By Audrey Anderson
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Periodically, Children’s Programming Coordinator Nikki Cataloni takes the Walpole Public Library’s stash of varied board and yard games to the library’s garden, where children and families gather for “Games in the Garden,” an early evening party of games and fun!
The festivities began at 6:30. Cataloni brought out about 20 varied games and arranged them around the cool and lush outdoor space. Children and families arrived ready to play, entering the garden and exploring the options available. Cataloni herself got the fun going by starting a game of cornhole that was quickly taken over by two girls. These players were determined to crack the secret of landing their bean bags in the cornholes.
Soon a boy and his sister arrived with their mom. They looked over the board games, and while the sister moved on to some other options, the boy chose to play Candyland with his mom. After they were finished, the boy noticed the most popular game in the garden, cups filled with water and arranged vertically. Small sandbags were available to throw at the cups until they fell, and the water splashed out.
Part way through the evening, Cataloni tucked into the library for a few minutes and came back with delicious treats—ice cream sandwiches and ice cones! Everyone chose their favorite and paused to enjoy the surprise.
Cataloni said that she likes to make use of the garden space for children’s activities when the weather is good. She feels that “people don’t realize what a great space the garden is.” Her “Messy Mondays” in the garden include making drippy art projects, creating chalk drawings on the pavers, making splashy paintings, and enjoying sensory fun. Meetings of the You and Me Book Club are held there. At Halloween time, she takes kids out to the garden to paint pumpkins, and lighting in the garden’s trees creates a spooky atmosphere for the annual Halloween celebration and dinner.
Keep your eye on the Walpole Public Library’s event calendar for kids and teens at www.walpolelibrary.org/programs-activities/kids/ to find fun activities planned for the garden. Also, you may want to consider joining in the fun at the next “Games in the Garden” night, which is planned for September 11.
