Tails and Tales at the Belmont Public Library

BELMONT — The Belmont Public Library has planned a joyful addition to summer fun. Participants of all ages can now register for prizes and raffles.

The Belmont Elementary School PTO has given graciously to ensure that Belmont families have a lot to do this summer. Free and reduced price passes to attractions like the New England Aquarium and Castle in the Clouds are available with your library card, joining library-funded passes like the Squam Lake Science Center and NH State Parks.

Current information is available on the library’s website. The BEST also supported STEAM and activity kits you can check out from the library; the two metal detector kits ought to be in high demand this year, along with others sponsored by the group. The library’s telescope, Raspberry Pi coding kits, and other existing kits are also available to check out.

No Two Tails Alike: An animal’s tail can serve as a rudder when swimming, help with agility during flight, or can even function like an extra hand. Meet live native wildlife ambassadors as a naturalist from Squam Lakes Natural Science Center tells tales of the tails of some of New Hampshire’s native wildlife. The event is at the Tioga Pavilion Friday, July 16 at 10:30 a.m.

The Tioga Village Spur Trail hosts a Storywalk: Over in the Forest by Marianne Berks. The trail activity should be available through July 12. Gather for outdoor storytime Thursdays at 10 a.m. June 24-Aug. 5 at the Tioga Pavilion. This program is aimed at families with children through first grade. Since the Pavilion has a roof, no cancellations are expected for weather reasons.

Preschool kids through grade six can bring their stuffed animals to spend the night at the Library on Wednesday July 21. Stuffed pet parents will gather on the Library’s lawn at 6 p.m. to enjoy a story and snack together before leaving the stuffies to spend the night at the Library. Animals can be picked up on Thursday, July 29 at outdoor storytime.

NH children’s author Marty Kelley will be representing the Children’s Literacy Foundation during this third year of Belmont Library’s Summer Readers Book Giveaway at the Tioga Pavilion for a fun time and free books for sixth graders down to babies on Wednesday, July 28 at 2 p.m.

A solar oven is a box that traps some of the Sun’s energy to make the air inside the box hotter than the air outside the box. In other words, the solar oven is like a super greenhouse. A few years back NBC had a show called Minute to Win It where contestants had to complete a task using household items in less than a minute to move on to the next challenge and ultimately win money. The Belmont Library Minute to Win It takes place Tuesday, July 13 at 2 p.m. on the Library’s back lawn. Registration is highly encouraged for both events.

July 8, 1 p.m.: The nonfiction book discussion choice is How to be a Good Creature: a memoir in thirteen animals by Sy Montgomery. 

July 23, 10:30 a.m.: The fiction book discussion choice is The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. 

The Library will be closed Monday, July 5, for the holiday observance.

The Belmont Public Library is open six days a week and any time at belmontpubliclibrary.org.

For more information, contact: Eileen Gilbert 603-267-8331 or bpl@belmontnh.org.