Dorset libraries online activities and events
Get Creative
Calling all children! Join our drawing challenge and you could see your art work bought to life in our super silly animation, which we'll be showing at the end of August.
To support the Silly Squad Summer Reading Challenge we'd love you to create your own creature creation. Squishy, wobbly, furry, spiky, be sure to use plenty of imagination but make sure it's silly.
Email your JPEG drawings by Wednesday 5 August. All drawings submitted by the closing date will be used, either in a short animation or slideshow.
Monday
Morning: Arts Award book activity / creative story challenge (for children age 5+)
Sign up for Arts Award and enjoy taking part in some fun story writing activities as part of your ‘Take part in arts activities’ section. We’ve lots of ideas to share. Email DLSLibrarians@dorsetcc.gov.uk to sign up for Arts Award.
Afternoon: Activities for wellbeing
Look out for activities to support your wellbeing on our Facebook page. Each week, we’ll be posting ideas to support your physical and mental health. From creative activities to physical challenges, there’ll be something for everyone.
Tuesday
Morning: Mama G - Tuesday 11 August – 10.30am - 11.10am
Mama G could be Zooming into your home on Tuesday 11 August to entertain you with some of her own stories, including I Can Sing a Rainbow, a fabulous interactive experience with a science activity - get ready with a kitchen roll, scissors, felt tip pens and two plates of water to join in.
Book now on Eventbrite for this flamboyant forty minutes of fun and laughter for the whole family and if you're taking part in Arts Award Discover, don't forget to include it in your log book.
Morning: Events (for children)
Look out for our events to support Silly Squad – The Summer Reading Challenge 2020
Morning: Book chat for adults
Join us on Facebook for an informal chat about books that you've enjoyed with a different theme each week.
Share your love of books with others, get ideas of what to try next, and let us know your favourite books.
Afternoon: Crazy Crew with ZooLab - Tuesday 18 August 2.45pm - 3.15pm
We're working with animal handling workshop provider ZooLab to bring you this amazing live digital experience.
Join our ZooLab presenter and their amazing animal team for a dramatic telling of the Crazy Crew story - a madcap tale about comedy, fun, laughter and wobbly jelly bellies. Will our talented bunch of animals get a comedy night filled with laughter or will the joke be on them?
If you're taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge here's a story to count towards your target! Ideal for the whole family, book your place now on Eventbrite.
Afternoon: Rhymetime for early years (weekly at 2pm)
While libraries are closed, library staff have been busy recording digital rhymetimes, so join in with Rhymetime on Facebook and sing some rhymes with your children at home.
Wednesday
Morning: Lego challenge for children
There’s a different themed challenge each week, so have fun being creative with your Lego. You can share your creations on Facebook, we’d love to see them.
Afternoon
Listen to some fabulous stories for all ages. Reading aloud from your favourite authors and library staff.
Afternoon: Shared reading for adults (2pm to 3.30pm)
In shared reading, people join together with a trained Reader Leader, to read a short story or poem aloud then stop and talk about what has been read. You will need a computer, tablet or smartphone and access to wifi to take part.
Contact us for more information.
Thursday
Morning: Steve Weatherill - Thursday 13 August 11am - 11.30am
Author and illustrator of the delightful Baby Goz series of books, Steve is joining us for this online storytelling event full of activities. He’ll be talking about making books and writing stories using storyboards to get ideas and how to invent and develop your characters.
Steve's sessions are great fun and enjoyed by children of all ages, this event is ideal for children aged 5+.
Book your free place on Eventbrite now.
Event in partnership with South West Library authority colleagues.
Morning: Tim Knapman - Thursday 20 August 11am - 11.30am
Meet Timothy Knapman - from the already notorious nasal adventures of the Big Bad Bogey to the forthcoming fanfare of farting that will be The Thunder Down Under (published 2021), Tim has been writing rude, silly and downright disgusting books for many years now.
Join us for this 30 minute live storytelling event, where Tim will read from his books - sharing as many of the hilarious illustrations as he can. He’ll also talk about writing stories, and how to make them funny!
Perfect for families with children aged 7+. Book your free place on Eventbrite now.
Event in partnership with South West Library authority colleagues.
Morning: Louise Yates - Thursday 3 September 11am - 11.30am
Louise's events are interactive and invite participation from the audience including some drawing along. She'll talk about what inspires her to create, and the inspiration behind the books that she has made and ask the audience to consider their own creative process.
This online event will involve;
- drawing demonstrations
- explaining simple techniques like how to communicate expressions, how to give an illusion of something being 'real' through shading and perspective.
- Louise will show children how to draw a funny sequence or how to use 'comic timing' in illustration
- she will also explain how she might brainstorm and sketch an idea and explain how she would develop this into a longer story.
- readings from her books!
Perfect for families with children aged 5+ years. Book your free place on Eventbrite now.
Event in partnership with South West Library authority colleagues.
Morning: Junior book chat
Get some top tips and ideas of books you can try. There’ll be new types of books to try, favourite authors and lots more.
Morning : Live chat reading group for adults (10am – 11am)
If you like to connect with others and chat about your book experiences, why not join our live chat Reading Group. To give you plenty of time to read a book on a given theme, we meet monthly, on the last Thursday of each month e.g. – 30 July, 27 August etc. To join in, please email DLSLibrarians@dorsetcc.gov.uk so that meeting details, and links can be sent to you.
Afternoon: Adisa - Thursday 6 August 2pm - 2.30pm
Our second event in partnership with South West library colleagues is this 30 minute energetic and interactive comedy performance with poet Adisa.
Adisa was born with a silver tongue and a head full of rhymes. He exploded onto the spoken word scene in 1993. His high-energy performances soon became legendary on the London performance poetry circuit.
Ideal for families with children aged 5+ Book your free place on Eventbrite now!
Afternoon: Chris Callaghan - Thursday 27 August 2pm - 2.30pm
Chris is the author of The Great Chocoplot (a story about the end of chocolate!).
In this online event, Chris will introduce himself and tease his audience about the delights of chocolate before talking, his book and his adventures in writing and some strange and silly chocolate-y facts. Time for some Q & A at the end.
Ideal for families with children aged 5+. Book your free place on Eventbrite now.
Event in partnership with South West Library authority colleagues.
Afternoon
Get the most from the Silly Squad website – find the fun games, activities and lots more. There’ll be creative ideas for you to ‘take part in arts activities’ as part of Arts Award as well.
Afternoon: 50 words writing challenge for everyone
Each week you’ll find a new writing prompt, so give it a go and try writing a poem or flash fiction in just 50 words. Share your creations on Facebook.
Dorset Libraries Writing Challenge
If creative writing is your thing why not join our Dorset Libraries Writing Circle, a supportive community of people who love to write, who come together to pursue the art and craft of writing as a hobby or for well-being.
Each week we will post writing tips and inspiration and links to other writing resources and discussions on any writing-related topic are welcome.
We encourage members to help each other by offering advice, giving information, and providing positive feedback and constructive criticism to help each other enhance your writing skills. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, make friends and find a safe place to discuss any issues and air your fears about writing.
Friday
Morning: Story time for early years (weekly at 10am)
Watch library staff reading some wonderful stories on Facebook while you’re at home. We miss seeing you at the library, so we do hope you enjoy watching the staff read some lovely books. Thanks to all the publishers who are giving permission to libraries for using their books.
Afternoon: Fun facts, trivia, and quizzes
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for quirky facts, interactive quizzes and word puzzles – there’s something for everyone.
Keep your brains active, be amused and just enjoy, its #FunFacts Friday!
Contact us