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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
There’s nothing more special than receiving a handmade card on Valentine’s Day.
It’s so special, in fact, that it became the inspiration for the Needham Free Public Library’s Valentine’s Day craft activity. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on February 14, children were invited to celebrate the holiday with the library.
Children hurriedly led their caregivers into the library’s STEAM room to get a start on the various crafts set up on the room’s five tables.
At one table, whose heart-shaped centerpiece matched the ones on the other four tables, a group of children constructed foam kangaroos and turkeys from kits and decorated them with markers. Another station offered Valentine’s Day themed coloring pages, with crayons and dotters available for the children to use.
“We pretty much every year do a Valentine’s Day craft, plus some sort of food; today it’s candy and hot chocolate,” said Children’s Librarian Eva Thaler-Sroussi.
As with most of their craft activities, the library’s Valentine’s Day activity proved to be a hit among the community, with dozens of children joining in the first 20 minutes of the event.
Children of all ages were in attendance, and many of them dressed up for Valentine’s Day, too. While a couple of boys wore maroon ties, another wore a shirt that said “certified heart breaker” on it, as many of the girls in attendance wore heart-printed shirts and ribbons in their hair.
Many of the children made last minute Valentines for their parents and siblings as they decorated heart-shaped cutouts with stickers and stamps. One child even decided to make her pet a Valentine this year. Some of the elementary students wrote heartfelt wishes to the card’s recipient on the valentine, expressing feelings of love and gratitude.
“We like [the holiday craft] because it brings families together,” Eva continued. “They can collaborate on the crafts, and it’s community-oriented. You really see everyone sort of working nicely together.”
As the children left the STEAM room with their crafts, Eva thanked each participant and wished them a happy Valentine’s Day with marshmallow-topped hot chocolate and goodie bags. With an afternoon of crafts, activities, and sweets for the Children’s Library’s visitors, there was no doubting the children’s love for their library on Valentine’s Day.
A group of boys build foam Valentine’s Day turkeys to decorate.
