Search

Join us for a game of chess at the O'Neill Branch! Players of all skill levels and all ages are welcome to participate. Chess sets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. This is a space for individuals to play and test their skills against other members of the community. This is not an instructional class. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 617-349-4023 or via email: ipachoncaballero@cambridgema.gov

Join us for stories, songs and rhymes followed by a craft. Recommended for children ages 3-7 and their caregivers.

Join us for a fun afternoon of painting, led by local artist Lynn Vandick! This paint party is geared toward kids ages 7-12. Each participant will receive two 8x10 canvases, and Lynn will lead participants through the steps of painting a fun design. There will be various designs available to choose from. Acrylic paint can stain clothing. Please wear old clothing. No experience necessary. Kids age 7-12 are welcome. Registration is required and will open two weeks before the event.

Come to the Library to create something special! Use your own supplies or try out our equipment! You can use our 1-inch button maker, 2.5 inch button maker, 3-D Doodle pens, or Janome sewing machines. The Library will provide basic supplies. This drop-in program is for people who feel comfortable using these machines on their own. The Library will not provide instruction. Anyone wishing to use the sewing machines must have completed a Sewing 101 training through the Library. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

We invite children of all ages and their grown-ups to join us for stories and a simple activity. This month we will draw with chalk outside the Library! (weather permitting)

Join us for an introduction to the practice of Shinrin Yoku, also known as "forest bathing."

Back by popular demand! Explore the art of botanical collage. In this workshop, participants work with a variety of plant-inspired imagery—think leaves, flowers, stems, and natural textures—to create their own unique composition. Whether you prefer something delicate and minimal or bold and layered, this is a chance to experiment, play, and let your creativity unfold. No prior experience is needed—this workshop is designed for all skill levels, including complete beginners. A selection of materials will be provided, so you can simply show up and start creating. That said, students are more than welcome to bring your own papers, clippings, pressed plants, or anything else that inspires you. Registration is required.

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, Long Now Boston, and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Lisa S. Gardiner—science writer, geoscientist, educator, and author of Tales from an Uncertain World: What Other Assorted Disasters Can Teach Us about Climate Change—for a discussion of her book Reefs of Time: What Fossils Reveal about Coral Survival. Registration is required.

Join us during the partial solar eclipse and learn how to safely observe it! Eclipse glasses will be provided. This program will happen outside. In case of bad weather, there will be modified activities inside the Library. Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

We invite children and their grown-ups to join us for 20-25 minutes of songs, stories, and rhymes about taking care of our planet! No registration is required. Please call (617) 349-4019 for details.