This summer, the Mid-Continent Public Library in Excelsior Springs invites readers and creators of all ages to stoke their imagination through its annual Summer Reading Challenge and a colorful lineup of seasonal events. Running from June 1 to August 15, this year’s challenge centers on the theme ‘Blank Canvas,’ a culmination of creativity, self-expression, and the power of storytelling.
The Blank Canvas theme encourages participants to appreciate art and to become artists themselves, regardless of age or experience. With a focus on creativity, the program is designed to inspire new ideas, grow a love for reading, and provide hands-on opportunities to explore different mediums. Whether flipping through the pages of a book or with a paintbrush in hand, MCPL has everything needed to have an engaging summer.
The Blank Canvas program kicked off with an open-house event at MCPL on May 29, featuring stations with activities, games, and crafts. Participants could visit their cardboard house museum, go on an art scavenger hunt, join a dance party, and more. The event, directed towards families and young readers, provided an opportunity for community members to engage creatively and see firsthand the fun ways reading can be artistic and hands-on.
Blank Canvas officially begins June 1 and continues through August 24. The Summer Reading Challenge encourages twenty minutes of reading or meaningful literary engagement for each logged day. Any child aged 0–19 may participate in the reading challenge for prizes, and adults aged 20 and above are eligible for their own reward.
Prizes are determined based on the number of reading days logged, with milestones at 20, 40, and 60 days. Young readers can choose a book to keep from a curated prize selection displayed near the front of the library for each milestone, while adults earn a commemorative Blank Canvas drinking glass after logging sixty days of reading.
This year, MCPL has also partnered with local businesses to offer additional incentives. Stephen Chalmers, the Excelsior Springs Branch Manager, shared, “We are doing something new this year… we’ve gotten sponsorships from around the community for additional incentives for kids to participate in the program.”
The Excelsior Springs Community Center has donated a gift basket, and Dairy B has provided vouchers and coupons. Participants who complete the Summer Reading Challenge will be entered into drawings for these community-sponsored prizes as an extra incentive to encourage reading.
Participation is easy: download the Beanstack app, search for MCPL of Excelsior Springs, register readers in your household, and begin logging their daily reading. For those who prefer offline tracking, visit the Excelsior Springs branch to pick up a paper log. Staff can assist in registering participants and entering logs into the system.
For young families, some of the most anticipated events of the summer continue to be MCPL’s weekly Storytime, with additional community-themed storytimes sprinkled in to fill the longer summer days. Each week, young readers participate in a coordinated chaos of storytimes, early literacy activities, music, movement, and hands-on play at Mid-Continent Public Library. Designed for children and their caregivers to bond over literature, MCPL of Excelsior Springs works diligently to bring interactive and educational opportunities to families.
Kayla Bainbridge, Early Literacy Associate at the Excelsior Springs branch, has been bringing joy and rhythm to storytime for over four years. With a heart for helping children explore language and literacy, she’s made storytime the event that it is, full of felt boards and can’t-miss stories.
When selecting books, Bainbridge leans on both professional resources and personal instinct. She flips through titles recommended by other librarians, browses shelves at the branch, and pays close attention to what stories families seem to connect with most. She also makes a point to include a diverse catalog, steering clear of too much of any one kind, whether animal tales, silly rhymes, or call-and-response stories. Bainbridge shared. “I pick books that I think kids will respond to well, and it helps when I find them exciting, because I find it a lot easier to translate that into excitement during storytime.”
The goal, she says, is to create an experience where every child finds a moment of connection.
During storytime, families can expect to participate in interactive songs, dancing with bubbles, a reading of one carefully selected children’s book to the group, dedicated one-on-one reading time with caregivers, music-making with unique instruments, and a fun activity or free-play toy time to finish. Bainbridge especially loves the musical segments, appreciating a hands-on, feet-dancing, tambourine-shaking approach. “It’s always a lot of fun to see them learn how to use different instruments and try new things out,” she shared.
In addition to regular storytimes, MCPL offers special summer events such as Storytime in the Park and Community Heroes Storytime, which have always been especially popular. This year, Storytime in the Park is hosted in partnership with Excelsior Springs Parks and Recreation on select Thursdays throughout June and July. In addition to songs and stories, these park events include crafts and time to play with friends. Community Heroes Storytimes will feature guest appearances by police officers, firefighters, and other local heroes, offering young attendees the chance to learn about various community roles while engaging with books and stories.
To join in on the fun, here is their summer storytime schedule:
Weekly Storytimes at the Library
Toddler Storytime
Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.
Family Storytime
Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.
Storytime in the Park
Century Park – June 5, 12, & 26 at 10:30 a.m.
Siloam Mountain Park – July 10, 17, 24, & 31 at 10:30 a.m.Special Storytime Events
Community Heroes Storytime – Police
Wednesday, June 4 at 10:30 a.m.
Storytime in the Great Outdoors
Wednesday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m.
Bats, Balls, and a Book
Wednesday, June 18 at 10:30 a.m.
Community Heroes Storytime – Fire Department
Wednesday, June 25 at 10:30 a.m.
Stuffed Animal Sleepover
Drop-off: Tuesday, July 8 from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Storytime pickup: Wednesday, July 9 at 10:30 a.m.
Community Heroes Storytime – Sheriff
Wednesday, July 16 at 10:30 a.m.
Pajama Storytime
Wednesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m.
Dog Days of Summer Storytime
Saturday, July 26 at 3:00 p.m.
STEAM Lab Storytime
Wednesday, July 30 at 10:30 a.m.
Summer events don’t stop at the reading challenge or even the impressively long list of storytime offerings, either: MCPL also offers other family-friendly themed events, with these especially targeted to young readers:
Recurring
Play and Learn
Fridays: June 13, July 11, and August 8 at 10:30 a.m.Animal & Nature Programs
Read to a Pet
Saturday, June 28 at 3:00 p.m.
Art With an Exotic Animal
Monday, June 30 at 2:00 p.m.
KC Zoo and Aquarium Animal Art Safari
Monday, July 14 at 2:00 p.m.
Dog Days of Summer
Saturday, July 26 at 3:00 p.m.
Panda Painting
Saturday, August 16 at 10:30 a.m.Music & Performing Arts
Marko Polo Music
Monday, July 7 at 10:30 a.m.
Stone Lion Puppets: Art Outside the Box
Monday, August 11 at 2:00 p.m.Creative & Art Activities
Kids Create Art
Saturday, July 12 at 3:00 p.m.
To stay informed about library programs and discover additional summer events for all ages, card-holding patrons can manage their accounts and sign up for email notifications online at mymcpl.org. Alternatively, you can visit the local branch to learn more. While a library card is not required to attend programs, it is encouraged, as it helps the library plan effectively for events.
Whether it’s inside the library’s art-filled walls or under the shade of a neighborhood park tree on a sunny day, MCPL’s reading challenges, summer events and storytime continue to offer enriching experiences for readers. With bubbles, books, and tambourines in hand, each event promises new discoveries and opportunities for connection.
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