Community Calendar

Come make some STEAM-themed takeaway projects, perfect for giving this holiday season. Students are welcome to drop in for one, two or all three of these maker projects, while parents take time to prepare for the holidays. Teachers will lead students through the process to make these amazing projects and discuss how these activities relate to STEAM topics. <br/><br/>Recommended for grades 2 – 6 <br/><br/>9 – 10 a.m.: Make Your Own T-Shirt Wreath No need for those old t-shirts to go into a landfill! We’ll upcycle t-shirts into festive holiday wreaths. <br/><br/>10 – 11 a.m.: LED Light-up Artwork or Card Bring your artwork to life with LED lights and learn to make an electrical circuit with just cardstock and a few simple parts. <br/><br/>11 a.m. – noon: Binary Beading Binary code is a number sequence using only 0 and 1, and provides the building blocks for how computers communicate. In this activity, you’ll use beads to create a secret message in binary code.

Join us on the farm for a kid's sized version of our popular DIY holiday gifts class. Learn how to make natural body care products using herbs, essential oils and local honey that you can share for the holidays or keep for yourself. <br/><br/>Each participant takes home 4 lip balms. 4 calendula salves, 4 bars of goat milk soap, and 4 bath bombs. Plus you'll have time to decorate containers and bags for gift giving.

Hybrid Net label Burning Cicada, Ltd. continues in a free Sonic Workshop Series for Creative Sound Design and Exploration. <br/><br/>I PLAY WITH SOUND is a fun, safe, and creative workspace to explore Sound Craft with others in your community! Join us at Common Grounds 2180 Oakland Drive Unit B Sycamore IL 60178 on December 5th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This month we explore Granular Synthesis! Bring a Laptop or Tablet if you would like to participate in Co-Creation Sonic play. <br/>The event is free and open for all ages. Come and explore your sonic whimsy! <br/><br/>More info burningcicada.com Tickets available at eventbright.com

Kids don’t need computers to learn coding basics! At this event led by volunteers from the Society of Women Engineers, kids will learn how computers process instructions by creating a set of instructions for how to wrap a gift. Giggles are sure to ensue as kids learn by trial and error and see how vague instructions can result in unexpected outcomes. At the end, kids will see an example of a basic program built in Scratch that they can try at home! <br/><br/>Facilitators: Sahara Becker (Tech Support Manager at McMaster-Carr, Society of Women Engineers SWENext Programs Committee Chair Elect) and Michael Cha (Data Scientist, John Deere). <br/><br/>This program is intended for students in grades 2-5. <br/><br/>Please register at dkpl.org, as space is limited. <br/>For additional information or help with registration, please contact Susan Garlisch at susang@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 3400.

Join us to create a DIY Peppermint Scrub! <br/><br/>With the holiday season fast approaching, this Peppermint Scrub is the perfect gift for a friend or loved one (or even yourself!). <br/><br/>Register now at dkpl.org, as space is limited. This workshop is intended for adults. <br/><br/>For more information or help with registration, please contact Grace at graces@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 2110.

The holidays can be a very difficult time when you’ve lost someone dear. Celebrations which previously brought joy, can feel very isolating. One way of coping with this is through honoring and remembering our loved ones, through new rituals. <br/><br/>Consider joining Northern Illinois Hospice and the DeKalb Public Library for a Memorial Ornament Workshop. Create a special ornament in honor of your loved one. We’ve even had people create them for beloved pets. This workshop is free of charge, and all supplies will be provided to create your unique and individualized ornament. If you’d like you can bring a small photo, bit of fabric which is meaningful or a very small personal item for use in or on your ornament. There will also be additional information available on coping with loss during the holidays. <br/><br/>This is a masked, socially-distanced event. Please register at dkpl.org, as space is limited. Children should be 6 years of age or older, if 12 or under accompanied by an adult. Registration will close on Thursday, December 9. <br/><br/>For additional information or help with registration, please contact Samantha at samanthah@dkpl.org or at (815) 756-9568 ext. 1701.

Add a special touch to your holiday season by making your own holiday decorations from materials collected in our natural areas. Take a hike with our educator to collect your own natural supplies and learn how to make and decorate a grapevine wreath to take home.

Turn yourself into a cartoon character or other equally awesome kind of self-portrait during this mixed-media drawing program! <br/><br/>Bring a printed 8 ½ X 11 selfie to “toon” or have one printed from your phone during the program. <br/><br/>This program is intended for those in grades 6-12. Please register at dkpl.org, as space is limited. <br/><br/>For more information or help with registration, please contact Susan at susang@dkpl.org or (815) 756-9568 ext. 3400.

Homeschool Programs 2021-2022<br/>Little Homeschoolers - ages 6-9 - meet third Thursdays 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM <br/>$10 members; $15 general admission <br/>Dec. 16 <br/>Animals Prepare for Winter What do turtles do when winter comes? Where do the warblers go? Are there butterflies that overwinter as adults? Join us as we figure out what animals are doing to be ready for the coming winter weather.

Homeschool Programs 2021-2022<br/>Older Homeschoolers - ages 10-13 - meet third Thursdays 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM <br/>$10 Members / $15 General Admission <br/>Dec. 16 <br/>Animals Prepare for Winter What do turtles do when winter comes? Where do the warblers go? Are there butterflies that overwinter as adults? Join us as we figure out what animals are doing to be ready for the coming winter weather.