On 14 September we had a truly special Saturday at Central Library, as our friends from The Lowry took over the building and delivered a series of FREE drop-in activities for the whole family. Over 300 children and adults came through the doors and joined in the fun. Here’s a few highlights from a Saturday like no other. Or, as we call it at Central Library, a Saturday Spectacular!
Crafty Families and Elmer Trail
Throughout the whole afternoon families joined The Lowry’s craft tables to make bookmarks or build and decorate their own miniature versions of Elmer the Elephant. Elmer was definitely one of the stars of the show: he even had a whole word trail in the Children’s Library inspired by his story! Over 170 children completed the trail and brought home some wonderful prizes.
Made a great bookmark that my 3+5 year old could follow with the staff help. Nice to be over several spaces for my kids with sensory issues. Always love Central Library.
Interactive Storytime
During the event we hosted 4 storytime sessions. All of them were very well attended, with about 50 children and adults joining the last session alone. The Lowry’s storyteller really brought the adventures of Stick Man to life, and we mean this quite literally: at the end of the sessions the children received a surprise visit by none other than Stick Man himself!
Film Screening and Dance Party
Last Saturday our Performance Space really came to life, with lots of families coming to watch Stick Man, Room on the Broom, Bing and The Gruffalo on the big screen. But the real showstoppers were our crown-making activity and The Lowry’s dance party, both inspired by Queens, a Lowry exhibition celebrating the hit musical SIX. As you can see from this photo, even Stick Man couldn’t help but join the dance!
It was a truly wonderful afternoon, made even more special by the best bits of feedback we received on the day:
We really enjoyed the event. Credit given to everyone who puts so much effort into the activities Manchester Libraries put on all year round. They are just fantastic. Children and reading are kept at the heart. The libraries have really been an inspiration to my children.
We can’t wait to do this all over again! Visit Home – Library Live to find out about our future events.