Arts, gardens and fun at Rostraver Public Library

Garden Days wrapped up for the summer this week.

Rostraver Public Library has concluded its final Garden Days event for the summer. The program involved children planting their own gardens at the beginning of the season, from beautiful flowers to juicy tomatoes.

On the last day, children ages 2-5 exercised their minds with teacher Laura Daugherty, who led “match the sound” with a variety of bird calls. The children listened closely to the calls and matched them with the correct picture. Afterward, they ran off to the craft tables to make Cheerios bird feeders and paper bird art.

Daugherty, a Dawson native, has been with the library for seven years. The library has done the Garden Days summer program for five years, and families bring their children to socialize and learn each summer.

Kim Dewosky, a school teacher and a mother of three, is a Rostraver Township resident who brought her youngest children to the Garden Days event.

“It’s awesome. I try to come to these as often as I can, especially because the kids love it,” she said. “This is a great way for them to get to meet other kids and learn to socialize. The parents that go with the older age group have fun participating, too, so it’s good for everyone.”

Rostraver resident Brian Clynes brought his daughters to the event.

“We don’t send these two to daycare, so this is nice for them to get to be around other kids,” he said.

The children finished up their projects and were excited to hang up their bird feeders at home.

The library will be hosting an Arts Adventure workshop for children, tweens, and teens ages 8 and up. The workshop takes place July 26, offering a final chance to participate before the art showcase Aug. 1. More details can be found on the Rostraver Public Library website.

Nya O’Neal is a summer intern at the Mon Valley Independent through Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Media Partnership. She is a rising junior at Howard University in Washington, D.C., from McKeesport.