We invite you to Color Our World with the 2025 Winter Adult Reading Program!
Log 30 days of reading and activities from Feb. 1 – March 31 to earn prizes! Activities include reading for 30 minutes or more a day, attending a Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) program, or completing one of the activities listed under the Activities section below.
This year’s activities and programs are designed to help Color Our World through fun and creative art projects, exploring the benefits of colorful food and drinks, and learning about the more colorful parts of Colorado’s history.
To register, sign up with Beanstack or stop by the Library to register in-person (curbside services available). When you register in-person or at curbside, you will receive a Winter Adult Reading Program tote bag (while supplies last).
Click here to sign up with Beanstack, or download the Beanstack app.
How to Participate
The 2025 Winter Adult Reading Program runs from Feb. 1 – March 31. Registration kicks off on Sat., Feb. 1 at all PPLD locations. Register on or after Sat., Feb. 1 and pick up a limited-edition registration tote bag in-person (while supplies last). Bags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at the beginning of the month.
Use your paper tracker (available at the Library or download here) or the Beanstack app to log 30 days of activities. Activities include reading for 30 minutes or more per day, attending a PPLD program, or any of the activities listed below. You can complete the program through a combination of activities and reading.
Earn Prizes
Log 30 days of activities from Feb. 1 – March 31 to earn the annual limited edition Winter Adult Reading Program mug* (while supplies last), a coupon for a free dessert from Crumbl (while supplies last), and an entry into the Grand Prize Drawing.
*Handwashing the mug is recommended to preserve the logo.
Enter the Grand Prize Drawing
Complete your challenge for an entry into the Grand Prize Drawing for a chance to win one of five $100 gift cards from Natural Grocers or one of four prizes of $60 in Crazy Cash to spend at Brush Crazy.
For every additional five days of reading or activities you log, you will receive one additional entry into the Grand Prize Drawing for a total of up to six additional entries.
PPLD employees are not eligible for the grand prize.
Programs
Color Our World with one of the following fun and informational programs. Each program is being offered as a part of the Winter Adult Reading Program.
Strange Colorado
Colorado is full of urban legends and stories of the odd, spooky, or the macabre. Join author and paranormal investigator Erin Taylor as she sets out to discover some of Colorado’s most exciting tales from her book Strange Colorado. She will share some of her investigations in state lore, such as the Pikes Peak Highway's Phantom Hitchhiker, Tommyknockers in the mountains, and the aliens of the San Luis Valley. After this presentation, you will want to know more about what is hiding in the Centennial state.
Birds of the Pikes Peak Region
Join wildlife biologist and author Joe LaFleur for an audio-visual presentation about how to identify local common birds during the spring season. After the presentation, Joe will have his books and DVDs available for purchase.
Natural Grocers: The Paleo/Vegan Smoothie: Healthy and Delicious on the Go
Smoothie recipes are easy and only require four simple steps. Supercharge your smoothie for personalized health benefits! Registration required.
Natural Grocers: What Beets and Greens Can Do for You
We all know we are supposed to eat our vegetables, but do you know why they are so good4u? Are you finding it hard to get them in at every meal? You are not alone. More than 90% of Americans miss the mark. Discover the greatness of greens (and beets!) for overall health and learn how to sneak in extra servings today. It can be easy being green. Registration required.
Natural Grocers: Building Healthy and Delicious Meals
Get back to the basics! Discover the importance of getting off the blood sugar roller coaster using high-quality proteins, fats, and carbohydrates to build healthy and delicious meals. Together we will make meal planning easy! Registration required at some locations.
Natural Grocers: Good For You – Nutrition 101
This Nutrition 101 class gives you all the right tools for total body health—balanced energy, mood, sleep, metabolism, brain function, and more! Registration required.
UFOs of the Rocky Mountain West with Rick Sturdevant
Concentrating on the Rocky Mountain West, this presentation outlines some of the most familiar, and a few lesser-known UFO sightings. It weighs UFO sightings and media reactions to them against some official U.S. government studies, assessing the popular durability of UFOs as myth or mystery.
- Monument Library: Sat., Feb. 15 from 11 a.m. - noon
- Old Colorado City Library: Wed., March 5 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Native Plants
Join Allisa Linfield, horticulture specialist from El Paso County CSU Extension office, to learn about native plants and how to incorporate them into your landscaping.
Intro to Color Theory
Join Dawn from Brush Crazy to learn the basics of color theory. Dawn will take you through the process and by the end of the two-hour class, you will have your own small masterpiece. All materials included. Registration required.
- Sand Creek Library: Wed., Feb. 19 from 4 - 6 p.m.
- Cheyenne Mountain Library: Fri., Feb. 21 from 2 - 4 p.m.
Drop-in Art
Do you have an artistic itch to scratch but not a lot of time? Join us for a 90-minute drop-in painting program. We provide the canvases, acrylic paint, and brushes. You bring the inspiration. Registration required.
- East Library: Mon., Feb. 3 from 5 - 6:30 p.m.
- Fountain Library: Fri., Feb. 7 from 2 - 4 p.m.
- Ruth Holley Library: Tue., March 11 from 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Tea Blend Workshops
Join us to learn about and experiment with different tea leaves and ingredients to create personalized tea blends. Take your custom tea blend home and enjoy. Registration required.
- Calhan Library: Wed., Feb. 5 from 11 a.m. - noon
- Sand Creek Library: Wed., Feb. 5 from 4 - 5 p.m.
- Ruth Holley Library: Tue., Feb. 11 from 2 - 3 p.m.
- Palmer Lake Library: Wed., Feb. 12 from 2 - 3 p.m.
- Penrose Library: Wed., Feb. 19 from 3 - 4 p.m.
- Cheyenne Mountain Library: Mon., Feb. 24 from 10 - 11 a.m.
- Fountain Library: Fri., March 7 from 10 - 11 a.m.
- High Prairie Library: Mon., March 10 from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Paper Marbling
Using shaving cream and a few other supplies, we will create one-of-a-kind notecards, greeting cards, and stationery. All supplies will be provided. Registration required.
Library Scented Candles
Celebrate the Winter Adult Reading Program by bringing the cozy smell of books, libraries, and winter reading home with you! All supplies will be provided for you to make your own scented candle. Registration required.
Thrift Store Paintings
Join us to create a new-to-you masterpiece using thrift store paintings and acrylics. All supplies will be provided, but you are welcome to bring a painting from home to use. Registration required.
- Library 21c: Sat., Feb. 15 from 1 - 2:30 p.m.
- Penrose Library: Wed., Feb. 26 from 3 - 4:30 p.m.
- Sand Creek Library: Wed., March 5 from 4 - 5:30 p.m.
- Calhan Library: Wed., March 19 from 3:30 - 5 p.m.
- Cheyenne Mountain Library: Mon., March 24 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
Activities
Need some suggestions for activities? We’re here to help!
- Join a PPLD Book Group
- Explore a new genre or author
- Write a book review for our website at ppld.org
- Read a book set in winter
- Read a book with a colorful cover
- Read a book about art
- Starting mid-January, check out these recommended colorful reads on OverDrive and Libby
- Watch the movie version of a book you read using Hoopla or Kanopy
- Visit a Little Free Library in your neighborhood
- Explore museums and other attractions in the Pikes Peak region with a Pikes Peak Culture Pass
- Watch a virtual author visit
Reading Resources
- Browse our online Catalog
- Get eBooks on OverDrive/Libby or on Hoopla
- Listen to eAudiobooks on Audio Book Cloud
Pick up your copy of the winter 2025 issue of the Library’s District Discovery magazine to track your progress, read stories, and more!
Thank you to our sponsors!
