Summer Fun at Scariff Library

The children’s summer project has become an annual event at Scariff Public Library since its opening in 2007. Each year library staff organise a week-long project offering a range of fun events to their young members and encouraging others to join the library and enjoy all it has to offer through its excellent range of books and its many children’s activities throughout the year. This year’s line-up included visits to local places of interest, art and craft wokshops, living history presentations and a teddy bears’ picnic. Specialising in historical re-enactment, Viking Dave Mooney visited Scariff Library to bring a typical day in his life to a young audience. In an hour and a half-long presentation Dave put together a large display of Viking weapons and armour and spoke to the children about how the Vikings came to Ireland, where they came from, the types of clothes they wore, the food they ate and even let the children try on their helmets and chainmail. Scariff library staff Aileen McDonagh and Samantha Morrissey organised a craft session to coincide with the Viking visit, making Viking masks and swords out of cardboard and tinfoil. The week-long programme also included an Art Workshop facilitated by Shona Mac Gillivray for 24 children. Using an oceanic theme the children created pictures using see- through plastic with coloured fish and shells on a paper mount resulting in each finished picture looking like an underwater sea view. The highlight of the week for little ones was a Teddy Bear’s Picnic which included an indoor picnic with stories, games, goodies and a best dressed bear competition. Fifty children came along accompanied by their bears dressed in their best clothes! Library staff read several bear stories and games of Pass the Parcel yielded prizes for everyone. The activities were followed by party time with treats and goodies for all and prizes for the two best dressed bears.