Second Saturdays: Hands-on activities and participatory readings designed for kids and their families.
Read full descriptionDiscover the power of joy and the wonder of Black boyhood in this vibrant collection of stories, comics, and poems edited by Kwame Mbalia.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Express your positive message in a visually dynamic poster to keep you inspired and powerful.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Meet Ryan Hart, who approaches the challenges in her life with bravery, common sense, and humor.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Inspired by the art of Luchita Hurtado, explore the relationship between yourself and the natural environment to make a landscape that expresses something about you!
Tomando inspiración del arte de Luchita Hurtado, explora tu relación con el entorno natural para crear un paisaje que exprese algo sobre ti.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Para las edades de 6 a 12 años con acompañantes adultos
Dogs in space—alone! Will it be a complete disaster or will the Barkonauts complete their mission?
¡Perros en el espacio—solos! ¿Será un completo desastre, o los Perronautas completarán su misión?
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Recomendado para las edades de 8 años en adelante
Inspired by the volumes and lines in Kay Sekimachi’s art, use maps of the Bay Area to make connections between two-dimensional and three-dimensional forms with artist Melissa Sarris.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Would you make a deal with a magical tiger? This uplifting story brings Korean folklore to life as a girl goes on a quest to unlock the power of stories and save her grandmother.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Finding a time capsule is like discovering a message from the past. What kind of message would you like to leave for others to find?
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Omar, known for his mischievous sense of humor, encounters anti-Muslim bigotry when his family moves to a new town and school. Read aloud with other kids to see how Omar’s huge imagination helps him respond to these challenges with his spirit and humor intact.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Learn the technique of frottage as you experiment with surface design and weaving, inspired by the art of Kay Sekimachi.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
A brave misfit mouse, a covetous rat, a wishful serving girl, and a princess named Pea come together in Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal-winning story that reads like a quirky fairy tale.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
With Rosie Lee Tompkins’s quilts as inspiration, explore symbols, patterns, and text in a drawing workshop focused on world building with artist Veronica Graham.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Picking up where The One and Only Ivan left off, this story finds Chihuahua mutt Bob happily visiting his best friends, gorilla Ivan and elephant Ruby, in their wildlife sanctuary home. After a hurricane sweeps through the sanctuary, Bob courageously helps his friends to survive.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Make your own beautiful takarabako (treasure-chest box) from a simple pattern and materials found at home in this workshop with artist Beth Krebs.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Hannah thinks it might be up to her to save the world! As she and her best friend Mia investigate the mysterious spaceship hovering in the stratosphere, they find unexpected clues to other unsolved mysteries in their town. Enjoy reading from this sci-fi/mystery adventure story with other kids!
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Envision a supportive community of homes that expresses diversity and acceptance in its visual design in this virtual workshop with artist Jill McLennan.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
A young mouse named Ralph is thrown into a world of excitement when a boy and his shiny toy motorcycle check in to the Mountain View Inn. / Un joven ratón llamado Ralph es arrojado a un mundo de emoción cuando un niño y su brillante motocicleta de juguete se registran en el Hotel Bellavista.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Recomendado para las edades de 8 años en adelante
Explore patterns and geometry in Rosie Lee Tompkins’s quilts and in the American flag!
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Narrated in the alternating voices of a boy (Peter) and a fox (Pax), this coming-of-age story sensitively explores the deep bond between them as they struggle to reunite after being forced to separate.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Explore some of the signs and symbols used in historical Mesoamerican codices while using collage and drawing to make a codex of your own in this virtual workshop with Vreni Michelini Castillo.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Surfer Alberta and Goth aficionado Edie are as different as can be, but teamwork leads to friendship when they combine forces to investigate a mystery. Together they stand up to racist microaggressions in their small beachside town.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Learn about architectural ways of drawing while exploring your own ways to represent imagined structures in this live virtual workshop with artist Greta Liz Anderson.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
When Skunk plows into Badger’s life, everything Badger knows is upended. Enjoy reading this beautifully illustrated story of an odd-couple friendship with Jennifer Gordon and other kids!
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Inspired by Rosie Lee Tompkins’s textiles, combine scrap fabrics with other found materials to collage a personal quilt top all your own!
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
In a unique blend of prose and verse, Becoming Muhammad Ali vividly captures the budding charisma and youthful personality of this great American sports hero for young readers. Join us online to read it together!
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Inspired by Ron Nagle’s art, transform stream-of-consciousness drawings into 3-D forms in this Zoom workshop with artist Julia Sackett.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Author Roald Dahl has a way with words, and witches! Join us on Zoom to read this suspenseful tale in both English and Spanish.
El autor Roald Dahl tiene un don con las palabras ¡y con las brujas! Acompáñanos en Zoom a leer este cuento de suspenso en inglés y en español.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Recomendado para las edades de 8 años en adelante
Join artist Raphael Noz on Zoom to explore pattern, shape, and space as you imagine creating a beautiful home for someone who needs one.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
How will tween twins Cassie and Caitlyn cope with their new home and their newly discovered superpower? Meet us on Zoom to read together and find out!
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Combine photographs with drawing and making marks in ink to tell stories of your daily life in this Zoom workshop with artist Indira Urrutia.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
At his new school across town, Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. Torn between two worlds, can he keep his neighborhood friends and stay true to himself? Read with us on Zoom to find out!
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Meet artist Kim Bennett on Zoom to learn about patterns and stories in paintings from the Mithila region of India. Then, “take it outside” to draw your own stories with patterns using sidewalk chalk!
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Somewhere in Brooklyn a dragon is missing. Will nine-year-old Jaxon succeed in finding it? Start reading this exciting sequel to Dragons in a Bag with us, then continue at home to find out what happens!
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Meet artist and educator Kaya Fortune on Zoom to look at exciting and colorful quilts by Rosie Lee Tompkins, then discover your own visual rhythms using materials easily found at home.
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Read the beginning chapters of this affecting story about a dog and his boy, told from the dog’s point of view, then receive a copy of the book in the mail to finish at home.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
Join us as we look at Ron Nagle's captivating small sculptures. Then, make a sculpture of your own inspired by his imaginative approach!
For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)
Read the beginning chapters of this suspenseful summertime adventure story aloud with other kids and Cragmont Elementary librarian Jackie Overlid, then receive a copy of the book in the mail to finish at home.
Recommended for ages 8 and up
This guide invites you to look closely at the art of Rosie Lee Tompkins and do related hands-on art activities!