Learn to paint alongside experts from Three Dragons Design! More details about the painting are to be determined. Visit their Facebook page to see guided paintings we’ve done in the past!

Join us at the River Valley District Library with a physical therapist to learn about the benefits of using play to promote strength, balance, and mobility to help children reach their developmental milestones. We will discuss the developmental milestones and ways to keep movement fun and engaging. 

*All ages are welcome! Games and activities will provided for children who attend with their caregivers.

Join Pulse 84 and River Valley District Library to create our signature Summer Reading drink! Stop by River Valley District Library to mix and match flavor combinations provided by Pulse 84, then share your creation with friends. We’ll taste, vote, and crown one drink the official Plant a Seed, Read! Summer Reading Drink of the season!

Ages 8-12

Get creative with a fun mixed media project! Combine canvas, paint and buttons to create a cute Spring-themed piece of art.

STOP THE BLEED® is a national campaign to encourage bystanders to become trained, equipped, and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. It is a public/private partnership led by the Department of Defense and many other stakeholders.

Marybeth Eggers, a member of the Stop the Bleed Coalition, will be leading this class on emergency response preparedness. Attend this program to receive the skills and hands-on practice you need to stop a life threatening bleed until emergency personnel arrive. This program has limited capacity, and registration is required for attendees.

Join us for a stimulating conversation and coffee! The River Valley Readers meet on the 4th Saturday of every month on the second floor of the library, after regular library hours. This month’s book is TBD, so keep an eye on this page for details!


Have any questions? Contact Holly!

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Join us for an exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed just for preteens ages 8–13! Whether you're brand new to the world of dragons, dice, and daring quests or already have some experience, this program is the perfect place to jump in. Library staff will guide players through character creation, storytelling, and gameplay in a fun, welcoming environment. Work together, solve problems, and let your imagination lead the way!

No experience necessary, and new players are welcome.
Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance to secure your spot on the adventure!

Let your creativity bloom at the library with our DIY Chia Pet and Nature Art program for kids! Explore the beauty of the natural world through fun, hands-on art projects.

Activities include:

DIY Chia Pets – Decorate your own creation, add chia seeds, and take your new pet home! We will be using paint and clay, so dress for mess!

Plant Prints – Create beautiful designs using real leaves and plants

Seed Mosaics – Build colorful art using a variety of seeds

Rainforest in a Jar – Make your own mini ecosystem to take home

Chlorophyll Painting – Discover the natural colors inside leaves

Mini Yards – Design and decorate your own tiny outdoor scene

Kids will learn, create, and connect with nature while making one-of-a-kind masterpieces to take home!

All Ages Welcome!

Join Naturalist Becky Baugh from the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center and learn how to identify local mushrooms and which seasons and habitats they can be found. You will also learn recipes and ways to preserve the mushrooms for future use.

Plant a seed of wonder! Join us for Incredible Bats, an exciting live animal program where you’ll meet fascinating creatures from around the world—up close and in person.

Meet the Animals:

• Fruit Bats 🦇

• Fennec Fox 🦊

• Armadillo

• Rabbit 🐰

• Short-Tailed Possum

• Hedgehog 🦔

• Sugar Gliders

• Dormice

• Box Turtle 🐢

• Bearded Dragon 🦎

• Leachianus Gecko

• Leopard Gecko

• Ball Python 🐍

• Corn Snake

• Tarantula 🕷️

Learn amazing facts about bats and their important role in our ecosystem, along with all their animal friends. This interactive presentation is perfect for curious kids who love wildlife, nature, and a little adventure!

Part of our “Plant a Seed, Read” summer program, this event will spark curiosity and help you discover how even the smallest creatures make a big impact.

Take a spin on creativity with Art Roulette! In this fast-paced, collaborative program, participants will start their own piece of art—then pass it along for someone else to continue. Watch your creation change and grow as it moves around the room, with each person adding their own unique touch.

You never know how your artwork will turn out, and that’s part of the fun! This program is all about creativity, surprises, and letting go of perfection. This program is open to tweens age 8 – 12.

Get ready for a delightfully deceptive art experience! Join professional artist and baker Miss Alice for a hands-on workshop where creativity meets illusion. Participants will learn how to use lightweight spackling and cake decorating tools to transform everyday objects into realistic “cake” creations that look good enough to eat (but definitely aren’t!).

Miss Alice will guide you step-by-step through techniques for piping, texturing, and adding decorative details, helping you turn ordinary items into eye-catching works of art. Perfect for teens and adults of all skill levels, this program is a fun way to explore mixed-media art and learn something totally unique.

Give old plushies a cute new life in this fun, creative program for teens! In this hands-on workshop, we’ll turn stuffed animals into unique decorative wall mounts using simple crafting techniques and lots of imagination. Participants can mix and match colors, fabrics, and accessories to create something totally their own. All materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own beanie-baby sized plushies if they prefer. It’s a playful way to reuse old favorites and make something new to display and enjoy!

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Plant a seed of music! “Skippy The Drum Machine” is an educational concert showing how music is made through the voice, body, and beatboxing, the art of making drum sounds with your mouth. Led by Luke “Skippy” Harbur, you’ll learn something new, make silly sounds, wiggle your body, and leave with tools for how to make your own music! No experience necessary: no matter your age, this program proves we are all smarter, kinder, and better together!

Plant a seed of science! Join River Valley District Library and The Family Museum for a fun and educational program! Learn how our eyes work and how they help us to see. Experiment with optical illusions that show how parts of how vision works.

Best for kids in grades 2-6th

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Join us for an exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed just for preteens ages 8–13! Whether you're brand new to the world of dragons, dice, and daring quests or already have some experience, this program is the perfect place to jump in. Library staff will guide players through character creation, storytelling, and gameplay in a fun, welcoming environment. Work together, solve problems, and let your imagination lead the way!

No experience necessary, and new players are welcome.
Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance to secure your spot on the adventure!

Create your own mini bookshelf in this fun, hands-on library program! Participants will design and decorate a small bookshelf that’s perfect for holding tiny books, trinkets, and keepsakes.

Use a variety of craft materials to customize your shelf and make it uniquely yours with decorative touches and creative details. Whether you love books, crafting, or both, this program is a great way to make something special to take home!

Plant a seed of magic! Get ready for an unforgettable experience as the River Valley District Library presents an incredible live magic show with the one and only Zach Percell of TnZ Magic!

Prepare to be amazed as Zach brings the impossible to life with a thrilling mix of jaw-dropping visual magic, laugh-out-loud comedy, mind-bending mentalism, daring escape artistry, and masterful sleight-of-hand.

This isn’t just a magic show, it’s an interactive adventure that will leave audiences of all ages wondering… “How did he do that?!”

Don’t miss your chance to experience the wonder, the laughter, and the magic at River Valley District Library!

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Plant a seed of art! Join the River Valley District Library and the Figge Art Museum for a hands-on class you won’t want to miss.

Travel through time as you explore the stories behind some of the world’s most famous masterpieces, and then bring those techniques to life with your own creative twist! Perfect for curious minds and budding artists alike!

Plant a seed of gardening! Step aboard the QC Botanical Center’s Plant Discovery Bus and dig your hangs into learning! Create your own miniature Green House while discovering what it takes to help plants grow and prosper!

Join us for a stimulating conversation and coffee! The River Valley Readers meet on the 4th Saturday of every month on the second floor of the library, after regular library hours. This month’s book is TBD, so keep an eye on this page for details!


Have any questions? Contact Holly!

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Join us for an exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed just for preteens ages 8–13! Whether you're brand new to the world of dragons, dice, and daring quests or already have some experience, this program is the perfect place to jump in. Library staff will guide players through character creation, storytelling, and gameplay in a fun, welcoming environment. Work together, solve problems, and let your imagination lead the way!

No experience necessary, and new players are welcome.
Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance to secure your spot on the adventure!

Kids Dance Class with Abbey Gustaf!

Get ready to move, groove, and shine! Kids ages 6–12 are invited to join a fun and energetic dance class taught by Abbey Gustaf.

What’s Included:

• Three exciting practice sessions where kids will learn new dance moves

• Opportunities to build confidence, coordination, and teamwork

• A final showcase where students perform for family and friends

This class is perfect for beginners and experienced dancers alike—come ready to learn, have fun, and show off your skills on stage!
Dates & Times: July 1st, 15th, & 29th (Showcase TBD)
Ages: 6–12

Spaces are limited, so sign up today and get ready to dance your heart out!

Get ready to celebrate with a burst of creativity! Join us at the library for a special Cookies & Canvas class where kids will paint their very own fireworks masterpiece, just in time for the 4th of July!

What’s Included:

• Step-by-step painting of a colorful fireworks scene

• Delicious cookies to snack on while you create

• A fun environment perfect for young artists

This festive program is a great way to spark imagination, celebrate the season, and take home a dazzling piece of art!

Best for children age 6 and older

Spots are limited so be sure to register!

Create your own unique mosaic in this fun, hands-on program for tweens! Using air-dry clay as a base, participants will design patterns and pictures, then decorate them with a variety of seeds to build colorful, textured designs.

Experiment with shapes, arrange your materials, and bring your ideas to life one piece at a time. It’s a relaxing and creative way to explore art while making something special to take home. This program is intended for tweens age 8 to 12.

Create colorful, light-catching art in this fun, hands-on program for teens! In this workshop, participants will design and craft their own faux stained glass décor using simple materials and easy techniques—no glass cutting required.

Choose your design, add vibrant colors, and outline your piece to mimic the look of real stained glass. The result is a unique decoration perfect for windows, lockers, or your room.

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Get ready to explore the wild side of nature at Dorrance Park! Join River Valley District Library there for a hands-on, outdoor adventure where kids will become nature detectives, searching for animal signs and discovering what wildlife leaves behind.

What We’ll Do:

• Go on a scat scavenger hunt to identify animal tracks and clues

• Learn how to tell which animals live in our area

• Take part in an exciting owl pellet dissection to uncover what owls eat

This interactive program is perfect for curious kids who love nature, science, and a little bit of messy fun!

Best for children age 6 and older

Plant a seed of environmentalism! Get ready for a wild, up close encounter with nature! Join the River Valley District Library and the Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, along with their incredible feathered ambassadors, for an unforgettable adventure into the world of Birds of Prey.

Come face-to-face with owls, eagles, hawks, and more as you discover what makes these hunters of the sky so extraordinary. Learn how they live, how they hunt, and why protecting them, and their habitats, matters more than ever.

Kids of all ages are welcome!

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Join us for an exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed just for preteens ages 8–13! Whether you're brand new to the world of dragons, dice, and daring quests or already have some experience, this program is the perfect place to jump in. Library staff will guide players through character creation, storytelling, and gameplay in a fun, welcoming environment. Work together, solve problems, and let your imagination lead the way!

No experience necessary, and new players are welcome.
Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance to secure your spot on the adventure!

Embrace the unexpected with Chaos Embroidery, a laid-back, creative program where there are no rules—just thread, fabric, beads, trinkets, and your imagination! Instead of following a pattern, participants will stitch freely, layering colors, shapes, and textures to create something totally unique.

Whether you’re brand new to embroidery or already love to stitch, this is a great chance to experiment, relax, and see where your creativity takes you. The result might be abstract, colorful, a little messy—and completely your own.

Plant a seed of curiosity! Join the River Valley District Library and the National Mississippi River Museum for an unforgettable adventure into the hidden heroes of our ecosystem. Discover how tiny invertebrates play a BIG role in growing the food we eat! Meet a variety of critters such as beetles, roaches, and tarantulas and learn about their amazing adaptations. All ages welcome!

Get ready to buzz, bloom, and create at our exciting Pollinator Party! Kids will discover the amazing world of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators through hands-on fun.

Activities Include:

• Bubble Flower Art – Create colorful, blooming masterpieces

• Flower Crowns & Wings – Make your own flower crown and wings

• Bee Hotels – Build a cozy home for helpful bees

• Nectar Relay Game – Race to collect nectar just like a pollinator

• Clay Bee Creations – Sculpt your very own buzzing friend

• Bee Sensory Bins – Explore textures and play in a pollinator-themed station

This program is perfect for kids who love to craft, play, and learn about nature. Come celebrate the tiny creatures that help our world grow!

Calling all young storytellers ages 10 and up!
In this 8-week workshop, kids and teens will turn their ideas into real, published books.
This program is all about choice and creativity. Writers can create whatever inspires them, including graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, poetry collections, or short story anthologies. The workshop will provide these authors time to write, share, and give each other feedback in a supportive group setting.
In the final weeks, we’ll polish and prepare each project for publication. Library staff will format books for Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), and during our last session, families will help their child upload their books and hit “publish”!
No writing experience is necessary. Every participant will leave a published author, and will be acknowledged at the reading and signing at the end of the Summer.

Plant a seed of community and get ready for a PBS powered adventure!

Join River Valley District and WQPT PBS for a lively storytime where your favorite characters jump right off the screen and into the fun! Spend time with Daniel Tiger, the Wild Kratts crew, Molly of Denali, and more as we explore exciting stories together.

Sing, create, and discover through hands-on crafts, interactive activities, and playful learning moments. It’s a joyful celebration of imagination, friendship, and fun you won’t want to miss!

Celebrate an amazing summer of reading with a splash of fun at our End of Summer Foam Party by Absolute Science!

As we wrap up our “Plant a Seed, Read” program, it’s time to celebrate all the growth, imagination, and stories you’ve discovered with the ultimate foam-filled party!

What to Expect:

• Mountains of cool, fluffy foam to play in

• High-energy music and outdoor fun

• A one-of-a-kind experience led by the experts at Absolute Science

This is our BIG finale! It’s time to celebrate all your hard work and reading achievements with friends, laughter, and lots of bubbles!

Make sure to wear clothing that can get wet, and don’t forget to bring a towel! Goggles will be provided, but feel free to bring your own!

Join us for a stimulating conversation and coffee! The River Valley Readers meet on the 4th Saturday of every month on the second floor of the library, after regular library hours. This month’s book is TBD, so keep an eye on this page for details!


Have any questions? Contact Holly!

Join us for an exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure designed just for preteens ages 8–13! Whether you're brand new to the world of dragons, dice, and daring quests or already have some experience, this program is the perfect place to jump in. Library staff will guide players through character creation, storytelling, and gameplay in a fun, welcoming environment. Work together, solve problems, and let your imagination lead the way!

No experience necessary, and new players are welcome.
Space is limited, so be sure to register in advance to secure your spot on the adventure!