With the arrival of spring, and the warmer weather to go along with it, participants in the Science Saturday program offered at the Escalon Library learned a little bit about the science of plant growth.
Starting with the need for water, library staffer Amanda Clifford took the young participants on a journey through the life of a plant, starting with the seeds and giving them a place to grow. The kids attending the program got to choose from a variety of seeds to plant and take home.
Peppers, rosemary, sunflowers, basil and thyme were just a few of the options. Participants soaked a couple of paper towels in water, then wrung them out so they were damp but not soaking wet, placed them in the glass jars provided, then added the seeds into the damp towels, giving them the moisture they needed to get started.
Clifford said the plant program also coincides with some Earth Day activities going on at the library. The April 6 program provided kids with a hands on lesson in planting and there were some displays of previously planted seeds sprouting provided for attendees to view.
Olivia Raley, 7, had planted some basil and squash, hoping to grow the plants large enough to eat and use as spices. For nine-year-old Isabella Raley, the choices were sunflowers and thyme.
The library hosts Science Saturday the first Saturday of the month and it is just one of the programs geared toward young learners, said Clifford.
Also recently hosted was a fun family movie night, with the first one screened on Friday, April 5. The show was The Avengers and Clifford said nearly two dozen people turned out, with family members able to make a craft, their own snacks and then enjoy the movie. A Disney film, either Aladdin or The Lion King, will be the feature in May.
Prior to that, the library will host a couple of special Easter-themed programs. First, a Books and Bunnies storytime is scheduled for preschoolers on Thursday, April 18 at 10:30 a.m., which will feature stories and decorating Easter bags, followed by an egg hunt inside the library on Second Street.
Later that same day, it is a program for tweens and teens, Bean Bamboozled, with an egg hunt for the older kids at the library starting at 4 p.m.
Monthly gatherings at the library also include a cookbook club, knitting group, Oak Valley Art Society, the Scottish Club, Escalon Chamber of Commerce, Reading to the Rescue program, Makerspace, Gadget Clinic and more.
The Escalon library is open Monday and Wednesday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday noon to 5 p.m.; and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
