School-age Programming

When children begin attending school, they enter an important new stage of development that continues through roughly 6th grade (age 11). Confronted with the novelty of school, children should begin to develop and mature socially, gain new skills, grow more independent and responsible, and become ever more fully realized individuals.
As with all our youth activities, those targeted to school-age children are intended to combine fun with support for important developmental milestones to supplement their education, especially in areas difficult to emphasize in a school setting due to time or other constraints.
The Youth Services Department of the Defiance Public Library System seeks to support the development of school-age children through classes and events that provide opportunities for social interaction, build competence and confidence through new skills, and encourage creativity and independent thought.

Select Tuesdays | 6 p.m. | Sept. through April

LEGO Lab is all about creating and sharing stories with LEGO bricks. Every month, a new building challenge will be introduced, but free play is also welcomed. Kids are encouraged not only to build, but also to tell a story about what they built. The Library has all the LEGOS they’ll need, and more!

LEGO play develops teamwork, communication, patience, organizational skills, problem-solving, lateral thinking, experimentation, focus, and concentration.

This event is recommended for grades Kinder-6th.

Select Mondays and Tuesdays | 6 p.m. | Sept. through April

At Tween STEAM, older school-age children explore science, technology, engineering, art, and/or math (STEAM) through different projects. One month we might learn about coding using Makey Makey kits, and the next we’ll design 3-D printed gadgets in the Makerspace.

Tween STEAM classes expose kids to these increasingly critical subjects in a fun and engaging way, and demonstrate how all these fields work together.

This event is recommended for grades 2nd-6th.

Select Tuesdays | 6 p.m. | Sept. through April

Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination! Process art is about exploring that journey. Your child will have the opportunity to create without the pressure of having to “make something.” Such creativity helps develop fine motor skills, spacial reasoning, self-expression and more.

Attendees will experiment with different art techniques and media, and be introduced to a famous artist or artistic process.

This event is recommended for grades Kinder – 6th.

Monthly | Tues., Wed. + Thurs. | Sept. through April

Our STEAM Family Fun classes expose younger children to science, technology, engineering, art, and/or math through fun family activities! Every month we provide the supplies and instructions needed to explore topics like color, water, gravity, structure, and much more.

STEAM Family Fun classes expose kids to these increasingly critical subjects in a fun and engaging way and demonstrate how all these fields work together.

Recommended for age 3 to 2nd grade (with their caregivers). Program times vary.

Select Tuesdays | 6 p.m. | Sept. through April.

For those not in the know, Perler beads (also called Fuse beads) are a craft in which multicolored beads are arranged on pegs and melted to create colorful 2D figures and abstract designs reminiscent of pixel art. Join us at Perler Bead Power-ups to make a pixelated version of our project of the month, or create your own design. We’ll have all the supplies, you just need to bring the imagination.

Crafts of all kinds develop motor skills and dexterity, boost confidence through the learning of a new skill, encourage self-expression and individuality, provide opportunities for social interaction, encourage creativity and innovative thinking, grow decision-making skills, and improve memory.

This event is recommended for grades Kinder-6th.