Laser tag, a puppet party and magic show are a few of the activities planned at the Ramona Community Library to keep kids, tweens and teens busy this summer.
All of the summer programs are free, said Maxine McNamara, president of the Friends of the Ramona Library.
Some of the activities may help children retain knowledge they learned in school so there isn’t a learning loss.
“It’s a big part of keeping up with reading and math so there isn’t a summer slide,” McNamara said. “The programs keep the children engaged, give them something to do, and give the parents a break. There’s a lot of fun stuff arranged, so it’s not just work.”
The Ramona Food & Clothes Closet provided a $4,500 grant to fund the library’s summer programs for children and teens, McNamara said. The proceeds will pay for art supplies, guest speakers and activities such as a magic show, she said.
RFCC Board President Heather Sossong said staff at the thrift store were excited about sponsoring the library’s summer programs.
“We could think of no better way to honor our mission than to provide this much needed grant benefiting the youth of our community,” Sossong said in an email.
McNamara said library patrons will notice new furniture in the teen/tween section of the library that was installed while the library was closed for repairs from Feb. 19 to April 30.
Gloria Keesee, treasurer for Friends of the Ramona Library, said the $10,184 cost for the new furniture was paid by the Friends of the Ramona Library. The money was raised by selling books at the Friends’ The Open Bookstore, located at the library’s entrance, and book sales through Amazon in addition to donations.
The library is expected to install new furniture in the children’s section sometime this year, Keessee said.
Most of the children’s furniture will be purchased with a $17,661 grant from the Community Enhancement Program, which was facilitated by county Supervisor Joel Anderson’s office. Furniture costs above the grant amount will be supplemented by the Friends of the Ramona Library, McNamara said.
Here is a list of the library’s summer programs:
Kids Ages 12 and Under – Thursdays
- Puppet Party – 11 a.m. to noon, June 12
- Music with Ramona Music Center – 11 a.m. to noon, June 16 and July 14
- Zany Zoe Magic Show – 11 a.m. to noon, July 3
- Drawing with Kyle – 11 a.m. to noon, July 10
- Fleet Science Center – 11 a.m. to noon, July 17
- Summer LEGO Challenge – 11 a.m. to noon, July 31
- Concert with Ralph’s World – 11 a.m. to noon, Aug. 7
Tweens Ages 8 to 12 – Wednesdays
- Tween Wednesday, 4 to 6 p.m., June 11
- Tween Gaming Tournament – 3:30 to 5 p.m., June 25
- SD Nights Activities – 3:30 to 6 p.m., July 9
- Tween Laser Tag – 3:30 to 5 p.m., July 23
Teens Ages 12 to 18 – Weekdays
- Teen Tuesday, 4 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, June 3 and Thursday, July 3
- Teen Gaming Tournaments, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 17 and Tuesday, July 15
- Teen Lock-in, 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, June 26
- SD Nights – 3:30 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, July 9
- Teen Movie Day – 3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, July 29
Additionally, Aida Perez offers free Ramona del Sol Ballet Folklorico lessons at the library from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. The dance lessons are open to anyone up to age 18 years old.
The library and Open Bookstore are at 1275 Main St.
Volunteer opportunities are available at The Open Bookstore, which is open 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays, and from noon to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays.
The library is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesdays from noon to 7 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call the library at 760-788-5270 or The Open Bookstore at 442-358-9173.
