Community Event: ICPL Math Club

What do you get when you add hands-on activities plus fun-loving kids?  Crazy 8s Math Club!  The Iowa City Public Library is joining the national movement to make math the cool thing to do after school by hosting a Crazy 8s Math Club for elementary students in kindergarten through second grade. Beginning March 2, this fun and educational program will meet from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Storytime Room every Wednesday for eight weeks. Crazy 8s was created by the Bedtime Math Foundation to get kids fired up about math. Participants build things, run and jump, make music – even make a mess – while making friends and increasing their understanding of math. First launched in the winter of 2014, there are more than 6,000 clubs nationwide serving 80,000 kids.  The Library’s club is open to any child in kindergarten through second grade ready to have fun. Registration isn’t required and participants don’t need to attend every club meeting – but they’ll probably want to! Here’s what we have planned: March 2: Glow-in-the-Dark Geometry. Join us as we make geometric shapes with glow sticks, including a gleaming Egyptian pyramid! March 9: Let’s Get Loud. We’ll experiment with water and straws to create different sounds, then build a working flute out of milkshake straws. Find out exactly how loud you are down to the number! March 16: Time of Your Life. Are you ready to find out what makes you tick? Get ready to race through some crazy stunts, “be” a clock, and see if you have the winning birthday! March 23: Toilet Paper Olympics. Test your Olympian skills in the shot put, long jump and relay race! March 30: Spy Training. See if you have what it takes to be a spy. Work to break the clues to find the hidden treasure! April 6: Flying Marshmallows. Send marshmallows flying through the air using Popsicle sticks and rubber bands. You’ll need to figure out what positions work best and then measure the flight to prove it. April 13: Zip Line Zoo. It’s time to build a zip line for brave stuffed animals and race them across the room. Measure the distance and time their rides to see how fast they can go! April 20: Bouncy Dice Explosion. This is your chance to throw things because you’re supposed to! Find out your chances of rolling a 2 or a 5, and then try to be the winning chip on a giant human Bingo board. For more information, call the Library at 319-356-5200.