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By Peter Kougias
Hometown Weekly Intern
The Needham Library hosted parents and children for a fun activity last week. On June 22, librarian Veronica McCarthy demonstrated how to make bouncy balls. Nearly 30 children mixed water, Borax detergent, cornstarch, and glue. In roughly 10 minutes, the children were whipping the balls off the wall, bouncing them over their parents heads.
With summer vacation having just begun and the heat already making things uncomfortable, many are looking for fun indoor crafts. To say the least, parents and children enjoyed the creative activity inside the air-conditioned library.
Sarah Gallagher, one of the many kids who’d come to the event, proposed “bouncy balls are another way to learn engineering.” She expressed interest in becoming a teacher when she grows up. Her brother, Danny, emphasized how much fun he’d had making the bouncy balls; he wanted to do it again this summer, in fact.
This program parallels the library’s summer theme of “Building a Better World.”
McCarthy said she “hope[d the kids] had a really good time.” She mentioned the library’s activities as a great way to get the children out of the house and be creative while also putting a dent in their summer reading lists.
These craft programs are for children ages six and up, and are held once a month.
On July 27, the fun will continue as the Needham Library conducts an activity revolving around marshmallow toothpick construction. McCarthy explained that the children will be constructing buildings by poking the toothpicks into the marshmallows.
