Week Calendar

As part of the Dallas Arboretum's free STEM Stops program, staff will set up an activity that will allow children to interact and learn about how pollinators can see in different wavelengths of light and how plants have adapted UV patterns to help

Nature is full of natural and inspiring colors and artistic patterns. Clothing and costumes are often inspired by the gorgeous patterns of cheetahs, zebras and other animals. Bright colors of bird feathers are popular in fashion and rituals.

Kids are invited to come to the library for a specialized reading time. They can get to know new friends, earn reading time and activity time for SMART summer reading, and even do a craft or two. Don't miss out on the summer fun!

The Juneteenth Hat Craft teaches kids about the significance of Juneteenth and the importance of freedom and equality.

Celebrate history through poetry and art. Reflect on the meaning of Juneteenth while crafting a self reflecting poem and creative project that honors its significance.

3…2…1…BLAST OFF! Get ready to launch your very own straw rocket into the air and explore the thrilling world of rocket science and basic aerodynamics! Kids will learn how rockets fly, why they soar, and what makes them go farther.

Let colors shine in this fun painting activity! Learn an easy technique to create a beautiful creation with pops of color.

Enjoy a music themed story read aloud to you with accompaniment by professional violinist Paige Kossuth!

Recommended for ages 2 to 12

Enjoy this free dance workshop with Flamenco Fever! Students will learn choreography for a range of dances such as the Rumba, Tangos or Sevillanas.  Kids and Teens of all ages are welcome.

Paleontologist BK Bones will share a peek back in time into prehistoric Texas, where fascinating dinosaurs and other amazing creatures roamed the wilds.

Enjoy a free, nutritious meal provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Enjoy a free, nutritious meal provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Enjoy a free, nutritious meal provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Refuel with a free, nutritious meal provided by Equal Heart. Open to ages 1-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Enjoy a free, nutritious meal provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Get summer ready by making your own paper bag kite!

All materials supplied! Take home your creation!

Prepárate para el verano haciendo tu propia papalote de bolsa de papel.

Your children are out of school!  Stop by the Lancaster Kiest branch for our summer block buster movie program.  

Join Choo Choo the Magician and use your imaginations (and a little bit of magic) to travel by train to the Land of Fun and Wonder where you will discover many magical toys, books about colorful art, and some charming puppet friends!

Celebrate Juneteenth a day early with Rhianna Mack. Create a beaded origami Juneteenth necklace and hear a reading of "They Built Me for Freedom" by Tonya Duncan Ellis.

Increase your student's reading skills this summer with Book Buddies!  Students entering 2nd through 5th grades will be paired with a trained volunteer for one-on-one reading sessions.

Spanish readers welcome! 

Dive into the World of Sharks with Sharks4Kids! 🦈📚

Creature Teacher will be bringing the wildlife to us!

The community is invited to come and enjoy a wild experience with live exotic animals. 

Fun for the whole family! Don't miss out!

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before.

In this lively, lyrical picture book biography, meet the groundbreaking, outspoken, legendary editor of the best-loved books for children, and see how she inspired Maurice Sendak, Margaret Wise Brown, and others to create Where the Wild T

Get your game on! Make new friends and play as we enjoy an afternoon of Nintendo Switch fun.

Join us for an afternoon of family fun as we get together to watch some great movies!

Bring a snack and a blanket/pillow if you want.

Do you want to learn how to play chess?  Are you a chess enthusiast or looking for someone to play against? Then come check out the Mountain Creek Chess Club! Chess boards are provided.

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Share your creativity as we get crafty every Tuesday afternoon!

Of the more than 1 million named species of insects, fewer than 1 percent are pests. Come learn about the benefits of insects in the garden and what we can do to help them.

Want to build and launch your own paper rocket? Learn about miniature robotic technology? The Perot Museum is coming to the library for a hands-on station-based STEM workshop!

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Join friends and fans for trivia fun at the library!

June 4 - Who's Who

June 11 - Gamer Life

June 18 - Music

June 25 - Travel

July 2 - Animals

July 9 - Movies

July 16 - Sports

July 23 - Car Facts

Come to YDC to engage your mind with Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Participate in fun STEM activities like:

Travel from station to station at your own pace for hands-on STEM learning from the Perot Museum. Stations include circuitry, robotics, coasters and rockets. 

Don't miss out on SMART Summer!

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Explore color, creativity, and self-expression with this fun and easy craft. You’ll learn how to create vibrant designs using salt, glue, and watercolors—perfect for celebrating what makes you uniquely you.

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

We live in a changing climate, but what does that mean, and can children make a difference? We’ll be learning all about climate change, how Dallas is working to slow down the effects of climate change and you can help.

Brush up on creativity and sip on some fun! Kids can enjoy an afternoon of painting masterpieces while sipping on individually packaged apple juice cartons in this playful twist on 'Paint and Sip.'

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Celebrate all the colors of the rainbow by creating friendship bracelets.

It's Dinosaur Week, so throughout the week we will be learning about dinosaurs with our various activities. During our afternoon craft this week, we will be using pasta to create dinosaur skeletons. How many bones do different dinosaurs have?

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Visit the Kleberg Rylie branch every Wednesday at 3:00pm for an afternoon of movie magic with a different family friendly featured film every week!

Crafternoons is a creative event held every other Wednesday at the Vickery Park Branch Library. Unleash your creativity and enjoy an afternoon of crafting and artistic expression!

Brush up on creativity and get ready to make some masterpieces! The next stop in the club series is Painting Club, where young artists can mix colors, experiment with techniques, and bring their imaginations to life on canvas.

Explore the world around you through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. If you are enrolled in the SMART Summer Challenge, attending this program counts toward Discover.

Enjoy a free, nutritious snack provided by Education PV. Open to ages 0-18. Meals are made possible through the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program.

Celebrate summer by creating a paper plate grill. 

Learn how to to make your own sugar body scrub in this free DIY session 

Pretend you are the paparazzi, snapping some great summer memories, with the faux Camera that you are going to create in this fun afternoon craft.

Spend some time learning with us in our SMART Summer STEM Series!

We will be making a Spaceship Craft! 

Part of SMART Summer. Sponsored by the Friends of the Dallas Public Library.

Lesson 3: Sharks & Ocean Conservation

Let words flow and creativity shine in a poetry workshop led by Dallas’ Poet Laureate, Dr. Mag Gabbert! This inspiring session will dive into the art of self-expression through poetry, exploring rhythm, imagery, and personal voice.

Bring your stuffed animal to the library, listen to a story, and leave your stuffies at the library overnight for a "sleepover". YDC staff will take pictures of all the things the stuffies get up to that night. 

Nothing beats a classic drive-in theater, but with these long days and hot temperatures we are creating our own Skillman Southwestern Drive-In. 

Prepare to be amazed as Checkers the Magician brings a night of mind-blowing tricks and enchanting entertainment! Families will be dazzled by jaw-dropping illusions, sleight-of-hand surprises, and plenty of laughter along the way.

Show off your sense of style and create your own tie-dye shirts