Seed Bombs
2026-04-18 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Seed bombs are a great way to kick-start your spring planting and add color to your yard. Made with soil and native plant seeds, these little balls provide resources to pollinators that keep our environment healthy. Come play with dirt and revitalize the earth! This program is open to youth in grades 5 and up.

Sustainable Libraries Initiative Celebration
2026-04-20 17:30 - 18:30
Brownell Library is working towards Sustainable Library Initiative certification. Assistant Youth Librarian, Erna, will give an overview of how far we have come and we will celebrate with a treat. Participants will receive a free copy of The Light Pirate, available while supplies last.

Dungeons & Dragons (FULL)
2026-04-22 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-08 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-05-22 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-06-12 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-06-26 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-10 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-07-24 18:00 - 20:00, 2026-08-14 18:00 - 20:00 and 3 more dates
Players embark on imaginary adventures. The current campaign is full, if you are interested in joining, and able to commit to an ongoing collaborative story for at least 4 months, please email youth@brownelllibrary.org to add your name to the wait list. Open to 5th grade and up.

Switch It Up!
2026-04-24 18:00 - 19:00
Switch up your Friday night routine and come play games at Brownell! We will be bringing out the Nintendo Switch at 6 PM – show up early to decide which game(s) we play. This program is designed for youth in grades 5 and up.

TAG
2026-05-15 16:00 - 17:00
Teens and tweens in grades 6-12 can join our advisory group! This month: help set up for the Teen Open Mic Night, happening right after TAG!

Teen Open Mic Night
2026-05-15 17:00 - 18:00
Calling all teens! Brownell Library is hosting an open mic night, and you’re invited to take the stage! Come sing a song, crack a joke, or share a story with us. (Feeling uninspired? Try rapping a Dr. Seuss book!) Please limit performances to 5 minutes. This program is open to teens in grades 6 and up.

Homeschool Game Club
2026-05-18 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-06-22 10:00 - 12:00
Homeschool students ages 11+ are invited to a monthly meetup for games at the library! Enjoy a mix of card and board games while meeting other homeschoolers in a relaxed, social setting. All experience levels welcome—learn new games or bring your favorites to share.

100 Things for 100 Years
2026-06-01 - 2026-07-17
Bring in your collections of 100 things to celebrate 100 years of Brownell Library! Any collection smaller than a shoebox or a jar will be displayed. If you have a larger, perishable or valuable collection, send a photo to youth@brownelllibrary.org with a description and we will display the photo. Let’s celebrate 100 together!

STEM Challenge: Robo-Cubes
2026-06-02 - 2026-06-15
Stop by the Winnie Bell Maker Space in Youth Nonfiction to explore robotics with cubelets. We will offer challenges with a range of difficulties, from novice to master. This program is made possible with support from the Winnie Bell Learned Fund, and it is open to all ages.

National Frosted Cookie Day!
2026-06-10 15:00 - 16:00
Come celebrate this sweet holiday by frosting and decorating a cookie! Open to youth patrons of all ages.

Summer Reading Registration
2026-06-15 - 2026-06-24
Register and pick up your reading log this week! Starting June 24th, bring your log to the library or fill out an online form to earn a raffle ticket or small prize from the treasure box.

ART LAB: Dino Prints
2026-06-16 - 2026-06-30
Turn your fingerprint into a dinosaur and your dinosaur into a story at the Winnie Bell Maker Space. Show us your creation and we will make a copy to display on the Winnie Belle Windows, and it may be included in our Summer Zine! This program is for all ages, and it is made possible with support from the Winnie Belle Learned Fund.

First Zine Prompt: Summer Playlist
2026-06-24 - 2026-06-30
This summer, Brownell Library invites young writers and artists ages 6–18 to unearth a story, a drawing, a comic, or a poem. New creative prompts will be released on Wednesdays starting 6/24 through 7/22. Each week the youth writer or artist with the most creative entry, which best responds to the prompt will win a $20 Phoenix gift card! Select entries will be featured in our community zine, to be released in August. THIS TIME: Create the ultimate playlist for your summer of fun! Please limit lists to 10 songs. Looking for an extra challenge? Illustrate some of your favorite lyrics!

Adopt a Dino!
2026-06-24 - 2026-07-01
A train full of dinosaurs has escaped into the library, and we need your help to find them! Beginning Wednesday June 24, patrons are invited to search the library for dinosaur figurines to take home. These little dinosaurs will only be available until July 1 – come claim yours today! Available while supplies last. This program is open to patrons of all ages.

Bookmark Stitch-In with the Embroidery Guild
2026-06-24 10:00 - 12:00
Local members of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America celebrate our summer theme with a Stitch-In. Watch them create embroidery using a variety of needlework techniques. Choose a beautifully stitched bookmark to take home. For all ages.

Summer Reading Program Kick Off with Dinoman!
2026-06-24 18:00 - 19:00
Kick off the Summer Reading Program with Dinoman’s high-energy, prehistoric adventure—packed with science, stories, and dinosaurs! The Summer reading program theme is Unearth a Story and will be filled with dinosaur themed events! In the Main Reading Room.

Breakout Box: The Lost Letters of Liberty
2026-06-29 - 2026-07-10
Stop by the youth desk to pick up our newest Breakout Box and unravel the clues by yourself or with friends. This time: We were digging through the Vermont Collection and found a dusty old locked box and a letter written by Abigail Adams, one of the Daughters of Liberty! We are SO curious what’s inside, but we need your help figuring out the combination to the lock on the box…

The Potter's Time Machine
2026-06-30 16:00 - 17:00
A broken pot can tell archaeologists what people ate, believed, and traded thousands of years ago. Explore ancient pottery from around the world, then design your own vessel that tells a story about you. Recommended for children in grades 3 and up, including teens!

VINS! Birds are Dinosaurs!
2026-07-28 13:00 - 14:00
VINS – Vermont Institute of Natural Science presents Birds Are Dinosaurs! Meet live birds of prey up close as VINS shares fascinating facts about wildlife, conservation, and the natural world. Find out what 65 million years of evolution turned the dinosaurs into–birds! Celebrating “Unearth a Story” at your local library, VINS representatives are excited to introduce you to some live birds of prey and learn all about their dinosaur ancestry together. We’ll explore the ways modern birds became masters of the air, and understand the immense timescale over which these dinosaur-descendants adapted!
