Children’s Programs

Lapsit Storytime, Monday Jan. 5, 12 & 26, 10 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Stories, bounces, songs, and bubbles for babies birth to 24 months and their grownups. In the StoryCraft Room in the Children’s Department on the Lower Level. No registration required.

Project ABC, Friday, Jan. 2, 9, 16 & 30, 10 to 11 a.m. Project ABC’s playgroup in collaboration with the library offers a variety of activities for children birth to age 6 and their families. Explore a new theme each week based on a favorite book. STEAM, ELA, and SEL activities, and a circle time with songs and stories. No registration required.

Boredom Busters, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 14 & 21, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Build creations with Magna Tiles or Keva Blocks in the Children’s Library. Play a game of Jenga or take the challenge and build a tower using office supplies. No registration required.

Pajama Time Stories, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 14, 21 & 28, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Join Miss Susan for a few songs and lots of stories in the Children’s Library. Forty-five minutes of stories and songs. No registration required.

Purposeful Play, Thursday Jan. 8, 15, 22, 10 to 11 a.m. Drop in to the Children’s Department to explore tabletop activities for preschool aged children and their grownup partners. Just bring your imagination. No registration required.

Play Night, Monday, Jan. 26, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Drop in and play with select themed play items for littles and their grownups to explore. Play nights are for everyone, but are geared to the preschool set and their adventuresome grownups. No registration required.

All Together Preschool Storytime, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Stories, songs, and a short play activity. This story hour is geared for children ages 3 to preK5 and their grownup partner. Younger siblings are welcome as observers. Registration is required.

Toddler Time, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Toddlers (walkers through age 2) and their special grownups are welcome. This program features stories, songs, and stretches for the first half and special play activities for the later half. Registration is required.

Baby Play!, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 11 to 11:30 a.m. This program connects babies and their special grownups with songs, rhymes, and socializing. This program is geared for non-walkers and their grownups. No registration required.

All Ages Programs

Bookmobile: Farmers Market, Saturday, Jan. 3 and 17, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring a library card to check out books, audiobooks, bestseller speed reads, and DVDs for all ages. At Common Street Spiritual Center, 13 Common Street, Natick.

Friends Winter Book, Bake, and Music Sale, Saturday, Jan. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. & Sunday, Jan. 25, noon to 3 p.m. Mark your calendar for the Friends of the Morse Institute Library’s two-day book, bake, and music sale. Choose from a wide selection of adult, teen, tween, and childrens’ books and DVDs and vinyl. Adult books are $1, and children, tweens, and teens selections are 50 cents. Inventory is restocked throughout the weekend and credit cards are accepted for purchases of $5 or more. Proceeds from all sales go to support the Morse Institute Library. No registration required.

Teen Programs

Tween & Teen Take & Make: Mini STEM Kits, Monday, Jan. 5, 2 to 9 p.m.

For tweens and teens ages 11-18, Pick up a Mini Stem Kit in the Teen Room; available until the kits run out. No registration required.

YAB: Youth Advisory Board (Tweens and teens), Wednesday, Jan. 7, 7 to 8 p.m. The YAB is the Teen Room’s Youth Advisory Board for tweens and teens ages 11-18 and meets monthly to hang out, have their voice heard about library programs, suggest books and other materials for the teen collection, write book reviews, help with special projects and do fun activities. Sign up so that materials can be planned. To apply, register for the event and fill out a one-time application that is available in the Teen Room or online.

Teens & Tweens Drop-in, “You’re a Star!” Mini Boxes, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2 to 4:30 p.m. Come stop by and make a mini “You’re a Star!” box! Perfect to remind you or a friend just how awesome you are anytime. For teens 11-18, drop-in activity while supplies last. No registration required.

Teens & Tweens: Drop-In Dried Flower Bookmarks, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Make a dried flower bookmark. Drop-in activity while supplies last. No registration required.

Teen Study Break Kits, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2 to 9 p.m. Midterm week can sometimes be a stressful time. So come to the Teen Room and pick a Study Break Kits filled with short activities, stress-busting fidgets, and local mental health resources! No registration required.

Adult Programs 

Cookbook Club, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Do you enjoy cooking, sharing ideas, and kitchen tips, while enjoying great food? Sign up for the Cookbook Club! This month’s cookbook is Ina Garten: Comfort Food. The cookbook is on display at the Reference Desk and available for check out at Circulation. It is also available as an Ebook using Libby. Pick and prepare a recipe from the featured cookbook and bring it to the library where participants will eat, share, chat, and connect over food in the Lebowitz Meeting Hall. Registration required.

Crochet Bird, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Start a crochet journey with this cute yellow bird project. This class is geared towards beginners, but all are welcome. The class will focus on holding the yarn and crochet hook, and learning the single crochet stitch. All participants will receive a kit with all the supplies needed. Innovation Studio; registration required.

20s and 30s Book Club, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 7 to 8 p.m. Join a group of 20- and 30-something book lovers in Natick who will meet once a month to discuss a book that has been decided on and all have read. Every month participants will vote on the next book to read and do guided discussion on the book, as well as have time to mingle and talk about the book in smaller groups. This month’s book is “The Nightingale’’ by Kristin Hannah. Copies will be held for members at the circulation desk to borrow while supplies last. Libby and Hoopla are available for digital copies too. No registration required

Board Game Thursdays, Drop-ins Welcome, Thursday,  Jan. 8, 10 a.m. to noon. Calling all board game enthusiasts. Join in on the second Thursday of each month to play favorite games or learn new games and meet new board game buddies in the community. A different featured games each month. Feel free to bring in a favorite game to teach as well. No registration required!

Thoreau Society: Civil Rights & Civil Disobedience, Thursday, Jan. 8, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Thought-provoking exploration of Thoreau’s participation in the Underground Railroad, his abolitionist views, night in jail and how his writings have historically inspired civil rights movements around the world. Registration required.

Open Mic Night, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Singers, poets, musicians, writers, performance artists, all are welcome!  Performers can sign up for a 5 minute/10 minute time slot on a first come first served basis on  the second Tuesday of the month. No registration required.

Genealogy Group, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2 to 3 p.m. Learn about library and other online resources to start researching one’s family history. Stop by with questions, or if you have started your research, share how it’s going. This is a great space to share ideas and strategies to help start and grow a family tree. Registration is required.

Author talk, World War II Massachusetts, Thursday, Jan. 15, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Over 500,000 Massachusetts residents answered the call to military duty in the Second World War, while the rest of the state’s citizens fought the war on the home front. Everyone in the family, including pets, found creative and essential ways to contribute. Author James Parr reveals the stories of these brave and dedicated citizens as they faced wartime challenges. Registration required.

Restoring the Promise: A Discussion About Immigration Policy and the Path Forward, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 6:30 to 8 p.m.  Join this nonpartisan, community-based discussion series that invites participants to reflect on the impact of current immigration policies, the ways immigration has shaped our nation, and the constitutional questions that affect both non-citizens and U.S. citizens. Grounded in shared ideals including fairness, accountability, and the belief that the nation’s greatest strength rests on how every person under its protection is treated, the series creates space for meaningful dialogue. Registration for this event is suggested, but not required.

Morning Book Discussion, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This month’s selection is “True Biz’’ by Sara Novic. Copies of the book are available at the Circulation desk, and some titles are available through Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive. New members welcome, no registration required.

Writing for Healing, Thursday, Jan. 22, 7 to  8:30 p.m. This writing workshop explores the ways bodies hold onto trauma and how expressing one’s self through writing can help heal. Sharing one’s writing with the group is encouraged but not required. Registration is required.

Chat & Chew Book Club, Friday, Jan. 23, noon to 1:30 p.m.  Bring a lunch or snack and discuss books you’ve read recently. There’s no assigned reading, so you get to read what you want! Drop in if you have time or register to get event reminders.

Digging into the Archives, Monday, Jan. 26, 2 to 3 p.m. Learn about historic resources in-house and online to start researching the history of Natick. Stop by with questions, or if you have started research, share how it’s going. No registration required.

For more information, visit morseinstitute.org