If you grew up in Henderson and you’re of a certain age, you may have fond memories of spending summer afternoons in the children’s section of the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library. The children’s section was in the basement, and you could either go in at ground level or climb those impressive front steps and then head down the metal stairs just beyond the main Circulation Desk.
Either way, you ended up in a cool, quiet spot and peruse books to your heart’s content.
“Cool” is about the only similarity between the old library and the new Perry Memorial Library, however.
There are still plenty of books to choose from, and the AC is a welcome relief from the recent early-summer heat, to be sure.
But chances are good that there was NEVER an obstacle course set up for children to enjoy at the old library. It’s just one of the activities that Youth Services Director Melody Peters and team have planned, all in the name of summer fun.
The obstacle course, “Adventures in Imagination,” kicked off at 4 p.m. today, and Peters said she wanted to tap into children’s different learning styles. Some kids are tactile learners and like to touch and feel things to help them learn. Kinesthetic learners are active, so there’s a place for them to crawl and jump around as they progress along the obstacle course, picking their way across a river filled with crocodiles. This is where Peters stresses the word ‘imagination’ – the crocodiles, rocks and river are made of paper, she said.
The topic moves from imagination to science for the next couple of weeks, when participants will get to do some STEM activities with N.C. Cooperative Extension staff on Tuesday, July 9 and then on July 16 a geologist from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is going to come talk about rocks. There will be some geodes to crack, so if your kids have never done that before, bring them to the library that day.
Family Story Time takes place on Sunday, July 28 and Peters has planned a special version of the Olympic Games for that afternoon event, complete with edible medals – think Oreos and Twizzler ropes.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available at your local library.
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