Create your own Austin Family Memory Book with help from Austin Public Library and Austin History Center professionals. Bring photos that can be cut and glued, as well as pictures of favorite places, activities, and foods. Learn how to preserve precious family photos and important documents, get an introduction to Austin's genealogy resources for tracing your family tree, and make your own Family Memory Book. This workshop is suitable for the whole family, ages 5 and up. Austin Family Memory Book is one of many Día de los niños/Día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day) events that take place throughout the month of April. Día celebrates childhood, literacy, and all the languages we speak.
Día de los Libros
- Austin Family Memory Book
Time:
5:00pm
Event Category:
Event Location:
Events Blog
Wednesday, October 24
by: patti.cook
This week at Ruiz we read stories with creatures from the ocean. We visited a giant squid who was pretty sure he was the biggest thing around, an alligator that had the tables turned on him (so to speak), and an octopus who followed someone home. We had a lot of fun changing regular songs to ocean themed ditties and practiced our counting with some jelly fish. We had so much fun counting the jelly fish, we finished off by making our own special jelly fish picture to take home! The books we read today are listed below with links to the catalog. Check one out today!
Sing this fun variation of the "Wheels on the Bus" with your kids at home. I found a few variations online and tried to make the movements as varied as possible, however the possibilties are really endless!
Waves at the Beach
(Tune: "Wheels on the Bus")
The waves at the beach go up and down,
(raise and lower arms)
Up and down, up and down,
The waves at the beach go up and down
All day long.
Additional Verses:
The fish at the beach go swish swish swish...
(put palms of your hands together and swish back and forth)
The alligators at the beach goes snap snap snap…
(snap arms like a giant alligator jaw)
The crabs at the beach crawl back and forth...
(wiggle fingers back and forth like crabs walking)
The octopus at the beach go wibble wobble wibble…
(go boneless and wiggle!)
All Day Long!
Join us for Storytime every Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. at the Ruiz Branch, 1600 Grove Blvd., 512-974-7500.
Wednesday, October 17
by: patti.cook
Several years ago I decided I needed a hobby. And it had to be an inside hobby (The weather! Fire ants!). So I wasn’t exactly “called” to take up sewing, but rather fell into it because of a desire to do something indoors. Regardless of my less than inspired reason, I purchased a cheap, but serviceable machine and dove in head first.
If I may be so bold as to share the outcome, in complete unvarnished honesty, everything I made was a total disaster. But man, was it fun to sew!
It took a while, but with practice I got better at it. One thing that really helped (besides just trying and trying again) was all of the great sewing books available at the library. In the past couple of years there has been an explosion of excellent books published – especially for making handmade toys. You can knit them, you can use old socks, you can use pretty much anything you have on hand around the house. Especially those old sweaters you’ve got in the back of the closet (you know, the ones that have been half eaten by moths that you keep anyway for the one day a year it is actually cold).
The pattern for this strong man doll is in We Make Dolls!: Top Dollmakers Share their Secrets & Patterns. 
Want to get started creating your own toys? Please check out some of my favorite sewing books listed below. I also hope you’ll consider joining us for Adult Craft Night at the Ruiz Branch Library. We try out a wide variety of crafts that have ranged from sewing to embroidery, to record bowls, to making terrariums. We also provide all the supplies so you can try something new without having to purchase anything. And it is a really great time.
The next adult craft night will be held at the Ruiz Branch Library on November 19th from 6:30-8:30. Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, October 3
by: patti.cook
When:
Monday, October 8
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Where:
Ruiz Branch Library
1600 Grove Blvd.
974-7500
Who:
Adults interested in crafting.
What:
Record Bowls and more. Details Below
Wondering what to do with all those old records that are stacked up in a dusty corner of your garage? Join us for another Adult Craft Night at the Ruiz Branch Library to discover how to recycle them into record bowls and more! We are super excited about this month's craft and will have a supply of records for you to choose from. You'll be able to make a bowl, bookends, or even jewelry!
I mean, who doesn't want an adorable squirrel necklace!?!
We've got records, but if you've got a sentimental old Willie album, by all means bring it with you and give that scratched record a second life.
Can't wait to get crafting? Check out some of the fantastic craft books in the Austin Public Library's collection:
Wednesday, October 3
by: patti.cook
This week at Ruiz, we read stories that featured zoo animals. From a girl who visits the zoo with a runny nose (and wreaks havoc on those poor animals' immune systems), to a girl who imitates various animals with her toy monkey, to a bus overrun with animals, these books are sure to please your kiddos. The books are listed below with links to the catalog. Check one out today!
Here is a fun fingerplay/action play to do at home with your kids:
Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree
Five little monkeys sitting in a tree,
(hold up five fingers)
Old Mr. Crocodile can't catch me!
(put hands on hips and shake your head)
But along comes Mr. Crocodile,
(wiggle fingers and creep them closer to your audience)
And SNAP!
(use arms to make a giant crocodile mouth snapping shut, if there are multiple kids pretend to catch a different one each time)
Four little monkeys...
Three little monkeys...
Two little monkeys...
One little monkey...
No little monkeys sitting in a tree,
Mr. Crocodile says, "Yum, Yummy!"
(rub tummy and smile)
Ruiz Storytime is held at 10:15 a.m. every Wednesday.
Wednesday, September 26
by: patti.cook
This week at Ruiz, we read stories about rabbits.
Which is great! Rabbits are adorable! However, each of these stories also featured themes of imaginative thinking. We read about a girl with a magic hat (and a polar bear!), a magic suitcase, and a box that wasn't actually a box. Whether you read them in a group or one-on-one these books practically beg kids to participate and are excellent at encouraging imaginative thinking and play. Which are skills kids need help to develop. The books are listed below with links to the catalog. Check one out today!
We also got a chance to practice our spelling with a rousing session of B-U-N-N-Y. What's that you ask? Bunny? Yes, Bunny! If your kids like to sing B-I-N-G-O, this is a great alternative and helps them learn new words and letters.
B-U-N-N-Y
(sing to the tune of B-I-N-G-O)
I know a rabbit with big long ears
And BUNNY is his name-o
B-U-N-N-Y, B-U-N-N-Y, B-U-N-N-Y
And Bunny is his name-o
Source=Storytime with Miss Mollie
Ruiz Storytime is held at 10:15 a.m. every Wednesday.
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