Youngsters will be given free rein at the Iola Public Library this month.
“Loose in the Library,” an evening of pizza, games and a scavenger hunt, will be capped with a library-wide game of hide-and-seek the evening of Jan. 17.
The idea came from youth services librarian Lese Cole, who recounted the youth cooking sessions she led in years past at the old Flewharty Annex.
“When the kids were done cooking, we’d let them play hide-and-seek in the house,” Cole said. “They had a blast.”
Though the library no longer utilizes the Flewharty house, Cole’s hope for another fun event remains.
“This is our attempt to let them have that free range again,” Cole said.
Sign-up is required by Saturday for youngsters 7 and older so organizers know how much pizza and snacks to provide. Sign-up is available by calling (620) 365-3262.
The fun starts at 5:30 p.m., about 30 minutes after the library closes for the day. A pizza feast will start the festivities, and youngsters are welcome to play assorted games after that.
Organizers will set the ground rules for the hide-and-seek. A few areas, including the Southeast Kansas Library System office and administration wing are off limits.
“We’ll have a few places blocked off,” Cole said. “Everything else is open.”
THE LIBRARY also has its monthly Stay & Play session for youngsters 6 and under from 1 to 2 p.m. Jan. 17.
There, the youngsters, and their parents or caregivers, get an hour to read, play games or just learn about what the library has to offer. No advance registration is necessary for Stay & Play, Cole noted.
Both events are geared to keep youngsters interested in the library as they age.
“What we see is kids tend to lose interest in the library by the time they get to be 13 or so,” Cole said. “This is our effort to get them in here before that.”
ON TOP OF various other events set for this month, Cole also has her sights set on the annual Everything Chocolate fundraiser, hosted by the Friends of the Library.
Volunteers bring in assorted homemade treats and snacks to be sold prior to Valentine’s Day.
