It's time to register for programs for all ages at the Montclair Public Library.
Monday Storytimes
Toddler Time
Two-year-olds and the adults in their lives explore language and numbers through stories. Picture books, flannel board stories, nursery rhymes and finger plays are used to introduce the pleasures of books. Children of all abilities welcome.
No registration required
2 year-olds
Monday, August 4 at 11am
Preference given to Montclair Library Cardholders; please bring your card.
Mother Goose
Mother Goose promotes literacy among our preschool-aged patrons. Picture books, flannel board stories, songs and puppets are used to build upon children’s natural enthusiasm for books and reading. Children of all abilities welcome.
No registration required
Ages 3 to 6
Monday, August 11 at 11am
Preference given to Montclair Library Cardholders; please bring your card.
Story & Craft Tuesdays
ZOOM ZOOM! Rocket Craft
A rocket is simply a chamber filled with pressurized gas. We will be demonstrating Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion, "Action and Reaction." This law states that "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction." Come to the library and experiment with different types of rocket cars and make your own to take home.
No registration required
3rd floor
Ages 6 to 11
Tuesday, August 5 at 3pm
*While supplies last. Preference given to Montclair Library Cardholders; please bring your card.
Wednesday Workshops
Fizz Boom Tales with Jonathan Kruk
Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk returns to MPL with two story sessions! Young children (K-Grade 3) can enjoy Fizz Boom Adventure - fables, fairy tales and science skits. Can a wolf really blow houses down? How do trees talk? Older kids (Grades 4-8) can enjoy Fizz Boom Inventors - stories that show the lives, frustrations and triumphs of inventors: it took Edison ten thousand tries to get the light bulb right, but the telescope got invented by child's play. Learn about the movie star who found Broadband, and why it took a "monomaniac" to make the first successful steamboat. Jonathan Kruk was selected Best Storyteller in Hudson Valley, and is known for one-man performances of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Mr. Kruk’s passion is performing for children, using varied voices to encourage them to step into stories.
Fizz Boom Adventure: K-Grade 3 at 1pm
Fizz Boom Inventors: Grades 4-8 at 3pm.
No registration required
3rd floor
All ages welcome
Wednesday, August 6 at 1pm & 3pm
Candy Land: Creatable Edible Art
Join us on our edible art journey. Beware of getting lost in the Lollypop Forest or stuck in Molasses Swamp as you create a path through a world of fiction as we reach the Alphabet Castle. When the journey is complete you will have created your own Edible Art board game to take home. Bring along your imagination and thirst for adventure!
Registration required
3rd floor
Ages 3 to 6
Wednesday, August 13 at 3pm
Thursday Programs
Montclair Film Festival Summer Movie
Families and neighbors are invited to enjoy an outdoor screening of animated family movie. Watch the story of an eccentric wannabe scientist, Flint Lockwood. His latest contraption is a miraculous device designed to solve the world hunger crisis. Bring blankets or your own lawn chairs under the summer sky in front of the Montclair Public Library! Presented by Montclair Film Festival and the Montclair Public Library Foundation.
No registration required
All ages welcome
Thursday, August 7 at 8pm (film at 9pm*)
*Rain date: August 8.
Friday Activities
Maker Camp Fridays
Tinker with us each Friday at 12pm in the Main Library’s 3rd floor Children’s Department*, to be followed by our virtual field trips at 2pm. Each week we will be making projects at Montcalir Public Library. Stay updated on Maker Camp activities through Google+ by following Make: Montclair Makes It!
No registration required
The virtual field trips are as follows:
Friday, July 18, 2pm: Cartoon Network
Friday, July 25, 2pm: Lego & Disney *(1st floor Auditorium)
Friday, August 1, 2pm: Google’s Self-Driving Car
Friday, August 8, 2pm: Blue Man Group
Friday, August 15, 2pm: Jim Henson’s Creative Shop
Drop-In Games
Come enjoy many games that are a lot of fun and offer a little bit of friendly competition. We will provide various Wii games; in addition, we will also offer various board games such as, Don’t Wake Daddy, Creationary, LIFE, Clue, Connect 4, Operation, Twister, Mancala, Chess and Backgammon to those who prefer to play traditional board games.
No registration required
3rd floor
All ages welcome
Friday, August 1, 3pm-5pm
Minecraft @ the Library
Calling all Minecraft gamers! Join us for another fun filled Minecraft server adventure! Ask our experts the basics on how to explore new territory, gather materials, and create amazing 3D environments. Learn the difference between creative and survival mode.
Registration required & limited
3rd floor
Ages 8 and up
Friday, August 8, 1pm-3pm
*Room is available for those who bring their own laptop.
Summer Reading Club Finale: Meet Eugene & Yosi
Eugene is a super-friendly, super-strong, super-exuberant monster who is misunderstood by nearly everyone…except children! Award-winning children’s musician Yosi returns to the Library with puppeteer Johnny Beirne to bring friendly monster Eugene to life through a one-of-a-kind duo performance of music, stories, and humor. As Eugene says, “Being different is not just good, it’s fantastic!”
Registration required
Auditorium
All ages welcome
Friday, August 15 at 1pm
Young Adult Programs
Forensics 101 with the Montclair Police Department
The Montclair Police Department would like to offer a little insight into the profession of crime scene investigation to kids in the 6th grade and up. We will cover fingerprints and DNA, from the science behind them to their practical use in police work. Basic crime scene techniques and patrol officer functions will be explained, followed by an interactive roll-play exercise where Jr. Officers and Jr Detectives will work together to solve a crime.
Registration required
Auditorium
Ages 12 & up
Thursday, August 7 at 3pm
Marshmallow Catapult Craft: YA Craft
Stop by the Youth Services Department and learn how to make your very own catapult! What is a catapult you ask? It’s a device in which accumulated tension is released to hurl an object some distance. This project will teach you how to create your very own out of everyday objects.
No registration required
3rd floor
Ages 12 & up
Tuesday, August 12 at 3pm
Teen Summer Reading Club Finale: Gamers’ Paradise
After all that reading join the teens of Montclair as they enjoy an afternoon at our very own Gamers’ Paradise! Three whole hours of nonstop gaming with four 50 inch HDTVs, 8 consoles, and a 100 video games to choose from. You might never leave!
Registration required
Auditorium
Ages 12 & up
Thursday, August 14, 3pm-6pm
Bellevue Avenue Branch Programs
Family Storytime @ Bellevue Avenue Branch
This program is designed for newborns through five year-olds accompanied by a favorite adult. Share books, stories, fingerplays, rhymes, and music with your children. Enjoy a story session that encourages a love of reading and fosters the development of early literacy skills.
Children of all abilities welcome.
No registration required
Newborns to 5 year-olds
Wednesdays, August 6 & 20 at 11am*
Kids Place @ Bellevue Avenue Branch Library, 185 Bellevue Ave., Upper Montclair
*Please note that the Library is not open during program.
Storytelling with Animal Balloons
Storyteller, Cheryl Anne, mesmerizes all while creating colorful animal balloon sculptures while she tells her original stories: “Pirate Adventures” & “Under the Sea.”
No registration required
Newborns to 5 year-olds
Wednesday, August 6 at 6:15pm
Kids Place @ Bellevue Avenue Branch Library, 185 Bellevue Ave., Upper Montclair
Scaly or Slimy? Flat Rock Brook Nature Association
Real live amphibians and reptiles visit the library to help children learn the different characteristics between these two animal families. Children will be able to touch the animals while learning about conservation and respect for all living things. This program is presented by Flat Rock Brook Nature Association.
Registration required
Recommended ages 3 to 6
Wednesday, August 13 at 11am
Kids Place @ Bellevue Avenue Branch Library, 185 Bellevue Ave., Upper Montclair
*Please note that the Library is not open during program.
In-Person Program Registration begins Monday, July 21 at 10am
Phone Registration begins Tuesday, July 22 at 10am
Youth Services Department, 3rd floor; by Phone: 973-744-0500 ext. 2236
Registration is required for all Youth Services Programs unless otherwise noted.
All are welcome, Montclair card holders receive priority registration.
All Youth Services Programs Are Free.
Please have your library card ready to register for programs.
