Noah Lindensmith paints a design on a cylinder that will be made into a ladybug house Saturday at the East Lansing Public Library’s Children’s Gardening Club. Kids learned about ladybugs, aphids, fireflies and other insects in gardens in the club’s “Incredible Insects” day.
Lady bug hotels, praying mantis hats and crepe paper flowers were just a few things on the agenda Saturday at East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road, as the Children’s Gardening Club met and explored ways in which insects can be helpful in gardens.
The gathering, which drew more than 50 Lansing area children ages 4 to 9, taught children the importance of several different insects through singing, dancing and arts and crafts activities.
“The type of learning the kids are doing today is something I don’t think they get enough of,” said Carol Bidigare, a Haslett resident. “It doesn’t involve school books or sitting still and listening to someone talk, but it’s a hands-on type of learning and that’s very important for them.”
Bidigare and her two sons said they have been coming to the library monthly for the different children’s activities the library has to offer.
“I originally heard about the actives at the library through a friend and I am always impressed with how much not only my kids learn, but what I learn too,” she said.
Though parents are not required to attend the almost three-hour program, Karrie Korroch, a children’s reference assistant, said staying is exciting for the parents, too.
“We see lots of parents sticking around not because they have to, but because they are interested in what we are teaching too,” Korroch said. “I always hear parents say how much they learn during the program, and that’s great because when kids see their parents involved they get more involved too.”
This summer’s theme, “Catch the Reading Bug,” influenced Saturday’s activities as children made hotels for lady bugs by decorating cardboard tubes and adding air holes as they watched their bugs fly around inside. They also glued paper cutouts together to make hats that resembled a praying mantis head and folded colored tissue paper together to make flowers as they talked about the aspects of pollination.
While many activities involve technology, Lezlee Worthington, a reference assistant at the ELPL, said t they offer stress hands-on activities.
“Today, everything is so high tech, and kids are getting lost in their electronics,” she said. “I feel like a lot of people are staying away from hands-on activities because they can be messy, but those are the activities that are important to a child’s learning.”
The library, which offers different themed programs depending on the time of the year, acts as a gathering place for members of the community, Korrock said.
“(The library) draws families from different backgrounds really making you feel a sense of community,” she said. “It’s a wonderful place where I see friendships being made and our community coming together.”
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