Check out the happenings in August at Morse Institute Library.

Children’s Programs

Start with STEM Saturdays, Aug. 1 and 8, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Join us on select Saturdays this summer for some tabletop STEM activities. No registration required, all ages welcome.

Lapsit Storytime, Mondays Aug. 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Stories, bounces, songs, and bubbles for babies up to 24 months and their grownups. Gather in the Story Craft Room in the Children’s Department on the Lower Level. No registration required.

Open Art: Stamper Fun, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Drop into the children’s department and craft. This week we will be having fun with stampers. Geared for kids from preschool through early elementary. No registration required.

Pajama Time Stories, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 12, 19, 26, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Join Miss Susan for a few songs and lots of stories in the Children’s Library. 45 minutes of stories and songs. No registration required. 

Summer Storytime on the Lawn, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 10 to 10:30 a.m. Join us for storytime fun on the library lawn. We’ll be sharing stories, songs, and free play activities! This is an outdoor family drop in event, so bring a blanket and your family. No registration required. In case of rain, gather in the Lebowitz Meeting Hall.

Summer Explorers: Monster Birdfeeders, Thursday, Aug. 6, 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. Join us for an afternoon of in-person crafting in the children’s department. This week we are making monster birdfeeders! This program is for children entering grades 2-5. No registration is required.

Open Art: Clothespin Butterflies, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Drop into the children’s department and craft. This week we will be making clothespin butterflies. No registration required. Geared for kids from preschool through early elementary.

Stacey Peasley Family Music Concert , Wednesday, Aug. 12, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. With “energetic beats, catchy melodies, and soaring vocals,” Stacey Peasley’s music and performances have been gathering accolades and fans for over a decade! Her music is designed to engage, inspire, and entertain children and their families. Witty, memorable, and never condescending to children, Stacey’s music ranges from songs about childhood, family life, and social/emotional well-being.

Programs are interactive and include movement, childhood themes, seasonal topics, imaginative play, relationship building, and other features. No registration required.

LED Mini Golf With One Up Games! Summer Reading Family Event, Thursday, Aug. 13, 5 to 8 p.m. Join the children’s department for the end of summer reading party featuring LED mini-golf with One Up Games! This family event is drop in,  no registration required. Features snacks, summer reading certificates, and other features.

Boredom Busters-Build It!, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Features building, creating and mystery activities. Today is: Build It! Build a structure with Magna Tiles or Keva Blocks. Recommended for K through fifth grade. Drop-in, no registration necessary.

Purposeful Play, Thursday, Aug. 20 and 27,10 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 is required.

 Game On! , Saturday, Aug. 22, 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. A day of board games in the children’s department! We’ll have games out on our tables for families with children of all ages. No registration is required.

All Ages Programs

Bookmobile Visit at West Hill Park, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 12, 19, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Morse Institute Library Bookmobile will be at West Hill Park, 52 Mill St. on Wednesdays this summer. At the bookmobile you can: sign up for a library card, check out books and puzzles for all ages, and learn more about the library’s programs and resources. The MetroWest YMCA will be facilitating the Summer Eats program at this time as well, which is free and open to all. No registration is required.

Bookmobile at Sherwood Village, Thursday, Aug. 6, 20, East Building 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., West Building, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.  At the bookmobile you can: sign up for a library card, check out books and puzzles for all ages, and learn more about the library’s programs and resources. No registration is required.

Bookmobile at the Summer Performance Series, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 12, 6:30 to 8 p.m.  Visit the Morse Institute Library Bookmobile at the Natick Parks and Recreation summer performance concert series! Bring your library card to check out books and puzzles, and learn more about library programs and resources.

Open Mic Night, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7 to 8 p.m. Singers, poets, musicians, writers, performance artists, all are welcome!  Performers can sign up for a 5min/10 min time slot on a first come first served basis. No registration required.

Genealogy Group, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join a Morse Research Librarian to learn about library and other online resources to start researching your family history. Stop by with your questions, or if you have started your research, let us know how it’s going. This is a great space to share ideas and strategies to help you start, and grow your family tree. Registration is required.

Teen programs 

Teen Summer Reading through Aug. 15, Teens ages 11-18 can read anything they like to participate in Teen Summer Reading. No registration is needed. Just log each day you read or listen to an audiobook using a Google Form or in person in the Teen Room or on the Bookmobile. More details on the library website. 

Teen & Tween Pop Up Art: Felted Seagull Hoop.  Wednesday, Aug. 5, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Pop Up Art will teach how to needle felt a seaside scene. For teens and tweens, ages 11-18. Registration is required.

Teen Puzzle Days, Friday, Aug. 7 and Saturday, Aug. 8 Teens are invited to stop by and work on the puzzle on the Teen Room table during library open hours For teens and tweens, ages 11-18.

Teen & Tween MakerLab To-Go: Drift Motorcycles, Monday, Aug. 10, all day. Sign up for a Kiwi Co. Make Your Own Drift Motorcycle kit. Learn how to put together an electric-powered motorcycle and explore how friction with the ground changes when the tires change. For teens and tweens ages 11-18. Registration is required to pick up a kit. Kits are to-go and to be completed at home.

Teen & Tween: Paint Your Own Garden Gnome, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2 to 3 p.m. Paint your own ceramic garden gnome. All supplies provided. For teens and tweens, ages 11-18. Registration required.

Teens & Tweens: Design Your Own Beadable Pen, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 7 to 8 p.m. Come design your own beaded ballpoint pen! We will have beadable ballpoint pens and a variety of beads to choose from! For teens and tweens ages 11-18. Registration is required.   

Adult programs

Walk-in Technology Help - Saturdays, Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29, 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Having trouble figuring out how to use your smartphone, tablet, or other devices? Unsure on how to use Libby/Hoopla/Kanopy with your device? We can help with that. First come, first served session with one of our information services librarians for help on the second floor each Saturday morning except on holiday closings. Bring your questions and devices, and we’ll work through them together. Sessions are a maximum of 15 minutes. More complicated questions or longer help needed will require a later one-on-one appointment. No registration is required.

Ted Reinstein’s Greetings from Breed’s Hill... and Other Stories of Fact & Folklore for the 250th, Monday, Aug. 3, 6:30 to 8 p.m. As America commemorates and celebrates its 250th anniversary, Ted Reinstein looks back. Way back. Even years before independence was actually achieved, events took place that would shape how the new nation would look back at its founding. All drawn from Ted Reinstein’s nearly three decades of reporting around New England, these stories and more are crafted into his talk. If you like history, enjoy learning the story behind the story, or just want a good laugh along with your 250th, “Greetings from Bunker Hill!” Registration is requested.

20s and 30s Book Club, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 7 to 8 p.m. We are a group of 20- and 30-something book lovers in Natick who will meet once a month to discuss a book that we have decided on and all read. Every month we will vote on the next book to read and do guided discussion on the book we have read, as well as have time to mingle and talk about the book in smaller groups. This month’s book we will be reading is “Between Two Fires’’ by Christopher Buehlman. 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 is required. 

Bollywood Dance Workout, Thursday, Aug. 6, 7 to 8 p.m. Whoever said no pain no gain, obviously has never worked out to Bollywood music. Join Purnima for BollyX – Bollywood Dance Workout. Let’s dance and workout together to remain healthy, physically and mentally while having lots of fun. Get ready to groove to the beats of the vibrant Bollywood tunes while burning 400 to 800 calories. No prior dance experience is required; Purnima will guide you through the steps, show modifications and ensure a fun-filled session. This program is for adults and registration is required for each session. Please wear workout clothes and bring water.

Team Puzzle Race, Saturday, Aug. 8, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Teams of up to four people will compete to finish a 500-piece puzzle. Teams will be given up to 90 minutes to complete the puzzle; the first team to complete the puzzle wins. If no team completes the puzzle, the team closest to completing it will win.  Winning team gets a new puzzle. Register as an individual or as a team required.

Diamond Art Painting: Feather Bookmarks, Thursday, Aug. 13, 6 to 8 p.m. Learn about diamond painting and to make a bookmark! You simply apply colorful resin rhinestones to richly-pigmented canvas paintings to get visually dazzling, mosaic diamond artworks that sparkle, shimmer and shine. Registration is required. 

Peaceful Poses, Thursday, Aug. 27, 7 to 8 p.m. Unwind and Relax with Beginner Breathwork, Yoga, and Meditation. The instructor, Lipi, is a yoga, breathwork and meditation faculty member with the Art of Living foundation. Having worked with several members of the student and adult communities over the last seven years, she continues to bring her experience with wisdom of yoga and breathwork to create a lasting impact into people’s lives. Students need to bring a yoga mat and water. Registration is required.

MIL Stitchers, Saturday, AUG. 29, 8/29, 11 A.M. to 1 p.m. Having Fun While Doing Good. Morse Institute Library Stitchers is a service-oriented knitting and crocheting group that meets one Saturday a month working collaboratively to create handmade items for various nonprofit organizations as well as some “out of the box” projects. No registration is required; new members are always welcome.

Scratch Art: Landscapes & Cityscapes, Saturday, Aug. 29, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Using a scraper tool, participants will follow the outlines of a design to reveal the engraved picture beneath. Registration is required.

The Morse Institute Library is open Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sunday. For more information and to register for programs visit https://morseinstitute.org/