The “Summer Slide” sounds like it should be a fun playground game, but it’s actually the term used when students lose some of the achievement gains they’ve made during the previous school year. Your library offers a summer reading program that encourages all ages to keep reading and learning throughout the summer. Educational, fun enrichment activities are a huge feature of the program - and better yet, they’re free!

When children and youth select their own reading materials and read for enjoyment, they see real positive results, improved reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary and spelling. Reading over the summer is a fantastic way to keep your and/or your child’s mind active and encourages life-long reading habits.

This summer, the Nederland Community Library is joining the nationwide Collaborative Summer Library Program with the theme - Oceans of Possibilities! We’ll be hosting a Kick- Off Party on the last day of school, Thursday May 26 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with an Ocean-themed bouncy house, smoothie bar, book sale, prizes, outdoor games, bubbles, music, non-profit information booths and more. You won’t want to miss this one! Swing by the party to pick up your summer reading packet. There are four age groups, babies-preK, Kindergarten thru 5th grade, 6th - 12th grade, and adults too! Yes, even grown- ups get to participate this time! You can also simply register online and download the materials at www.nedlib.org. If you sign up at the Kick-off party, pre-readers, kids and teens get a free reusable straw kit just for signing up!

Complete reading goals and other activities from your bingo sheet. After you have completed two lines of bingo challenges, visit the library to receive another prize! When you have filled in the whole sheet, return it to the library! All finishers will win a fantastic Library water bottle. You can then also choose to be entered into one of our raffles for a chance to win tickets to either: Elitch Gardens Theme Park, Georgetown Railway, Meow Wolf, a Rockies game or for a gift card to Nature’s Own or Crosscut Pizza! Return your forms by the end of the day on Friday, August 12, to get your prize and be entered into the raffle.

In your packet, you’ll also find instructions and a calendar of fantastic library programs/events and classes for the summer. We’ve already got a fantastic slew of events lined up, and are adding more all the time. Make something at one of the craft drop-in workshops throughout June. Play seafaring games and practice your Pirate lingo on Pirate Day! Come and listen to a special storytime led by Nederland area Fire Chief Mike Scott, then explore one of our Fire Department’s fire trucks. Enjoy tea and cakes with a Father’s Day Tea Party at the Gillaspie House Museum, in collaboration with the Nederland Area Historical Society. Bring a camp-chair or a bean bag and watch an outdoor movie screening in cosy style. Learn from a local ranger talk about local water ecology. Get creative and paint some critters and corals during our collaborative ocean themed mural sessions. Create a brick masterpiece during a lego workshop. Later in the summer, you can join our book group discussion for the One Ned/ One Book Series, where we’ll be talking about our picks, A Long Walk to Water or Nya’s Long Walk, where we’ll also sample some Sudanese cuisine and learn about water issues in Sudan, Africa and beyond…

Most of all, work your way through your bingo sheet, crossing off activities like “read in bed, check out an experience pass, watch a movie based on a book, mail a postcard” and much more! This year’s program is perfect for reluctant readers, as our reading bingo cards are more interactive and can easily be tailored to individual reading levels.

We can’t wait to see you at the Kick-Off Party!