Snake safety and reptile myth busting presentation

Join us at the local Margaret River Library to hear Becca Bolton from Discover Deadly – our local Reptile Centre, speak about her work and give participants the chance to interact with reptiles that live at Discover Deadly.

Becca is also a qualified snake catcher and she will give advice on staying safe around snakes, along with some interesting facts about these fascinating creatures.

This activity is best suited to children over 5 years old and bookings are essential as there are limited spaces.

Margaret River Library Tuesday 29 September

• First session 10 -10.45am
• Second session 11.15-12 noon

Phone 9780 5600 for bookings

Lego Club at Augusta Library

Join our hour long Lego club session to take on new challenges with all the Lego provided. Best suited to children over 5 years and bookings are essential.

Phone the library now to reserve your child’s place.

 Augusta Library

• Thursday 1 October | 10.30-11.30am

Phone 9780 5600 for bookings

Undalup Storytime – Songlines of Boodja

Join Tamara from the Undalup Association on the yarning mat for a special storytime; Songlines of Boodja (country) with activities and craft.

Suitable for ages 4-12 years old and bookings are essential to reserve your child’s place.

Margaret River Library

• Tuesday 6 October | 10-11am

Phone 9780 5600 for bookings

Fuelling Creativity workbooks available at your library

Grab your FREE Scribblers Festival Fuelling Creativity Workbook brimming with inspiration and tips on how a healthy body can support your most creative mind! Hear from a line up of creative stars that take you behind the scenes of their creative process in the corresponding Fuelling Creativity Video Series found on the  Scribblers Festival Fuelling Creativity website.

All school holiday activities are FREE at the Shire Libraries, however bookings are essential and children must be accompanied by an adult for each session.

Regular Baby Rhyme Time, Storytime and Toddler Tales sessions take a break over school holidays. Sessions resume during school term commencing Monday 12 October.

Toddler Tales starts again this Thursday 10th September, 10.30am at Augusta Library and continues on the second Thursday of each month during school term.

Toddler Tales is aimed at children 18 to 36 months old and involves a story, rhymes, songs, craft and morning tea.

Bookings are appreciated, phone 9780 5602 to reserve your child’s place.

Held on the last Monday of each month, Book Chat Club is a place for ten to fourteen year olds to chat about their favourite books and reading.

Bookings are required, please contact Rachael on 9780 5602 or email rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au as spaces are limited.

Happy Reading!

The Book Project encourages all WA children aged 0-12 years to collaborate and connect with other children from across the state. This is an opportunity for participants of all backgrounds and abilities to be represented in a book made for children, by children. The Book Project investigates the Rights of Children and what this looks like to them. With the added opportunity of becoming a published Author/Illustrator, it’s a perfect rainy day activity!

Supported by WA Children’s Book Author & Illustrator, Briony Stewart, elements selected from multiple children’s entries from each region will be crafted together into one cohesive story. Then compiled into three books representing the age groups 0-4, 5-8 & 9-12 years, to be published, printed and distributed throughout the state.

To enter:

1. Head to the Children’s Week WA Book Project Page
2. Download the Story Pack for your Region and Age Group
3. Complete the Entry Form and submit your work by Midnight, 31^st August 2020
4. Join us on Facebook Live on Wednesday 28^th October, from 10am to see if you have been featured in the books!

Entries open 13 July – 31 August 2020. All selected entries will be listed as co-author/illustrators and sent a FREE copy of their Children’s Book! 🤩

The 2020 Children’s Week Book Project is proudly supported by LotteryWest and Healthway promoting the Go for 2 & 5 message.

Yes! Baby Rhyme Time, Storytime, Toddler Tales and Book Chat Club will be resuming at our libraries soon!

Some programs could look a little different and may now need bookings as we are required to abide by our Covid Safety Plan.

Please read the information below to find out what is happening for kids at the library:

Baby Rhyme Time: Every Monday starting 24th August at 2.00pm (except public and school holidays) at Margaret River Library

• For babies up to two years of age and their caregivers, Baby Rhyme Time is a fun place to learn new rhymes and songs to share with your little one.
• Please email Librarian: Youth and Children, Rachael on rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au or call 9780 5602 to express your interest in coming to this session

Storytime: Every Tuesday starting 25th August at 10.15am for 10.30am start (except school holidays) at Margaret River Library

• For children aged two to five years old and their caregivers, Storytime encourages children to discover a love of books, stories, reading and rhymes and promotes family literacy skills.
• Please email Rachael on rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au or call 9780 5602 to express your interest in coming to this session

Book Chat Club: Monday 31st August at 4.15pm – please note new time – at Margaret River Library

• A group for those aged between ten and fourteen years old who are enthusiastic about books. Each meeting we chat about what we have read and give reviews for other members of the club. There is no ‘set’ book – we agree on a genre or theme, and you pick a book that appeals to you.
• Please email Rachael on rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au or call 9780 5602 to book a place as spaces are limited

Toddler Tales: Thursday 10th September 10.30am at Augusta Library

• Aimed at Toddlers aged from one and a half to three years old, Toddler Tales incorporates books, rhymes, songs and a take away craft at Augusta Library
•  Please email Rachael on rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au or call 9780 5602 to book your child’s place as spaces are limited

We hope to see you soon 🙂

The library received such a fantastic response to our virtual Lego challenge of building a dream park!

We thought you might like to see what our talented local kids have created…

Noah’s Lego creation is a police station, which he designed with help from dad.

In Erica’s park, many of the Harry Potter characters are enjoying the experience of a “muggle afternoon at the park” with ‘pop up’ cafe, pet rescue stall and water bubbler. It’s got a neutral carbon footprint because the windmill statue produces all the necessary electricity. Filch is standing guard at the drawbridge to make sure no real muggles stray in.

Sophia and Ella designed a park with slides, a shop where you get food from, a bathroom (because every park needs a bathroom), some benches for if you get tired, and climbing wall.

Kacey made a WW2 park:

Jordan, Riley and Berrick have made a park including a skate ramp, a seesaw, a spaceship ride, a treehouse with a swing, ice cream and burger food trucks, a binocular viewing platform and even public toilets!

This is a spooky haunted fun theme park designed by Leo. Lots of scary details, with spiders and critters galore. Follow the pebbles or you’ll end up lost. Includes the rollercoaster of doom. Watch out for the swamp monsters!

Penny has made a cubby house in a park with a swimming pool, TV room, Kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a gym.

Mona made a safari park with some fun activities for beautiful animals.

Thank you to all who have sent in their photos and there is a prize for each of you at the Library 🙂

The virtual lego club challenge this holidays was to create an amazing park or playground and you all sure know how to design one!

Here are some of the entries we received:

Romy created a mythical forest park,

Jessie made a volano park,

Ali and Leon had fun with 2 different park designs,

Here is Vrit’s submarine with scientists who are trying to discover new species of plants and sea creatures on the sea bed:

Jiya made a tissue box cover – very practical!

Seth designed a Fairground of wonders. Highlights include a Slide, Beep bop bunker (this plays music), News crew at the park just to film stuff, Geysers with food colouring in them so they look cool, Security guard checking speed limits of cars going past.

Hugh created a Fair of Awesomeness where you will find a garden on the roof, Lolly bucket on the wall that you can actually put your hand in and take lollies out, Spider webs everywhere, a lot of hand sanitiser and the park owner lives in a hut in the park (called Hugh).

Sian enjoyed building her tree house theme play park with treasure map and telescope to watch the stars at night in the school holidays.

There is still more time to send your photo in and win a prize. Email your completed Lego Challenge photo of your ultimate playground design to Rachael on rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au and she will add your photo to this website.

This school holidays your libraries have another Virtual Lego Club challenge and take-away craft packs, all for Free!

Virtual Lego Club challenge

Create your dream park out of Lego, then email a photo to Rachael rdrummond@amrshire.wa.gov.au and she will upload your photo to our blog. The creator of each scene emailed to the library will win a prize!

Take-away craft packs

You can choose one of three FREE craft activity packs to take home. Get in quick as supplies are limited. Visit Margaret River Library and a pack will be available while stocks last. Craft packs include inspiration for your creation but you will need to provide some more materials at home. Click here to find out more about your library services at this current time

Call Augusta Library to arrange click and collect pick up for your craft pack – Ph: 9780 5670

Take-away craft pack choices available are:

• Decorate a cotton library bag
• Wild animal masks
• Wooden spoon puppets

Online Activities

Once again we have searched the web for some school holiday fun for you:

• Scribblers festival have extended the Connecting Through Creativity competition to 19th July – get creative using a method of visual storytelling and explore the topic of connection.
• Watch or listen to Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach read by Taika Waititi and joined by many well known celebrities. A celebration of reading and spoken word to be enjoyed by the whole family.
• Penguin Books has online  Bluey activity packs, Lego activity packs and The Very Hungry Caterpillar Outdoor Adventure pack, Play with Pepper Pig and much more!
• Walker Books Australia have some fantastic videos, activities and online tutorials from some very famous children’s authors.
•  Hatchette Australia have produced beautiful storytime sessions with real animals from Australian Zoos and aquariums.
• The Children’s Book Council of Australia WA branch Make Your Own Storybook Competition 2020 closing date has been extended until 24th July. You will find lots of handy tips and useful information at this website wa.cbca.org.au/myosb including virtual storybook making lessons with author/illustrator Sean. E. Avery. Entries are open to all students from Pre Primary through to year eight. Forms can be found at the Children’s Book Council of Australia WA branch website.

Happy holidays!

The Children’s Book Council of Australia WA branch Make Your Own Storybook Competition 2020 closing date has been extended until 24th July.

You will find lots of handy tips and useful information at this website wa.cbca.org.au/myosb including virtual storybook making lessons with author/illustrator Sean. E. Avery.

Entries are open to all students from Pre Primary through to year eight ages and forms can be found at the Children’s Book Council of Australia WA branch website.