Events

Rotating schedule of free instructor-lead wellness classes sure to get you moving. This Week’s Activity: FitCamp

Roll on into OPL and roll up some candy sushi! We’ll explore the different types of sushi, make our own out of candy and rice krispie treats, and practice our chopstick skills in this free, interactive program for children ages 8-12. Registration is required

Compete against other teams to complete the same puzzle in the fastest amount of time. All teams will be provided with a puzzle and will have two hours to finish the challenge. The first team to complete the puzzle wins!
Space is limited, and registration is required.

Join OPL for a Super Smash Bros tournament at the Washington Branch. We will be playing the game on Nintendo Switch. This is a free program for ages 11-18. Registration is required

Celebrate International Mud Day on Sunday, June 29 at E.T. Mahoney State Park’s Outdoor Pavillion with excitement, education and mud! Make mud pies & mud art, dig in dirt and discover our slip & slide with a very muddy twist! You will get muddy! You should definitely pack a change of clothes and dress for a muddy mess. We recommend garbage bags to sit on for the ride home and bringing a water bottle. Valid park permit required for entry.

Drop in and get up close and personal with some of your favorite city trucks! In the event of inclement weather this program will be cancelled.

Join OPL as we welcome staff from Papio Natural Resources District. They will teach us all about turtles! Did you know Nebraska is home to 9 species of turtles? With the help of a few animal educators, we will learn all about what makes a turtle, a turtle!

Avast! The cast of Midwest Pirate Fest is setting to land to share booty and tell tales of pirate lore in a presentation which explores the real history of pirates.

Kids are introduced to basic computer programming by exploring codes and programs using the Ozobot! The Ozobot is a miniature robot with color sensors that allow it to follow lines and read color codes to complete commands. In this program, youth will learn and draw basic color codes, integrate color codes into storytelling, and use Ozoblockly - an online coding program to explore sequential block coding. This class is taught by 4-H School Enrichment teachers. Class size is limited, so registration is required.

Poop, vomit, slime, and even more amazing disgusting topics will be explored as we learn about some of the grossest (and coolest) animal traits. Join OPL and educators from the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to learn about mammal digestion and discover why scientists use poop to track animal migration patterns.

Penelope has been performing magic for nearly 20 years. Join us for her hilarious family magic show—a unique experience that can’t be missed! In the event of inclement weather this program will be moved to the CB Library.

Bennington Library Community Partners

Here come the trains! Join us for a special storytime featuring a guest presenter from the Union Pacific Railroad Museum.

Get ready to battle with bots! Program Finch robots to charge, spin, and joust in a mini arena—may the best bot win! Registration is required for this event.

Are you in your beaded bracelet era? Join OPL to make these widely popular statement pieces! Use polymer clay beads, letter beads and more to bedazzle your own bracelet or make one for a friend. This is a free event and is suggested for kids aged 6-10. Registration is required

Join OPL for a special storytime featuring the book Harry and Hot Lava by Chris Robertson! At the conclusion of storytime, children will be timed as they jump and hop their way through an obstacle course using various surfaces. Go as fast as you can, but don’t fall in because…the Floor is Lava! This is a free event for children 4+.

Poop, vomit, slime, and even more amazing disgusting topics will be explored as we learn about some of the grossest (and coolest) animal traits. Join OPL and educators from the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium to learn about mammal digestion and discover why scientists use poop to track animal migration patterns.

Every First Friday of the month in the Benson Creative District for a night filled with art, live music, food, and community! From 5 PM to 2 AM, experience a variety of gallery openings, art exhibitions, local vendors, and live performances at venues across Maple Street and beyond!

Join OPL at The Joslyn for storytime, featuring stories, creative movement, music and exploration of a piece of art. Storytime is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome. This Storytime is part of The Joslyn's monthly Art-tastic Saturdays.

Transport yourself to the 80s, when you’d be glued to your tape deck, hoping to catch your favorite song on the radio. The Damones bring that same vibe, playing a killer mix of New Wave and 80s alternative classics. It’s like that perfect mixtape you made for someone special, but live, with all the nostalgia and energy of the era. A total blast from the past with all the songs you know and love.

Romp! Stomp! and ROAR!!!  Let's celebrate the release of the New Jurassic World movie! Explore the prehistoric textures of our DIY Dino Sensory Bins as we time travel back to the land of colossal creatures!!  This is a FREE, all ages event! First come, first serve, while supplies last! We recommend coming as early as 11 AM (open) to reserve your spot!

Cook up some fun using the power of the sun! Use simple materials to build a solar oven, then try making melty s’mores or warming up your favorite treat.

Join children’s book illustrator, Chloe Burgett, as she shares what it's like drawing pictures for children's books. Chloe will present about her job, read her book, answer questions, and lead a draw-along activity. This is a free event event for children of all ages. Registration is required

In July, they will learn about insects.

Join for 30 minutes of singing and musical fun with Lori Lynn from Overall Buddies! This program is most appropriate for kids ages 5 and younger and an adult companion. In the event of inclement weather, this program will move to Library Meeting Room A.

It's Shark Week!!🦈Join in celebration of Shark Week with a Sensory Bottle sure to please any shark enthusiast!!🌊 Then gather around for a story all about sharks!! This is a FREE, all ages activity! First come, first serve, while supplies last! We recommend coming as early as 10 AM (open) to reserve your spot!

Cool off with a big splash of Fat Brain fun! There will be wading pools, all kinds of water toys to try, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and more. It's a perfect addition to a fun-filled summer! Bring your lawn chair!

Calling all witches and wizards! Think you have what it takes to participate in this Wizarding Adventure? Come solve puzzles and clues to unlock a prize box before time runs out in this escape room based on the best-selling "Harry Potter" book series. There will be three escape rooms, at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. for participants ages 8-12. Try to escape over summer break! Registration is required

Ready, aim… launch! In this hands-on Make It session, students will build their own mini catapults using popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a few simple materials. Along the way, they'll explore basic principles of physics like tension, force, and trajectory—then put their creations to the test in friendly launch challenges. This playful project is great for curious minds who love to build, experiment, and see how far they can fling! Registration is required for this event.

Join for Community Fishing Night at Halleck Lake! All participants ages 16 and older need a fishing license. A valid state park entry permit is also required for events at state park areas.

Join us for this 30 minute interactive sing and dance along show with Mister K's Clubhouse. Best suited for children 1-7.

Join for an amazingly fun show designed to inspire children of all ages to love science! There will be chemical reactions, fire, and more! In the event of inclement weather this program will be moved to the CB Library.

Bennington Library Community Partners

Just how do instruments make sound? In this storytime with the Omaha Symphony’s education team, we’ll explore pitch and vibration in this interactive program centered around Mary and her Little Lamb (and Llama!). Designed for students ages 3-7, all ages are welcome in this musical adventure.

Join OPL for a musical storytime with guests from the Omaha Conservatory of Music. This storytime will include a special musical story, songs with movement, and an instrument petting zoo, where participants can try out a violin, cello, glockenspiel, stirring xylophone, lollipop drum, and a shaker instrument.

Unleash your creativity and get ready to customize your own adorable Calico Critter Keychain! Choose your favorite critter and dazzle it up with a funky bead strand! Perfect for hanging on your purse or backpack, this cutie-pie will be your stylish sidekick everywhere you go! Join for this fun-filled event for just $10 upon arrival. Open to all ages, so bring your friends and family and let the critter crafting begin!

Bubbles, Bubbles, and more Bubbles! The Omaha Children's museum joins us for a special presentation of their "Amazing Bubble Show!"

Jeff Quinn's all-new magic show needs YOU! Get your friends and family together and join Jeff Quinn's Summer Reading Show. This is a free event for all ages.

Join OPL at the Gene Leahy Mall for storytime! Storytime is geared toward preschoolers, but all ages are welcome to join in the fun. Rain or shine, we'll be there! They will be under the big white pavilion.

Join OPL for a special storytime featuring the book Harry and Hot Lava by Chris Robertson! At the conclusion of storytime, children will be timed as they jump and hop their way through an obstacle course using various surfaces. Go as fast as you can, but don’t fall in because…the Floor is Lava! This is a free event for children 4+.

Join OPL as we welcome staff from Papio Natural Resources District. They will teach us all about turtles! Did you know Nebraska is home to 9 species of turtles? With the help of a few animal educators, we will learn all about what makes a turtle, a turtle!

Join Omaha Street Percussion for a workshop designed to give young patrons an opportunity to drum, while at the same time learn the importance of teamwork. Participants will be challenged to multi-task by using skills such as counting, listening, and watching for instruction and guidance in order to accomplish the ultimate goal, which is to perform as a whole group! Registration is required

Come and get messy at the library! We will have fun stations set up outside the library where you can explore and get dirty. Washing station available. Bring your own towel!

Join for winter-themed games, photo-ops, characters, and activities as we imagine it’s a cold and snowy winter day!  In the event of inclement weather this program will be cancelled.

Hoot — the mascot for the Union Omaha soccer team — will visit for a special storytime. Children of all ages are welcome. Experience stories, creative movement, music and more. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking and writing in each storytime. This is a free event for all ages.

Dunnah..dunnah..dunnah!! SHARK!!!! AHHHH!!!!🦈 Join in celebration of Shark Week with a DIY Shark Attack Slime workshop!! Feel the ooey gooey textures of the ocean slime🌊 but watch out for SHARKS!!🤯 This is a FREE, all ages activity. First come, first serve, while supplies last! We recommend coming as early as 10 AM (open) to reserve your spot!

Everyone in the family is invited to complete mini challenges. Just playing could win you a prize! No library card or registration required.

On June 14, the topic will be frogs! Hop in for a ribbit-ing leap into the world of frogs. Learn about Nebraska’s frogs, their habitats, adaptations and more! Meet in the Lake #4 parking lot at 8 a.m.

Kids & Teens Craft Fair!

Pancake Pig will visit for a special storytime! Children of all ages are welcome. Experience stories, creative movement, music and more. We explore the early literacy skills of singing, playing, reading, talking, and writing in each storytime. There will be opportunities to take photos.

They're going to travel back in time millions of years to explore the amazing world of dinosaurs! Ranger Anthony from Stomp Chomp Roar will be here with a MUSEUM BUS to teach kids all about paleontology and the lives of dinosaurs. Stomp on by!

Rotating schedule of free instructor-lead wellness classes sure to get you moving. This Week’s Activity: Yoga with Jess Jaksha

Build and decorate a cardboard mannequin in your own (or inspired by your own) likeness. Once you learn this technique, you can build up a whole little world that spans across time and is full of all your favorite people, places, and things! Registration Required

Jeff Quinn's all-new magic show needs YOU! Get your friends and family together and join Jeff Quinn's Summer Reading Show. This is a free event for all ages.

This workshop is for writers who love to dream big, think outside the box, and have fun while learning. You’ll leave with exciting new ideas and maybe even the start of your next masterpiece. No matter your experience level, this class will help you grow your storytelling superpowers—and have a blast while doing it. Game on! This is a free program for ages 10-13. Registration is required

Join this summer for some stargazing at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park! Powerful telescopes will be set up at the park’s golf shack for a glimpse of the night sky spectaculars. The event is free to the public, but you will need a valid Nebraska park entry permit for your vehicle. Stargazing will begin at dusk. Remember to bring your camp chairs or blankets! Telescopes will be provided.