Children & Young People

Orbit Newsletter

Our Orbit Newsletter contains a full list of school holiday activities. You can download the newest issue here Orbit Newsletter - June 2019 For more information contact Barjinder on 4732 7891 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For regular information about school holiday activities please subscribe to the Orbit Newsletter by completing the form below.

Holiday Activities

Tickets will be available from Friday 14 June 2019 online at the Penrith City Library Eventbrite website. Bookings are essential.

Family Activities

THE AMAZING MAGIC CRAIG SHOW with Magic Craig

Magic Craig is one of Sydney's favourite family entertainers, performing his unique blend of comedy and magic to thousands of children every year! Watch out, you may become part of the act! Catch this magic show, great for all the family!

WHO: For the whole family
WHEN: Wednesday 10 July, 10.30-11.30am
TICKETS: $7 per person (children under 2 free) - buy tickets for The Amazing Magic Craig Show on EventBrite

PUPPET PANDEMONIUM with Kay Yasugi / Pupperoos

Kay brings all kinds of puppet friends for an exciting show and tell! Every puppet has a story and they each need your help! Select audience members have the chance to help operate the puppets and play a musical instrument or two. An interactive and engaging show from start to finish.

WHO: For the whole family
WHEN: Wednesday 17 July, 10.30-11.20am
TICKETS: $7 per person (children under 2 free) - buy tickets for Puppet Pandemonium on EventBrite

NAIDOC LIBRARY TRAIL at Penrith, St Marys and St Clair Library Branches

Follow the free NAIDOC Week Library Trail and discover the stories of well-known Aboriginal Australians at each library branch. Solve the puzzle clues and take home a simple holiday craft*.

*Crafts available only while stocks last

WHO: 7 years +
WHEN: Saturday 6 July – Sunday 21 July, during library opening hours
FREE

Preschoolers

LITTLE BANG DISCOVERY CLUB with Children’s Discovery Museum

Preschoolers and parents get hands-on over four sessions with specially designed science activities to develop the ideas and skills that inspire pre-schoolers’ scientific exploration, discovery and learning. Each child is accompanied by an adult who will participate in each of the four sessions with their child. Please do not bring other young children or siblings who are not booked into the session so adults can fully participate with their ‘Little Bang’ student.

WHO: 3-5 years 
WHEN: Mondays and Fridays, 8, 12, 15, 19 July, 10.30-11.30am
TICKETS: $30 per child for four sessions over two weeks - buy tickets for Little Bang Discovery Club on EventBrite

Children

STORIES IN THE STARS PLANETARIUM with Starr’s Planetarium 

In a fascinating mobile planetarium, travel through the solar system then back into Earth’s night sky to discover how Indigenous culture describes constellations in the Southern Hemisphere. Explore the universe and learn more about the night sky above you.

WHO: 5-7 years 
WHEN: Tuesday 9 July, 10am-10.45am
TICKETS: $12 per child - buy tickets for Stories in the Stars on EventBrite

WHO: 8-13 years 
WHEN: Tuesday 9 July, 11.15am-12pm
TICKETS: $12 per child - buy tickets for Stories in the Stars on EventBrite

LINE AND RHYTHM: AN ART MUSIC JOURNEY with Na’ama Atzmon-Simon & Katya McLearie

Take an art/music journey and explore your creativity through the visual and aural senses. Come prepared in clothes and shoes for messy fun and leave with unique, musically inspired art works.

WHO: 6-11 years 
WHEN: Tuesday 16 July, 10.30am-12.30pm
TICKETS: $20 per child - buy tickets for Line and Rhythm on EventBrite

BOLLYWOOD DANCING with Nupur Dance Group

Packed with games, colour and dancing this Bollywood dance workshop includes step-by-step dance routines, Bollywood costumes and a professional performance. An enriching cultural experience!

WHO: 5-8 years 
WHEN: Thursday 18 July, 10-11am
TICKETS: $12 per child - buy tickets for Bollywood Dancing on EventBrite

WHO: 9-13 years 
WHEN: Thursday 18 July, 11.15am-12.15pm 
TICKETS: $12 per child - buy tickets for Bollywood Dancing on EventBrite

Young People

HOW TO BE A DUNGEON MASTER! with Ian Zammit

Begin your journey as a Dungeon Master (DM) for D&D 5th Edition in a pair of introductory workshops. Designed for new players keen to run their own games, take home great tips and information for making your D&D games easy to prepare and play! If you have a scene bring them along too!

WHO: 12-17 years
WHEN: Tuesday 9 and 16 July, 4.30-7.30pm
TICKETS: $40 per student for two sessions - Buy tickets for How to be a Dungeon Master on EventBrite

CREATE YOUR OWN GRAPHIC NOVEL CHARACTERS with Madison Martin

Learn how to draw graphic novel characters and landscapes with pencil and pigment liners based on the drawing techniques of manga and comic artists from Maus to DC Comics.

WHO: 12-17 years 
WHEN: Thursday 11 July, 10.30am-12.30pm
TICKETS: $15 per student - Buy tickets for Create Your Own Graphic Novel Characters on EventBrite

Term 3 Activities

Tickets will be available from Friday 14 June 2019 online at the Penrith City Library Eventbrite website. Bookings are essential.

Children

VIRTUAL REALITY MINECRAFT with Australian Immersive Education Academy

Work in a small team using room-scale VR programs with laptops and VR goggles to construct a virtual 3D Minecraft world over four sessions. Learn how to design, create and express ideas with cutting-edge immersive technologies.

WHO: 8-13 years
WHEN: Thursdays, 4-5.30pm (5-26 September 2019)
TICKETS: $150 per child for an 4 week term - buy tickets for Virtual Reality Minecraft on EventBrite

Young People

WRITE AND DRAW A MINI GRAPHIC NOVEL with Madison Martin

In a five class series write and draw a ‘one-shot’ mini graphic novel chapter. Draw on techniques from Maus to DC Comics and infuse these with your own creative style. Create new characters and landscapes or build your work in Madison’s July holiday workshop.

WHO: 12-17 years
WHEN: Tuesdays, 4-5.30pm (6 August-3 September)
TICKETS: $70 per student for a 5 week term - buy tickets for Write and Draw a Graphic Novel on EventBrite

HSC Lecture: ENGLISH - Advanced and Standard

Larry Grumley is an English Head Teacher, supervisor and appointed senior marker of the HSC English exams. Larry’s seminar will cover:

• English (Advanced & Standard) Human experience module
• Tips on improving essay writing skills

WHEN: Friday 28 June, 7-8pm 
WHEE: Penrith City Library
TICKETS: FREE, bookings are essential. Get tickets on the EventBrite website or at the service desk.

Story Time

Story Time for preschoolers is the ideal way to nurture young children's love of stories and reading skills. It runs during school terms at Penrith, St Marys and St Clair Libraries. Sessions consist of theme-based, social activities including singing, listening to stories and doing art and craft.

Penrith: Wednesdays 10.30 - 11.30am 
St Marys: Tuesdays 10.30 - 11.30am 
St Clair: Thursdays 10.30 - 11.30am 

Don’t miss Rooby Roo at Story Time on 6, 7 & 8 August. Arrive early at 10.20am to get your own photo with Rooby Roo!

Baby Time

Baby Time sessions include songs, games and activities to share with your baby. Guest speakers talk on interesting topics once a month.

Penrith: Mondays 10.30 - 11.30am

Toy Library

Our toy library includes study toys for under 8s and a range of family board games. There are baby toys, construction sets, puzzles, vehicles, food, animal and house play sets. 
Toy Library does not run during school holidays. 
Find a session at a branch near you:

• Penrith: Wednesday 10am-Noon and Saturday 10am-Noon
• St Marys: Tuesdays 10am - Noon and Saturday 10am - Noon (Saturday session temporarily unavailable due to lack of volunteers. Apply to become a toy library volunteer.)
• St Clair: Thursday 10am-Noon and Saturday 10am-Noon. 

Toy library conditions of use:

• If you bring a child to a toy library session be sure to supervise and accompany them at all times.
• Toys in the cupboards are for browsing and borrowing. Toys are made available for play during Toy Library sessions.
• Care for the toys and return them in a clean condition.
• Return damaged toys and parts as toys are repaired wherever possible.
• A replacement cost may be charged for lost toys when negligence results in damaged toys.
• The library is not liable for damage/injury resulting from borrowed toys.

Toy Library Outreach Service

We specialise in providing toys for children with disabilities and high support needs. Featuring switch-adapted, sensory and educational toys, children will delight in making them function through lighting up, playing sounds and movement. Through hands-on play, they can build valuable problem-solving, coordination, reasoning, numeracy, literacy and fine motor skills.

A specialised outreach service is available, with the Library Children’s Inclusion Officer providing home visits for families living in the Penrith area or one-on-one borrowing sessions by appointment and opportunities for extended loan periods. Referrals are required to access this service. 

For details on the referral process for the Toy Library Outreach Service This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 0418 664 879. 

Fox Tales

‘Fox Tales’ was developed by the DIG Creative Maker Space Program, a creative and professional development program for Greater Western Sydney digital artists/designers within their first 5 years of professional practice. Penrith Library sponsored the 2nd DiG project which was completed in late 2018, to encourage teens to visit our library and use our collections: visit penrith.city/foxtales

Studiosity

Studiosity is an online service providing live homework and study help for years 3-12.

Go to Studiosity and log on from home with your Penrith City Library card. Membership is free for all students living or going to school in the Penrith Local Government Area. Studiosity provides one-to-one academic support in English, Maths, Science, assignment research, and study skills.

Tutors are online Sunday to Friday between 3pm and 10pm.

View the Library Catalogue