by Avi Silberstein
I’ve always had a soft spot for old fashioned children’s books. Give me an Encyclopedia Brown mystery anytime. A Bobbsey Twins, a Hardy Boys, a Nancy Drew.
OK, I’ll admit it, it’s not just children’s books. I also love typewriters. Real photographs that you can hold — bonus points for faded Polaroids. Suspenders. Handwriting (as long as it’s not mine, which is virtually unreadable).
All of this to say, it should come as no surprise to you all that I’m pleased as punch to announce that the library is now lending out Ol’ Fashioned Picnic Games!
We’re talking croquet sets (for those of you who’ve always wanted to pretend you were Alice in Wonderland), giant Jenga (for those who want to pretend to be very small), light-up lawn darts (for those who love things that glow in the dark), and bocce ball (for those who are, like me, terrible at bowling, and need an easier alternative).
For families, we’ve got two large kits you can borrow. Each contains a mini-golf set and a giant board game towel (which is more or less exactly what it sounds like). One of the kits has a Bashminton set and an Aerobie Frisbee, the other has a Beamo Floating Frisbee and a Kendama Wooden toy (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you see it).
I’ve personally tested several of these games and I can confirm that they are sure to provide hours of bona fide outdoor fun!
Given what we know about how spending time outdoors is safer than indoors, our hope is that these outdoor games will make it easier you to socialize outdoors with your friends and family.
In the meanwhile, here at the library we’re continuing with our gradual reopening. In addition to reinstating our expanded hours, there is also now some seating available upstairs and downstairs. And in the coming weeks we’ll be opening up more computer stations, increasing the amount of time you can spend in the library, and making our study rooms and tech rooms available several times a day.
While masks are no longer mandatory, they are still recommended. As Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a recent press conference: “It is important for us to continue to wear masks in those indoor settings where we’re around people we don’t know and when we’re not fully protected by vaccines.”
With each passing day we’re getting closer to a return to normalcy. If all goes well, soon everything will be back to how it was in the pre-COVID days. Or as I like to call them: the good ol’ days.
Avi Silberstein is the Children’s Librarian at the Nelson Public Library. Check This Out runs every other week. If you’re interested in learning more about library programs and services, sign up for our monthly newsletter on our website or by giving us a call.