Take and Makes for this project, for ages 5-12, will be available at area PPLD libaries beginning July 14, 2023.

A thaumatrope is an optical toy that teaches persistence of vision.” The name thaumatrope means “wonder turner."

Materials and Directions:

Materials we provide:
cardstock templates
straws

Materials you need to provide:
Pencils, crayons, markers
tape

We have provided two options for this activity.

Option One:
Cut out the circles with the printed templates.

Option Two:
Cut out the blank circles. With one on top of the other, draw an image on the top circle. If youpress firmly with your pencil as you draw, you will be able to see the image on the bottom circle to better align your images. Draw a complimentary image on the second circle.
Both options:
Tape the end of a straw to the back of one circle. Carefully align and tape the other circle back-to-back with the first one.
Here are some ideas:
Bird in a cage (bird on one side, cage on the other)
Emojis (face on one side, yellow circle on the other)
Butterflies in a jar (butterflies on one side, jar on the other)
Giraffe with spots (solid giraffe on one side, giraffe outline with spots on the other)
Spider in a web (spider on one side and web on the other)
Fish in a bowl (fish on one side and bowl on the other)
Rocket on the moon (rocket on one side, moon on the other)
Dueling lightsabers (one lightsaber on each side)

Spin the Spin the straw between your hands. As it spins, the two pictures will appear to blend into one.

Supplies for this Take and Make, for ages 5-12, will be available at no cost at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, June 9, 2023.

Supplies and Directions:

Lemonade Slushies are a great way to beat the summer heat! There’s little to no mess. They’re fun for all ages. And you get slushy goodness!

Supplies:

Materials provided: 1-gallon ziploc, 1-sandwich or quart ziploc, lemonade packet

Materials you provide: water, salt, ice, spoon, cup (optional), towel (optional)

Directions:

Place ice cubes and salt in the gallon sized ziploc bag. Start with 15-20 ice cubes and 1-2 tablespoons salt.

Mix HALF of a lemonade powder packet and 8 – 10 ounces of water in the smaller ziploc. Remove as much excess air as possible and seal the bag.

Place the bag with lemonade into the bag of ice and salt. Seal the large ziploc.

Shake or knead the bags for about 5 minutes until your lemonade has become a slushie. If the bags get too cold, wrap them in a towel.

Carefully remove the lemonade bag from the larger bag. You don’t want to get salt in your lemonade. Pour it into a cup to eat it or eat it right out of the bag.

Tips:

If it seems to be taking too long, add more salt and ice.

Other beverages also work, so experiment to find your favorite.

Supplies for this Take and Make will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning May 12, 2023.

Materials and Directions:

Use the provided paper or your own supplies to draw a shape to race around on your magnet track. You might choose a vehicle (car, truck, train, boat, etc.), an animal (cow, fish, turtle, dog, etc.), or something entirely different. It should be small enough to go on your paper plate (less than 2 inches). Attach a magnet to the back using double-sided tape or a glue dot.

Use your own markers, crayons, or colored pencils to create a course on your race track.

Use double-sided tape or a glue to to attach a magnet to the end of your craft stick. Before you glue, you need to make sure that the magnet on the car and the magnet on the stick attract rather than repel each other. If they repel each other, turn the magnet for the stick over before attaching.

Test your track! Set your shape (vehicle, animal, or other) on your track. Use the magnet on the craft stick under the plate to move and race the car.

Have fun!

Find the tutorial video at https://ppld.librarymarket.com/virtual-kidsmake-magnetic-race-tracks

Reflecting on 2022 and looking ahead

As we welcome 2023 and what’s to come, I want to take a moment and reflect on the past year for Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD).  

The Library has been a staple in our community for more than 130 years, evolving to become a public institution that offers physical and digital spaces for belonging, personal growth, and strong communities. Thanks to the investment from El Paso County taxpayers, we can provide residents like you with access to 16 facilities, three mobile library services, and a large online hub of resources and services that are inclusive and welcoming to all.

Because of you, we were able to do so much for the community this past year. PPLD connected hundreds of thousands of people with services, resources, and spaces to help them achieve their goals. Many patrons visited one of our libraries, whether to browse our collection and check out an item, attend a program, use a meeting or study room, create something in a makerspace or recording studio, or use a computer, copier, scanner, or something else they needed. Library cardholders checked out more than 4 million physical items, and we surpassed more than 2 million digital checkouts via OverDrive and Libby by the end of September 2022.

We hosted another year of successful programs that strive to improve literacy like the Winter Adult Reading Program, Summer Adventure for kids and teens, and All Pikes Peak Reads this past fall. PPLD expanded the PowerPass partnership program to include Calhan School District and Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, providing more students with access to Library resources and services to help further their success in and out of the classroom. And we also added a few new museums and attractions to the Pikes Peak Culture Pass, meaning individuals and families can check out even more cultural experiences right here in our community and beyond.

In the spring of 2022, PPLD also announced its new vision, mission, and values. This became the starting point to develop a three-year strategic plan, which was publicly released in December and officially kicks off this month.

The plan for 2023 - 2025 was informed by staff and public input. Last summer, our team hosted multiple opportunities for Library patrons and other community members to engage with us as part of the planning process, and nearly 1,200 participated, whether online or in-person at one of our libraries. With rich qualitative data from the public and 400-plus staff, we uncovered several common themes – and those helped guide a strategic planning committee of staff, Board, and community representatives in identifying PPLD’s six areas of focus. If you want to find out more and see where, why, and how the Library District will reinvest taxpayer dollars back into the community through 2025, please visit ppld.org/strategicplan.  

It's because of the community’s continued support for PPLD that we have been able to do all of this in 2022 and what we’re planning for 2023. Your investment, trust, and patronage truly are an investment into improving the Pikes Peak region for everyone.  

We look forward to serving you throughout this new year – and using our new strategic plan to fulfill our mission, uphold our values, and aim to achieve our vision for this great community!

Teona Shainidze Krebs 
Chief Librarian & CEO 
Pikes Peak Library District 

Discovery Kits are a collection of interactive items that patrons can check out to explore new topics, hobbies, and interests at home. There are Discovery Kits for all ages, from toddlers to adults. Learn more about the different kits here.

Kits:

• Round Looms
• Electronic Playground
• Bee Bots
• Survive the Quake Engineering Kit
• Remote Control Gear Bot
• Ultimate Fort Builder
• Cubelets Discovery Set
• Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set
• MAGNA-TILES Building Set

Submit a recipe to Pikes Peak Library District's A Harvest of Recipes digital cookbook! Use this link to upload your recipe: https://ppld.librariesshare.com/ppldrecipes/

Some Fun Facts about Grilled Cheese

❖ Though similar recipes were mentioned in ancient Roman texts, the grilled cheese sandwich was technically invented in France in 1910, known as the Croque Monsieur.

❖ However, most experts agree that the first grilled cheese sandwiches were made in the United States in the 1920s when Otto Frederick Rohwedder invented a bread slicer that made distributing white bread easy and affordable.

❖ Shortly before that, processed cheese has been patented by James L. Kraft, whose pasteurizing process ensured that cheese would not spoil, even when transported great distances (the first Kraft plant opened in Illinois in 1914).

❖ During WWII, Navy Cooks prepared open faced grilled cheese sandwiches on Navy ships as instructed by government issued cookbooks. These sandwiches were called “American Cheese Filling Sandwiches.”

❖ In 1949, people finally began to add the second slice of bread to the top of this sandwich to make it more filling, and the sandwich we all know and love was born.

❖ The name “grilled cheese” wasn’t used until the 1960s; before then it was called “toasted cheese” or “melted cheese” sandwiches.

❖ Approximately 3/4 of people who buy sliced cheese make at least one grilled cheese sandwich per month.

❖ National Grilled Cheese Day is celebrated on April 12th!

Recipes:

Please use adult help with slicing or heating!

1. Allison’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ingredients: Bread Butter Cheese slices (thin) Optional (onion, apple, kale) Stone ground mustard --experiment with your own ingredients— Instructions: Butter bread slices on one side, flip slices over and add mustard to insides of bread. Stack up ingredients between bread slices. Place in heated frying pan (low to medium heat); cover with lid. Cook on low to med. heat until bread is toasty and golden on one side; flip over until done. Cheese should be melted.
2. Betty’s Gluten and Dairy Free Grilled Cheese Sandwich Ingredients: Gluten-free bread Vegan butter spread Sliced vegan “cheese” Avocado (optional) Mustard Instructions: Butter bread slices on one side, flip slices over and add sliced cheese. Scoop out avocado and spread (if desired); add mustard to top slice. Place in heated frying pan (low to medium heat); cover with lid. Cook on low to med. heat until bread is toasty and golden on one side; flip over until done. Adjust heat as needed. Cheese should be melted.
3. Brady’s Grilled Cheese Ingredients: Whole wheat bread (or bread of your choice) Butter Garlic clove (broken open) Mayonnaise Cheese slices (American, grated cheddar, or your choice) Instructions: Cover all sides of bread with mayonnaise. Heat non-stick electric griddle; carefully rub with butter and clove of garlic. Place one slice of bread on hot pan. Add cheese; top with other slice of bread. Cook until bread is toasty and golden on one side; flip over until done. Cheese should be melted.
4. Amanda’s Easy Creamy Microwave Tomato Soup in a Mug Ingredients: 7 oz. diced tomatoes ½ tbsp. tomato paste ½ cup broth 1/8 cup light cream Optional (to taste): sweet yellow onion, basil, pesto, salt and pepper Supplies: Mug Blender Microwave Instructions: Add all ingredients together in blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer soup into a microwave safe mug. Microwave for one minute. Let cool and enjoy!
5. Athena’s Cake in a Mug Recipe Ingredients: 1/4 cup flour 2 tbs. sugar 1/2 tsp. baking powder A pinch of salt 1/4 cup milk 1 tbs. oil 1/2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: Pour the dry ingredients into your mug and mix. Add the wet ingredients, and then mix until there are no large clumps or dry flour at the bottom of the mug. Microwave for 90 seconds. (You may need to adjust this 10 seconds in either direction, based on your microwave's power.) Be careful pulling the hot mug out of the microwave! At this point, you could add some icing or a scoop of ice cream, or eat your cake plain. Enjoy!

Citations and Resources: “Kids Vs. Science: Making The Greatest Grilled Cheese;” Mental Floss video; https://youtube.com/watch?v=tAN6vC7-YeA “How chemistry creates the perfect, gooey grilled cheese sandwich;” PBS News Hour; http://pbs.org/newshour/science/grilled-cheese-chemistry-forever “What a cheesy sandwich looks like in 15 places around the world;” Insider; http://insider.com/grilled-cheese-around-the-world-2018-10 “History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich;” Daily Dish Magazine; http://foodiefriendsfridaydailydish.com/national-grilled-cheese-month-h… “The History of the Grilled Cheese;” The Committed Pig blog; http://www.thecommittedpig.com/the-history-of-the-grilled-cheese-and-ho… “The History of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich;” http://HowStuffWorks.com; http://www.recipes.howstuffworks.com/history-of-grilled-cheese.htm