Plant Bingo: A Friends of the Library Fundraiser
Join us for an evening of fun and friendly competition at Plant Bingo, a special fundraiser hosted by the Friends of the Library. This event helps support the programs and activities that make our library such a vibrant hub for our community.
Winners will take home plant‑themed prizes, from leafy beauties to charming garden goodies, and everyone can enjoy the excitement of bingo while supporting a cause that enriches the entire community. Light refreshments and a signature mocktail will be served, making it a perfect night out with friends.
Come for the bingo, stay for the plants, and help the Friends continue the work that keeps NMPL thriving!
Program Cost: $15 per person (paid at the door – cash, check, or card)
Program Age Requirements: 16+
Registration: Yes, registration required. Please register online to reserve your spot; payment will be collected at the door.
Location: North Manchester Public Library in the Blocher Room
Sponsored By: The Friends of the Library
Fire by friction is an ancient human art and skill that has been a critical component of our survival as species. In this ancestral fire making skills workshop, students will get to know some of the plant allies that are necessary to fire making. There will be a discussion of the fire triangle and different primitive methods for making fire. Participants will walk the library grounds and gather plant material that can be used for tinder.
Led by Amos Rodriguez, Season 7 contestant from the History Channel’s survival series Alone and cofounder of Nourish Indiana, this is an amazing opportunity to learn an important ancient skill from an expert woodsman. Amós will demonstrate a hand drill and bow drill and participants will have a chance to use flint and steel strikers and bow drills made from local wood.
The workshop is offered free of charge to the community thanks to the sponsorship of the Community Foundation of Wabash County’s Good Deeds Grant. Additional Ancestral Knowledge workshops will be hosted in July.
Program Cost: Free
Program Age Requirements: This class is open to all ages
Sponsored by: Community Foundation of Wabash County’s Good Deeds Grant
Registration: Yes, registration is required. Sign up here: http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=2262&EventID=587102
Location: Library Lawn
Babytime is getting a fresh new look! Each week will feature a simple theme designed to engage little minds and support early development – from language and rhythm to movement, coordination, and sensory exploration. It’s the same warm, welcoming Babytime families love, now with a bit more structure to help our youngest learners grow.
Rhythm + Regulate is a trauma-informed, relationship-based education model designed to strengthen caregiver regulation, and support parent–child connection. The program begins with caregivers and children participating in five monthly Rhythm + Regulate group coaching workshops that uses rhythm, movement, and relational practices to strengthen caregiver regulation, improve parent–child connection, and build confidence in daily caregiving interactions.
Christy brings clinical training, lived parenting experience, and nervous-system-informed education to support families in building safety, steadiness, and connection under real-world conditions.
Session 1: What is Rhythm and Why It Matters
Mamas learn what rhythm is and why it helps both adults and children feel calmer and safer. We will talk about how rhythm shows up in everyday life-like walking, breathing, music, and routines, and how it affects emotions and behavior. This session helps mamas notice where life feels rushed and where small rhythms can bring more ease.
Program Cost: Free
Sponsored by: Davonne Rogers Endowment Fund
Age Requirement: Geared towards ages 0-3, but all ages are welcome
Registration: None
Location: Picture Book Room
Youth Monthly Mix is a welcoming hangout space where kids ages 12-18 can unwind, try something new, and connect with friends in a low‑pressure, fun environment. Each session brings a fresh activity, giving everyone a chance to explore different interests while enjoying a relaxed atmosphere.
This session features Diamond Painting, a calming, creative craft where you place tiny, colorful “diamonds” onto an adhesive design to create a sparkling piece of art. It’s easy to learn and incredibly satisfying to watch your picture come to life one gem at a time. We’ll have a variety of diamond painting kits available in the Blocher Room, so teens can choose a design they love and settle in for a chill afternoon!
Program Cost: Free
Sponsored by: Friends of the Library
Age Requirement: 12-18
Registration: None
Location: Blocher Room
African Handcrafts is part of NMPL’s Summer Reading journey, where each week we explore a different continent through stories, traditions, and hands‑on creativity. This series invites families to slow down, make something meaningful together, and discover the artistry woven into cultures around the world.
This week, we’re beginning our adventure in Africa. Join us for a relaxing, creative session inspired by traditional African art forms. Learn about the meaning behind Adinkra symbols and stamp your own patterned headwrap. String vibrant glass beads to create a one‑of‑a‑kind bracelet. Design and decorate a unique mask to wear or display at home. Each craft offers a window into the rich symbolism, color, and storytelling found across the continent.
We can’t wait to create, explore, and kick off our world tour with you.
Program Cost: Free
Program Age Requirements: All ages
Registration: None
Location: Blocher Community Room
Dirty Diggers is NMPL’s hands‑on gardening program for kids, where young gardeners dig in (literally!) as they prep garden beds, plant veggies, herbs, and flowers, and learn how to care for a growing garden from seed to harvest. Each week brings a new theme and a new chance to explore the natural world right outside the library doors.
This week, we’re creating a Butterfly & Bee Garden. Butterflies and bees travel incredible distances in their lifetimes and rely on nectar‑rich flowers for the energy they need along the way. Together, we’ll plant a mix of blooms designed to support these important pollinators as they visit the library’s garden. Kids will learn why pollinators matter, how certain plants help them thrive, and how even small gardens can make a big difference.
And of course, we’ll round out the evening with plenty of outdoor fun and yard games!
Program Cost: Free
Program Age Requirements: All ages
Sponsored by: American Meadows and Kids Gardening
Registration: None
Location: Library Lawn and Thomas Marshall House raised beds
Introduce your little ones to the wonderful world of languages with Spanish Storytime! Enjoy songs, a craft, and a special story read in both Spanish and English by our director, Andrea Zwiebel.
Start building a love for languages with your little ones at this Storytime event!
Program Cost: Free
Program Age Requirements: None
Registration: None
Location: Picture Book Room in the Children’s Department
You may be familiar with jigsaw puzzles, chess and Sorry, but what about all those new board games on store shelves? What are those about? If all you know of board games is Candy Land, Monopoly and Connect 4, come to Game Night Chronicles to discover more options!
This adults-only program will teach participants how to play some of the new and exciting games from the library’s collection. Attendees will get a chance to play the game with others, ask questions, and connect with others in a fun and welcoming environment.
This month, we’re celebrating our Summer Reading themed Africa Week by bringing back a highly requested board game… Ticket To Ride! But this version has a special twist with the Heart of Africa expansion. Venture into the Heart of Africa to build routes through some of the continent’s most remote and desolate locales. Will you bolster your terrain surveying skills and local knowledge to try and establish more valuable routes – or dare to dash across the continent in a mad race to cut the game short?
We hope you’ll join us!
Program Cost: Free
Program Age Requirements: Ages 18 and older
Registration: No
Location: The Blocher Community Room
Join us for A Taste of African Heritage, a seven‑week cooking series that invites kids to explore the vibrant flavors, traditions, and stories behind the African Heritage Diet Pyramid. Participants will sharpen their kitchen skills, learn about African cultures and traditions, and enjoy preparing and tasting traditional African foods.
The series is built on simple, brief recipes that allow children to safely work in the kitchen with adult supervision. Overall, the sessions demonstrate how to create an enjoyable, affordable, healthy way of eating that can be shared with family members. Kids will learn practical, replicable techniques, such as how to prepare various whole grains, how to experiment with herbs and spices, how to spice up beans, and more.
Because each week builds on the last, participants should plan to attend the full seven‑week series to get the most out of the experience. As they travel through A Children’s Taste of African Heritage, participants will find recipes, habits, and traditions to carry forward on their own journeys to good health!
Week 1: African Heritage
Week 2: Herbs & Spices
Week 3: Greens
Week 4: Whole Grains
Week 5: Beans & Rice
Week 6: Tubers & Mashes
Week 7: Fruits & Vegetables
Program Cost: Free
Program Age Requirements: 8 and up. Younger children are welcome to register if accompanied by an adult.
Sponsored by: Oldways and the T-Mobile Hometown Grant.
Registration: Yes, registration is required. Sign up here: http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=2262&EventID=587418
Location: Blocher Room
NMPL is hosting a new Mahjong Mornings program to provide time for open play! Mahjong is a strategic tile-based game originating in 19th-century China, played by 3–4 people, combining skill, strategy, and luck. Beginners are welcome to come play on a set provided by the library, or bring your own tiles and friends for a competitive round!
Whether you’re learning for the first time or looking for a regular group to play with, this relaxed morning gathering is a great way to sharpen your mind, build strategy skills, and connect with fellow players in a friendly, welcoming environment.
May the tiles be in your favor!
Program Cost: None
Program Age Requirements: 16+
Registration: No
Location: Blocher Room