A fun, spooky craft for children in 2nd - 5th grade! Join us for snacks, a not-too-scary read aloud, and creating fairy or haunted house lanterns out of mason jars. Registration is required and you can reserve your spot by emailing jen@carpentercarse.org

We are always accepting donations of snacks for our youth programing; stop by the circulation desk to drop any donations off.

Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No registration required.

Come on out for a fun and friendly family trivia competition and potluck supper. Bring a dish to share and we’ll provide apple cider and donuts. Costumes are highly encouraged. There will be a prize for the winning trivia team and a prize for best costume! Enrollment is limited and we ask that each team only contain one family please. Email jen@carpentercarse.org to register or stop by the circulation desk.

Stillness and Exuberance for Kids: Four Wednesdays: Oct. 22, Oct. 29, Nov. 5, Nov. 12. 2:00-3:15 pm.

Kids in grades 1-4 can come learn meditation skills to help with stress-reduction, self-regulation and awareness of self and others. This workshop series features games for connection and trust building, and meditation teaching with an approach that includes kids’ natural energy levels. Whether your child is an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert, kids can develop greater confidence and improve social skills through meditation. Each weekly session will begin with fun ice-breakers and snacks. There will be four sessions in order to build skills in an accessible way, and develop friendship and community.  This workshop is led by Jennifer Decker, who has extensive experience in schools and youth group settings, and has lived experience of neurodivergence.

Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment!  Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.

Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No registration required.

We invite middle school students who are interested in reading and discussing all kinds of books (chapter books, memoirs, graphic novels) that are generally geared toward students in grades 6-8. Students will receive each month’s  book from the library then meet on the third Thursday of the month to engage in a fun discussion, eat snacks, hang out with friends, and decide what to read next! Email jen@carpentercarse.org to reserve your spot and receive all the necessary info to get started in this monthly club!

Each week library volunteers work with students in grades 4-8 in learning the basics of Dungeons and Dragons, including character creation, understanding game mechanics, and how to work together to create and play in their own campaigns. We are in the process of determining what the capacity for this weekly group should be, and while we have reached our current cut-off point for sign-ups, we will discuss possible adjustments so we can consider new participants. If your child is interested in joining the wait list, please contact jen@carpentercarse to reserve a spot.

Join educator, Jerry Schneider, for a presentation on bats and bat habitats followed by Halloween snacks and crafts. Every participant needs to bring a t-shirt that can be painted on. All other materials will be provided. This event is for children in kindergarten through grade 4, and registration is required.

Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment!  Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.

The library will be closed today in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Join us for a Frog and Toad themed picnic, tea party, and story time! We will also get to do some fun Fall crafts, and hopefully we’ll get to have the whole event outdoors in our new Children’s Garden space! Bring a favorite stuffy or doll to join in on the fun. Our Tea Party Storytimes are designed for children ages 2-6 and their caregivers. Registration is required, and you can email jen@carpentercarse.org to reserve your family’s spot!

With Funding from the Vermont Space Grant Consortium, Carpenter-Carse Library is offering a series of monthly after-school programs for students in Kindergarten through grade 4 during the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year. Educator and Mathematical Sciences Director for The Vermont Governor's Institute, Linda Segovia Wise has created a program called “STEM Explorers” that is designed to offer STEM enrichment in a fun and engaging environment. In this playful and curiosity-driven program, students will explore real-world challenges and creative problem solving through different themes. Our goal is for students to discover how STEM is part of everyday life and to give them an opportunity to build confidence in collaborative problem-solving and creative thinking. Contact jen@carpentercarse.org to sign up for one or all four monthly programs.

Session 2: Engineering Challenge - Build It Strong! Friday, October 10th, 3:00-4:15 Can you build a tower with just spaghetti and marshmallows? What makes a bridge sturdy? This month, students take on a fun and messy engineering design challenge, learning about the design process, testing ideas, and working together to build strong structures from everyday materials. Through testing, reflecting, and trying again, they’ll also practice one of the most important STEM skills: resilience. Skills: Engineering design, measurement, collaboration, perseverance. Big Idea: Great engineers try, test, and try again!

Each week library volunteers work with students in grades 4-8 in learning the basics of Dungeons and Dragons, including character creation, understanding game mechanics, and how to work together to create and play in their own campaigns. We are in the process of determining what the capacity for this weekly group should be, and while we have reached our current cut-off point for sign-ups, we will discuss possible adjustments so we can consider new participants. If your child is interested in joining the wait list, please contact jen@carpentercarse to reserve a spot.

Students have the choice every week to work on their own or with others on weekly challenges or their own creations.

Registration has ended

Celebrate Banned Books Week with us. Stop by and hang out in the “Banned Books Cafe” (the Community Room) to protest censorship and learn about how you can fight back. Stay and read for a while, peruse banned books, enjoy a snack, and write a postcard to our representatives voicing your concern over book bans. Participants will receive a FREE audiobook courtesy of Libro.fm. No registration required but email alex@carpentercarse.org with any questions.

Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment!  Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.

Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No registration required.

 After school happens every Wednesday 2:00 - 3:15 PM from September 3rd through October 8th. Students have the choice every week to work on their own or with others on weekly challenges or their own creations.

Registration has ended

Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment!  Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.

Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No registration required.

Each week library volunteers work with students in grades 4-8 in learning the basics of Dungeons and Dragons, including character creation, understanding game mechanics, and how to work together to create and play in their own campaigns. We are in the process of determining what the capacity for this weekly group should be, and while we have reached our current cut-off point for sign-ups, we will discuss possible adjustments so we can consider new participants. If your child is interested in joining the wait list, please contact jen@carpentercarse to reserve a spot.

 After school LEGO Club happens every Wednesday 2:00 - 3:15 PM from September 3rd through October 8th. Students have the choice every week to work on their own or with others on weekly challenges or their own creations.

Registration for LEGO Club has ended

Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment!  Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.

Young children and their caregivers are invited to join us in the library community room every Saturday morning for play time and socializing. Coffee and tea will be provided for adults, and families can browse for books afterwards. Library staff will provide a rotating selection of activities and play themes. No registration required.

We invite middle school students who are interested in reading and discussing all kinds of books (chapter books, memoirs, graphic novels) that are generally geared toward students in grades 6-8. Students will receive each month’s  book from the library then meet on the third Thursday of the month to engage in a fun discussion, eat snacks, hang out with friends, and decide what to read next! Email jen@carpentercarse.org to reserve your spot and receive all the necessary info to get started in this monthly club!

Each week library volunteers work with students in grades 4-8 in learning the basics of Dungeons and Dragons, including character creation, understanding game mechanics, and how to work together to create and play in their own campaigns. We are in the process of determining what the capacity for this weekly group should be, and while we have reached our current cut-off point for sign-ups, we will discuss possible adjustments so we can consider new participants. If your child is interested in joining the wait list, please contact jen@carpentercarse to reserve a spot.ot.

 LEGO Club is always a popular program and filled up especially fast this year! Please reach out to jen@carpentercarse.org to place your child on a LEGO Club wait-list or call-list. And we are happy to discuss other program options and events happening at the library this Fall and make sure your child has an opportunity to get involved!

Join the fun and learning on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM for picture books, songs, movement, and rhymes that are designed to promote early language, fine motor, and pre-literacy skills in a friendly environment!  Each week we will finish up Storytime with snacks, coffee for the adults, a simple craft or sensory activity, and book browsing. Storytime is designed for babies, toddlers, and preschool/kindergarten aged children and their caregivers, and no registration is required.

The entire community is invited to celebrate our new Children’s Garden on the west side of the library where we will dedicate this space in memory of longtime educator and community member Shelley Henson. Carpenter-Carse Library was awarded a SCHIP grant this year to create an outdoor gathering and play space for families and children. In addition to these grant funds, our library has received generous donations from community members in Shelley’s name, which we have used to further enhance this space and purchase reading materials for the children’s library. On September 13th we will gather outdoors at the library to place a plaque and remember Shelley’s contributions to our early childhood community. Please also join us for refreshments and child friendly activities.