Programming for All Ages
For a complete list of programming visit our calendar of events.
Below are special library events for children across the county. Click links below or call the branch to register.
Programs below are for children ages 0-12 and their families. Please check the age range of individual events to find events for your family.
Surfin Ron Albanese's Pineapple Time Show
This is a celebratory, and super-interactive “all together now” type of show, where everyone joins in to sing, dance, and laugh along! With cool tunes and lots of improv comedy, it’s going to be the show of the summer!
Monday, July 10th
- 10:30am – Point Pleasant Borough Branch
- 12:00pm – Plumsted Branch
- 6:30pm – Berkeley Branch
Rock & Rhyme with Mr. Jon & Friends
Join multiple Parents' Choice Award winning kids musician Mr. Jon for a fun program for the whole family. Mr. Jon and his silly friend George the Monkey will have you laughing and dancing along. Using rhymes, songs, books, and puppets, this interactive musical comedy show is a performance not to miss!
Monday, August 14th
- 10:30am – Manchester Branch
- 2:30pm – Waretown Branch
Tuesday, August 15th
- 10:30am – Long Beach Island Branch
Music and Puppets with Jumpin' Jamie
Join kindie rock artist Jumpin’ Jamie and their puppet friends for an interactive performance featuring a message of togetherness.
Thursday, July 6th
- 10:30am – Lacey Branch
- 2:30pm – Island Heights Branch
- 6:30pm – Barnegat Branch
Tuesday, August 8th
- 10:30am – Beachwood Branch
- 2:30pm – Brick Branch
- 6:30pm – Upper Shores Branch
Whalemobile: Meet Nile the Humpback Whale
Nile, the life-sized inflatable humpback whale is coming to your library! Learn about how whales and humans are similar and different and touch baleen, teeth, and bones.
All family members attending between age 5 and 12 must register separately. Register online, by phone, or in person at your local branch and to receive more information.
These events have 30 minute sessions for which children can register. Each child may only register for one session. Registration is required.
Little Egg Harbor Branch – Wednesday, August 2nd
- Session 1: 10:00am – 10:30am
- Session 2: 10:30am – 11:00am
- Session 3: 11:00am – 11:30am
- Session 4: 11:30am – 12:00pm
Berkeley Branch – Wednesday, August 2nd
- Session 1: 2:00pm – 2:30pm
- Session 2: 2:30pm – 3:00pm
- Session 3: 3:00pm – 3:30pm
- Session 4: 3:30pm – 4:00pm
Long Beach Island Branch – Thursday, August 3rd
- Session 1: 10:00am – 10:30am
- Session 2: 10:30am – 11:00am
- Session 3: 11:00am – 11:30am
- Session 4: 11:30am – 12:00pm
Toms River Branch – Thursday, August 3rd
- Session 1: 2:00pm – 2:30pm
- Session 2: 2:30pm – 3:00pm
- Session 3: 3:00pm – 3:30pm
- Session 4: 3:30pm – 4:00pm
Jackson Branch Thursday, August 3rd
- Session 1: 6:00pm – 6:30pm
- Session 2: 6:30pm – 7:00pm
- Session 3: 7:00pm – 7:30pm
- Session 4: 7:30pm – 8:00pm
Unique Creatures
Get up close and personal with LIVE animals from all around the world, at your library!
Friday, July 14th
- 10:30am – Upper Shores Branch
- 1:30pm – Point Pleasant Beach Branch
Tuesday, August 15th
- 3:30pm – Tuckerton Branch
- 6:30pm – Stafford Branch
Talewise Presents Science Heroes: Saving Earth Together
In this action-packed story, two unlikely heroes work together to save their town (and the planet) from a super-polluting mastermind! Throughout the adventure, volunteers will help the performer conduct several exciting science experiments that bring this story to life. Together we’ll explore Newton’s Laws of Motion, air pressure, chemical reactions, and more!
Wednesday, July 26th
- 10:30am – Stafford Branch
- 2:30pm – Tuckerton Branch
- 6:30pm – Lacey Branch
Thursday, August 24th
- 10:30am – Little Egg Harbor Branch
- 2:30pm – Waretown Branch
- 6:30pm – Point Pleasant Borough Branch
Six Flags Wild Encounters
Some fun, fuzzy and feathered friends are visiting the library for this up-close experience. Learn all about the importance of animals and their conservation.
Wednesday, July 12th
- 3:00pm – Brick Branch
- 6:00pm – Lakewood Branch
Wednesday, July 19th
- 11:30am – Jackson Branch
- 2:30pm – Barnegat Branch
Wednesday, August 9th
- 11:30am – Toms River Branch
- 2:30pm – Plumsted Branch
Aromatherapy for Teens
Educator and essential oils specialist, Danielle Boska, will provide teens with a rejuvenating and hands on experience with therapeutic oils and scents. Teens will leave refreshed with their own essential oils-based crafts.
Wednesday, August 16th
- 6:00pm – Manchester Branch
Monday, August 28th
- 6:30pm – Toms River Branch
Thursday, August 31st
- 6:30pm – Berkeley Branch
Blending Fun for Teens
A fun, healthy, and educational program using fresh ingredients and a blender.
Wednesday, July 12th
- 3:00pm – Barnegat Branch
Tuesday, July 25th
- 1:00pm – Waretown Branch
Tuesday, August 15th
- 3:00pm – Little Egg Harbor Branch
Wednesday, August 16th
- 3:30pm – Berkeley Branch
Thursday, August 17th
- 2:00pm – Beachwood Branch
Tuesday, August 29th
- 3:00pm – Toms River Branch
Bugs on the Go for Teens
Insectropolis will have a variety of exotic specimens to learn about and explore.
Tuesday, July 11th
- 3:00pm – Manchester Branch
- 6:00pm – Toms River Branch
Wednesday, July 12th
- 3:00pm – Long Beach Island Branch
- 6:00pm – Little Egg Harbor Branch
Wednesday, July 26th
- 3:00pm – Upper Shores Branch
Thursday, July 27th
- 3:00pm – Lakewood Branch
Coral Reef CSI for Teens
In this hands-on lab, work together to solve the mystery of the missing zooxanthellae.
Thursday, June 29th
- 2:30pm – Plumsted Branch
Tuesday, July 18th
- 6:00pm – Lacey Branch
Thursday, July 20th
- 3:00pm – Upper Shores Branch
Tuesday, July 25th
- 11:00pm – Lakewood Branch
Thursday, August 10th
- 12:00pm – Stafford Branch
Lumpia Making for Teens
Learn to make lumpia, a delicious and popular type of spring roll, with The Filipino-American Community & Development Center of Ocean County Inc.
Tuesday, July 11th
- 6:00pm – Lacey Branch
Thursday, July 13th
- 5:30pm – Berkeley Branch
Perfume to Go: DIY Fragrance for Teens
In this two-hour class, teens will learn all about different types of fragrances then design their own personalized scent using essential oils and an oil/beeswax base to make a solid perfume balm they can take home. Not recommended for those with allergies, sensitivities, or asthma.
Saturday, July 15th
- 2:00pm – Barnegat Branch
Saturday, July 29th
- 2:00pm – Upper Shores Branch
Saturday, August 5th
- 2:00pm – Point Pleasant Borough Branch
Wood Painting for Teens
Debby Pease will teach participants to paint their own wooden sign to express their creativity and celebrate the summer.
Thursday, June 22nd
- 2:30pm – Point Pleasant Borough Branch
Thursday, June 29th
- 1:00pm – Waretown Branch
Thursday, July 6th
- 7:00pm – Stafford Branch
Friday, July 7th
- 3:00pm – Manchester Branch
Saturday, July 8th
- 3:00pm – Long Beach Island Branch
Wednesday, July 12th
- 2:00pm – Plumsted Branch
Monday, July 31st
- 2:00pm – Tuckerton Branch
Tuesday, August 1st
- 3:00pm – Barnegat Branch
- 6:00pm – Upper Shores Branch
Monday, August 7th
- 3:00pm – Brick Branch
Tuesday, August 8th
- 2:00pm – Little Egg Harbor Branch
Saturday, August 12th
- 2:30pm – Berkeley Branch
Summer Volunteering S.A.I.L.
This volunteer program allows teens the opportunity to serve their community while learning, sharing and having fun at the same time! The teen volunteer program, Service and Achievement In the Library (S.A.I.L) is offered to teens that have completed at least 7th grade.
Applications are live! Deadlines to apply vary so please register as soon as possible.
Tibetan Singing Bowls
Tibetan singing bowls are an ancient form of sound healing. Learn about the health benefits of meditation and the history of Tibetan singing bowls. Relax and unwind while playing a singing bowl. Presented by Shelly Botwinick, MA in Holistic Health, B.S. Music Education, energy medicine practitioner, specializing in sound healing and adjunct professor at Mercer County Community College.
Saturday, June 10th
- 3:00pm – Barnegat Branch
Monday, June 12th
- 2:00pm – Little Egg Harbor Branch
Tuesday, June 13th
- 6:00pm – Berkeley Branch
Saturday, June 17th
- 3:00pm – Pt. Pleasant Boro Branch
Monday, June 19th
- 6:00pm – Jackson Branch
Monday, June 26th
- 2:00pm – Waretown Branch
Dungeons and Dragons Crash Course
Ever wanted to play or run a Dungeons & Dragons campaign but didn’t know how? Learn the basics of D&D 5th edition with this crash course. From how to fill out a character sheet and what each part means, to how to run a campaign as a Dungeon master, this 90-minute program will help get you started on this fun new hobby.
Wednesday, July 12th
- 6:30pm – Long Beach Island Branch
Wednesday, July 19th
- 6:30pm – Manchester Branch
Monday, July 24th
- 6:30pm – Plumsted Branch
Monday, August 7th
- 6:30pm – Lacey Branch
Wednesday, August 23rd
- 6:30pm – Stafford Branch
Monday, August 28th
- 6:30pm – Toms River Branch