Please note – Winter has brought some unexpected closings to the libraries, please call or check the website if in doubt.
Holiday Closings: The library will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday Dec. 24th and 25th, and Wednesday Jan. 1st. We will close at 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve Tuesday Dec. 31st.
Looking for a special holiday book to read with your kids? Check out our booklist:
Something Special for the Holidays.
Speaking of READING -- Come in an take a look at the nominated books on display in our department and then vote for your favorites! Voting closes on December 31st.
Programs for Children @ the Bridgewater Library:
The Dark is Coming! (For Grades K-5) Thursday, December 19 from 4:30-5:30 pm. Registration required Is there a moment quite as keen or memory as bright as light and fire and music sweet to warm the winter's night?—Adam Christiansen
Join us as we ward off the winter's chill with winter solstice songs and stories from around the world. We'll also work on a cozy craft to keep the chills away!
It's a Wrap! (Ages 3-10) Monday, December 23 1:30-2:30 pm Registration required We'll share stories & songs about gifts and giving, then create our own wrapping paper and cards. Please wear old clothes or bring a smock as we will be using paint.
Retro Game Day (All ages) For all ages—families welcome! Saturday, December 28 from 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm No registration required. It’s a blast from the past! Come to our Retro Game Day and play video games from the past 30 years! Snacks will be served and we will raffle off gift cards to Game Stop!
New Year's at Noon (Ages 3+) Monday, December 30 11:15 am - 12:00 pm. Registration required. We're ringing in the new year a day early! Join us for stories, games, crafts, and our very own countdown to noon, complete with a New Year's ball!
Let It Snow (For ages 2-9) Saturday, January 4 10:30 am. Registration required and begins December 20. Whether or not there is snow outside, we can have some winter fun inside with fun stories and songs, plus an indoor snowball fight and a snowman craft.
Lisa Brown Author Book Signing Saturday January 4, 2014, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Hold the Moments: Creative Experiences in Parenting includes hundreds of art and writing exercises for parents and grandparents to explore with the children in their lives. It also emphasizes keeping a journal of your shared experiences and memories so you and your children can revisit them in years to come. YOU MUST REGISTER TO ATTEND THIS EVENT
Music and Movement (Birth to 3 Years) Monday January 6, 10am and 11 am. No registration required. Clap your hands, stomp your feet, and feel the beat of a fun, lively music class! Led by Beth Stone of Kids’ MusicRound.
programs end on Dec. 19th, but will resume on Jan. 7th.
Storytime (For Ages 2-6) No Registration Required. Tuesdays through 10:30 a.m. Second session at 1:30pm. Join us for stories and songs for the whole family! This program is aimed at families and is designed for children 3 and up (younger siblings welcome.)
Toddler Time (For Ages 18 months-36 months) No Registration Required. Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m., repeats at 11:00 a.m. Also Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. Clapping and singing and listening to books... introduce your toddler to the beginnings of storytime!
Baby Time (For ages birth - 18 months) No Registration Required.
Thursdays 9:30 a.m. An interactive lap-sit program of songs, rhymes and a story designed to introduce your baby to language and promote early literacy.
Lego Club (Grades K-6) Thursday, January 9 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm. Registration is required and begins December 20. Hey LEGO fans, here's a club just for you! Get together with other LEGO-maniacs, share ideas and tips on building, and have a great time! Library LEGOS will be available for building, so you do not need to bring your own. Please Note: Parents are welcome to stay; however, younger siblings cannot be permitted to join this program.
Miss Amy's Fitness Rock & Roll Saturday, January 11 at 10:30 am. Registration required and begins on December 20. Get ready to get moving with Miss Amy. Miss Amy rocks and rolls as she makes music fit for kids! This interactive musical show will inspire young children to stay fit while having fun! Please note: Parents must sign a release and waiver form. Please print out and sign a copy of our Program Release form and bring it with you on the day of the program. http://www.sclsnj.org/PDFs/SCLSrlsformchild.pdf
Play Group (ages Birth to 3 years) Monday January 13th and 27th 10:00 to 10:30 am. No registration required. Come and play with toys, dance to music, and make new friends!
Tail Waggin' Tutors: Children Reading to Dogs (For Children of All Ages) Tuesday, January 12=4th 4-5pm Phone or In-Person Registration Only. Registration begins Dec. 30th. Did you know that dogs like listening to stories as much as kids do? Come to the Bridgewater Library for Tail Waggin’ Tutors, our new program where children will have the opportunity to practice their reading skills by reading a story to Xena the Therapy Dog, a friendly, six-year-old chocolate labradoodle. Each child will have 10 minutes to read a favorite story to his or her new, canine friend. Sign-ups will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.Therapy Dogs International (TDI®) is a volunteer organization dedicated to regulating, testing and registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers for the purpose of visiting nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions and wherever else therapy dogs are needed. For more information, please visit www.tdi-dog.org.
Special Needs Cookie Decorating Party (All ages) Wednesday, January 15 from 4:30 - 5:30 pm. Registration required and begins January 2. Join us as we decorate sugar cookie treats in this program designed for kids with special needs. Siblings welcome.
Circus Place: Let's Join the Circus (For grades 2+) Saturday, January 18 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. Registration required and begins January 3. Join us as The Circus Place brings its unique circus training program to the library. Sit back in amazement as you watch a talented troupe perform some of the most exciting circus skills you've ever seen. Then, pull the curtains back and learn how to juggle, balance on a tight rope, spin plates and much, much more! You will walk out ready to perform your very own circus for your friends and families!
Rocket Readers: 'Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan' (Grades 1-2) Tuesday, January 21st 4:30-5:30pm. Registration required and begins December 9. An exciting program for brand new readers! At each program we will discuss a book, play some games, or create a story related craft. This month's book: 'Henry and Mudge and the Snowman Plan' By: Cynthia Rylant Join Henry, his dog Mudge, and his father as they enter a snowman building contest at the local park. Will they be able to build a snowman worthy of winning a prize? **Students should read the book prior to the program. Copies of the book will be available at the Youth Services Reference Desk.**
Crazy 8 Math Club (For Grades 3-5) Wednesdays, January 22 - March 12 from 4:30-5:30 pm. Registration required and begins January 8th. Join our new Crazy 8s club, where you’ll build stuff, run and jump, make music, make a mess…a totally new kind of math club! We’ll do mischief-making activities like Glow in the Dark Geometry, Bouncy Dice Explosion and Toilet Paper Olympics!
January 29th -Toilet Paper Olympics: Bet you never knew sports and toilet paper could go together, huh? Get on a roll with your Olympian skills in the shot put, the long jump, and the relay race.
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day (For ages 2-6) Monday, January 27th 4:30 pm-5:30 pm. Registration required and begins January 13. Celebrate bubble wrap, invented right here in New Jersey, with crafts, games and more.
Gung Hay Fat Choy (For Ages 4-11) Thursday, January 30 at 4:30 pm. Registration required and begins on January 16. It is the start of the Year of the Horse. Come celebrate the Chinese New Year with stories, crafts and a festive parade!
@ Bridgewater Library for Tweens and Teens:
Open Mic Cafe Night (Ages 13+) Thursday,
Dec. 19th from 6:45-8:45pm. Registration required. REPEATS on January 23rd. Think you’ve got what it takes to get up on stage in front of your peers with nothing but your voice and guitar? Want to share your poetry, comedy, or original music? Not an artist, but would like to witness some of the most inspiring artists Somerset County has to offer? Then join us for this one of a kind experience, and help local musicians and writers have their voices heard.Depending on registration, artists will receive ~ 10 minute slots to play music or recite poetry. Sign ups will be on a first-come, first-served basis. *Note: As ages of audience members range from children to adults, please consider the content of your performance. You will be asked to leave should your set contain indecent speech.
Make a Difference @ the Library! (Volunteer opportunites for Grades 5 - 6) Monday, January 6 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Registration required and begins December 9
ATTENTION STUDENTS IN GRADES 5 AND 6: Here is your chance to make a difference by volunteering at the library! You can help the library with special projects including creating bookmarks for young children, organizing and tidying up the Children’s Room, and much more!
Wintery Treats and Sugary Sweets (For grades 4-6) Monday, January 13 from 4:30-5:30 pm. Registration required and begins on December 30. Create an enjoy a delicious confection at our tween cookie decorating party.
Make It, Take It - Gingerbread Houses (Grades 6-12) Wednesday, January 22 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Registration required and begins on January 2. Come celebrate winter by making gingerbread houses! Put your imagination to the test by using graham crackers, ice cream cones, cookies, candy, and frosting to create beautiful winter scenes. We'll provide the materials, you provide the creativity!
TAB Meeting (Grades 6-8) Tuesday Jan. 28th, 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM. TAB Meeting (Grades 9-12) 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM Story Well. Registration Required. Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games? Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served! Do you want to make a difference at your library? Do you have suggestions for programs, new books, movies, or video games? Then come to one of our upcoming T.A.B. meetings! Community service hours will be awarded for attendance and snacks will be served!
Winter Lock-In: Super Smash Brothers Brawl (For grades 7-11) Friday, January 31 from 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm. Registration required and begins on January 10. TEENS: Get locked in the library after hours!!!!!! In this Winter edition of our Lock-In, we’ll have a Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament! Don’t like video games? That’s OK--we’ll have plenty of crafts, games, movies, snacks, and other activities, too! No admittance after 6:45 pm. Advance notice required if teen must leave the program early.
Want more info about upcoming programs? Check out January teen calendar here.
Around the Community:
IT’S A WONDERFUL SHOW @ RVCC ARTS THIS WEDNESDAY
It's a Wonderful Life WVL Radio Theatre
WHEN: Wednesday, December 18, at 2 & 7 PM
WHERE: The Theatre at RVCC, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg
TICKETS: $10 at 2 PM, $25 at 7 PM tickets
It's Christmas Eve in 1945, and only a handful of WVL Radio's actors have braved the blizzard to perform that evening's broadcast of It's a Wonderful Life; the only hope for keeping the station afloat. This clever stage adaptation breathes new life into the poignant story of George Bailey and Bedford Falls.
The story is juxtaposed against a time of failing banks, devastatingly high unemployment and a shortage of affordable housing.
The circumstances are eerily familiar, and over 60 years later, this story remains as fresh and relevant as ever. Its message of hope and optimism is the perfect antidote to holiday cynicism.
One of the displays is at Grounds for Sculpture – and you can borrow free admission passes at the library.
ZANY CHRISTMAS SHOW CONTINURES @ DOVER LITTLE THEATRE
Dover Little Theatre will present its second show of the 81st season
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)
written by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald, and John K. Alvarez
original music by Will Knapp
Directed by Alison Devereaux-Smith
WHEN: December 7-21, Friday and Saturday performances at 8 PM and Sunday matinees at 2 PM
WHERE: Dover Little Theatre, 69 Elliott St., Dover
TICKETS: $17
For reservations please call 973.328.9202
This Christmas comedy demonstrates how instead of performing Charles Dickens' beloved holiday classic for the umpteenth time, three actors decide to perform every Christmas story ever told—plus Christmas traditions from around the world, seasonal icons from ancient times to topical pop-culture, and every carol ever sung.A madcap romp through the holiday season!
MAGICAL STORY BEHIND CHRISTMAS LETTER @ SVP THROUGH DEC. 22
By Andrew J. Fenady
Directed by Emily M. Windus
WHEN: December 6th through December 22nd, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM with an additional matinee on Saturday, December 14th, at 2 PM
WHERE: Somerset Valley Players, 689 Amwell Road, Hillsborough
TICKETS: $18 (Adults), $16 (Seniors/Students).
For tickets please visit www.svptheatre.org
For more information please contact us at 908.369.7469.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus . . . and here is a magical story behind those famous words, where in 1897 New York City a skeptical little girl sparks the noble flame of the Christmas spirit, igniting the timeless editorial which uplifts the spirits of a determined immigrant family believing in the American dream and renews the faith of a hardened newspaper reporter seeking redemption from personal adversity.
For more information: http://www.morrismuseum.org
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For more information, go to: http://www.morrisparks.net/ (above links won’t work.)
For more information: http://www.raritanval.edu/comm/planet/public.html#December
MAKE A MEMORY WITH THEATER TIX FOR YOUR KIDS @ 20% OFF THROUGH JANUARY 6
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer Perth Theatre Company
WHEN: Friday, January 31 at 7PM
WHERE: The Theatre at RVCC, 118 Lamington Road, Branchburg
The seas have risen, many have perished and those who are left live on farms atop skyscrapers and mountains. A last ditch effort to save the human race requires Alvin Sputnik journeying down through the mysterious depths of the deep blue sea to find a new place for us to live. (AGES 8+) CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE INFO.
The Snail and the Whale Tall Stories
WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 1 & 3:30 PM
A tiny snail hitches a lift on the tail of a huge humpback whale. The little snail is amazed by it all, but starts feeling very small in the vastness of the world. Then disaster strikes - the whale becomes beached in a bay... Can the tiny snail save the day? (AGES 4+) CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE INFO.
Hatched Treehouse Shakers
WHEN: Thursday, April 10, 10 AM,1:30 PM & 4 PM
Hatched is the original performance of a newborn chick emerging from her shell at sunrise to a strange and busy world. Performed through movement, handcrafted puppets, and very little human dialogue, the story is set amidst an American family farm. (AGES 2+)CLICK THE TITLE FOR MORE INFO.
These and 17 other events—something for everyone—are on sale, on-line, at 20% off through January 6. Batteries not included, or needed, and one size truly does fit all!
Thanks to Ruth Ross of njartsmaven.com for some of these listings….
Let Your Fingers Do More Walking…
a picture to warm a librarian’s heart…
I was scrolling through the pictures, wishing I'd taken one of my son and I on our 3+ hour/day commute from Brooklyn to the UWS and back, when I saw our photo and began to cry.
We've been commuting together since my son was four months old. While I couldn't begin to imagine how much work it would actually be to commute with a baby, then a toddler, and now a little boy (who knows anything about such things before we're blessed with children?) I also had no sense of how many great things it would bring to our life. We've met friends who've enjoyed watching Eli grow up. I've seen so much kindness and generosity towards an overburdened mom at the end of the day.
If my son were in day care/preschool near our home, I would miss 3.5 hours per day with him. These moments are precious. We read, we play, we talk. The train can be incredibly public (try disciplining your toddler in front of a train full of commuters) and intensely private, as can be seen in this amazing photo I didn't even know was being taken. And to think - I'm reading my son a book about dinosaurs that my own father gave me for Christmas - in 1988!
Today’s great Bedtime Math problem…
Answers and more great problems...HERE.
A somber anniversary….
http://www.npr.org/2013/12/12/250287971/newtown-parents-seek-a-clearer-window-into-violent-behavior
Last minute gift book buying?
Looking for books for gift-giving? We have a list in the library and you can also take a look at this list from Imagination Soup! http://imaginationsoup.net/2013/11/childrens-books-gift-guide/
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