Sponsored by East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Shift away from screens and into teams.

The more time that you can spend together as a family, doing a positive activity and working together, the stronger your family bond will become.

If you haven’t created a family game night in your home, even once a month makes a big difference! A board game can be the perfect thing to bring people together in a fun, low-pressure way. Even local bars have begun hosting regular game nights and meetups.

Gamers are everywhere these days: outside of your family, they might be your coworkers, or the barista at your local coffee shop, or maybe even another parent at your kids’ school. Don’t be afraid to talk about your love of board games. You might even be the one to spark a love of board games in your new friend.

Keep game night fresh without having to buy a new game.

The Library now has a curated collection of games available for check-out. Start a family tradition or host a fun get together with your friends. Gaming buffs at the Library can help you choose crowd-pleasers that will leave them asking for more.

Here’s how it works: There is no charge for borrowing board games from the library. Board Games can be reserved if they are currently ready and available for checkout. Tweens, teens, and adults can check out up to three games at a time for one week and games can be renewed up to two times. When Board Games are returned they are carefully checked for missing and/or damaged components before they are returned to the shelf. Visit your local branch or ebrpl.com to learn more.

Add a maker activity! 

Planning a simple maker activity elevates the fun. Perhaps you sculpt your own game pieces out of found items or jazz up a game of Clue with a recycled fashion costume contest. Get creative and make your game night more memorable.

Try a MakerSpace workshop and share your maker spirit!

Library branches will be helping makers create in its high-tech MakerSpaces with special themed programs October 10-14. Makers in Baton Rouge who embraces the DIY or DIT (do-it-together) spirit will gather at the 9th Annual Baton Rouge Maker Faire October 15, 10am-5pm at the Main Library at Goodwood. Sustainability is the theme, and the event celebrates work highlighting sustainability and sustainable work practices, like using local materials, contributing to ecological restoration, reducing waste and so much more.

SHARE YOUR UPCYCLING PROJECT!

Upcycling is the process of transforming waste into something new. Projects can be any creative re-use or repurposing that gives new life to old stuff, like plastic bottle planters, a pallet sofa, a quilt made out of old t-shirts, or magazine collages. Send a before and after photo and it will be featured at this year’s Maker Faire. Upload your pics at ebrpl.co/upcycle or email them to [email protected] along with your name and a brief description of your project. For more info on this year’s Maker Faire, visit batonrouge.makerfaire.com.