Blog: Summer Fun at Goring Library

Blog Post

Summer Fun at Goring Library

From July 6th to September 7th, children from our local villages embarked on a reading adventure at Goring Library, collecting stickers and rewards as they enjoyed up to six books over the summer holidays.

This year’s theme, “Marvellous Makers,” celebrated creativity in all forms. With the support of the Friends of Goring Library (FOGL), we hosted a variety of free events to encourage and celebrate summer reading. Over 120 children signed up for the challenge, and those who completed it received a medal and certificate from the Library. It's not too late to finish, so if you’ve already signed up, come by and show us what you’ve read to collect your rewards. Despite some rainy days and road closures, it was a fantastic summer at the library.

Yoga and dream catchers with Emma

Creative Workshops and Fun Activities

The summer kicked off with a lovely Yoga session with Emma where we made dream catchers and chilled out on one of the hottest days we had this summer. Then we had two Gelli Plate Printing workshops led by local artist Jane. Children had the chance to create decorative collage papers using gelli plates, which they then transformed into unique cards to take home. The activity sparked creativity as they used water-based acrylic paints, stencils, leaves, and other found objects to craft their designs. Next, we hosted a Story Sack workshop featuring "The Smartest Giant in Town" by Julia Donaldson. With guidance from Lisa, children crafted their own story sacks, filled with items to help bring the beloved tale to life. Lisa then used her story sack to retell the story, much to the delight of the participants. Thanks to the continued support from the Art Society, these creative projects were a great success.

Entertaining Events and Hands-On Fun

Storyteller Jonathon Clifton brought laughter and music to the library with his puppet show, "Marmalade the Cat," captivating children with funny songs and lively puppetry. The summer wrapped up with a Lego workshop led by Janice, where children designed postcards from their holidays. The creations were as varied as they were imaginative, ranging from seaside scenes to soft play parks, and many of these Lego masterpieces are now on display in the library. Throughout the summer, we also offered smaller crafts and trails, including making shakers, making homemade puzzles, and contributing to a giant collaborative poster now proudly exhibited in the library. If you haven’t already, be sure to stop by and check it out!

See our full gallery of photos below!