and other Library programs is available at www.oldbridgelibrary.org or by calling 732-721-5600 x5033. The satellite Laurence Harbor branch is located at 277 Shoreland Circle; phone: 732-566-2227.
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