On Saturday, dozens of families stopped by the Patchogue-Medford Library in Patchogue as they celebrated Take Your Child to the Library Day, a literacy-inspired event for children and tweens. The library is doing a big push for literacy, highlighting book characters as the theme of the event.

Activities included science experiments, sensory play, making pins, paper hats, character quizzes, and mini golf that were based around characters from popular children’s books like “Dog Man,” “Pete the Cat,” “Paddington,” and “Harry Potter.” In the Historical Room, children’s books written on and about Long Island were read to put a local spin on the event. Photo opportunities with Paddington took place behind a backdrop inspired by his new movie, “Paddington in Peru,” and a “Pete the Cat”-themed action path in the hallway was led by Pete himself.

The mastermind behind this event, which was also held in the Medford branch, is Vanessa Chiappone, who spent months collaborating with different departments in the library to make this day possible. Most of the activities were self-directed, with supervision from parents and the librarians, allowing children to learn independence, build social skills, and become involved in their community.

“I really love to see everything come together… everyone is really enthusiastic to jump in and do their part to make it fun and make it a well-rounded event,” said Chiappone. “These events are really great to show families all that we have to offer. On this day, everything is open for families to enjoy.”

In the Maker Space, a room normally available only with an appointment, children were able to walk in, color, or draw on a piece of paper, and have their image turned into a wearable button with the help of assistant librarian Christopher Gawiak.

“The children’s department is trying to become more STEAM focused, like science and engineering. This space is where the kids get to play hands-on with that,” said Gawiak.

In the TinkerLab, children’s librarian and STEM STEAM specialist Elizabeth Ramos, was dressed as Mrs. Frizzle from popular book series “The Magic School Bus” to conduct a volcano science experiment. This station became a favorite among the children as they were able to mix baking soda and vinegar to create a bubbling reaction that acted like a volcano erupting with lava.

Hayden Cruz, parent of 7-year-old Stella, loves the socialization aspect of his daughter learning while participating with other kids. “We’re at the library a handful of times per month, especially when they have an event like this. The library does a good job of making it fun yet educational for the kids, so they are walking away learning something new,” said Cruz.

Families spent the day celebrating literacy, fun, and a great community. These events mix socialization with reading and highlight the services the library offers that most people don’t know about. 

Isabella Scuteri is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.