Kids take their time for Farmingdale crafts

Mid-winter recess is an exciting time for Long Island children because it means a week free from academia. But what do kids do? In Farmingdale, some of them head to the library.

Thursday it was arts and crafts, at their leisure. At any time between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. parents could wander in with their kids, sit at a table in the children’s department and make hippos, dogs and bears with materials provided by the library.

“They wanted to come to the library,” said Mary Carroll, a mother four kids who were concentrating on their foam pets.

Her son, Sean, 8, didn’t know what he was going to name his orange dog yet, but he was intent on making sure it had spots. His sisters, Meghan, 6, Deirdre, 5, and Claire, 3, also worked intently on their pets.

Kari Browd, a children’s librarian, said it is important that the library offers an open-ended schedule like Thursday’s.

“We have a lot of events at night and kids can’t get here or their parents are busy,” she said. “During the week off they can be here spending time together.”

Friday the library will welcome a guest from the Cradle of Aviation Museum in East Garden City. At 10 a.m. kids in grades K-2 will learn how different things fly, and at 11 a.m. third- to fifth-graders will learn what it’s like to live in space.

Those interested can contact the Farmingdale Public Library at 516-249-9090 or visit farmingdalelibrary.org.

Pictured: Sean Carroll, 8, puts together an orange spotted dog at the Farmingdale Public Library on Thursday.