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STEAM at York County Libraries

STEAM at the library

What’s “STEAM?” It’s an acronym for “science, technology, engineering, arts, and math,” and it is a way of learning that brings creativity, problem-solving, logic, and experimentation together—which means it suits many different ways of learning! Library STEAM programs and materials allow children to explore and experiment and learn while having fun.

It is a librarian’s take on the maker movement – a.k.a. “crafting,” something we have offered in our libraries for decades! While crafting is exciting on its own, it also ties directly into the ‘E’ in STEAM: Engineering. However, it’s not the term that’s important, but the practice of hands-on creation. “Making” means using your brain and tools to figure out how to create things, figure out how they work, or figure out new ways to use things.

Two Boys Show How Planets Orbit During A STEAM Program Helped By A Librarian A Dad And Son Work With Blocks To Build A Colorful Wall Two Teens Work With A Robotic Arm During A Library Program Youth Participate In LEGO Build Projects In The Library

Building Blocks: Learning through Play

Learning happens all the time! Bring your child (18 months and up) to Wee Build, which offers nine sets of building materials that encourage creative learning. Block Party is fun for preschoolers and allows children to use their hands to play and learn. LEGO® Block Party is for children 4 and up, where they develop STEAM skills through collaborative play. Learn more about each of these programs below.

Wee Build

Wee Build is part of the Pennsylvania State Libraries initiative to incorporate hands-on learning into libraries. Wee Build is great for younger children (ages 18 months or older) to learn through play!

Wee Build consists of nine sets of building materials that encourage creativity and free STEAM play. With the materials provided, children will build and experiment, manipulate objects, work with others, count and measure, talk about what they are building, and build vocabulary.

Why should I bring my child to Wee Build?

Using your hands to create, build, and play is one of the essential ways children learn. They learn by using all five senses. With building and block play, hand-eye coordination, social-emotional skills, and early math and science skills are all strengthened. Additionally, your child can practice their creative and imaginative skills.

Outside of events, Wee Build materials are available for free play in various libraries across York County. Ask your local library what they can offer!

Upcoming Events

Block Party

Use your hands, carefully stack pieces together, knock them down, and then do it all over again! Block Party is a Pennsylvania State Library initiative used to encourage the use of block play for developmental and learning growth in children aged 4-6. Much like Wee Build, Block Party offers children learning through fun. Children start to understand how balance, weight, and shape affect how their block buildings work—or fall down—and how different blocks come together to form new shapes. They build geometry and mathematic skills, trial and error experimentation, force and friction, and so much more—all while playing with others!

Outside of events, Block Building materials are available for free play in various libraries across York County. Ask your local library what they can offer!

Upcoming Events

LEGO® Block Party

Calling all creative minds! We want your child to join us at our LEGO® Block Parties at the library. Little minds come up with ideas and use their hands to make them a reality. With our LEGO®-themed programming, kids are not only expressing their creativity, but also developing STEAM skills through play. Many of our libraries also offer creative building challenges that tie in to other library programs, allowing children to use their memories and emotions to create a LEGO® creation.

Benefits of LEGO® Block Party Play

  • Math skills are learned through trial and error
  • Science concepts such as experimentation, are self-taught
  • Problem-solving skills are developing
  • Literacy skills are growing: As they build, there is often a story behind their creation. Re-telling this story as they are showing off their creations help children grow narrative, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills
  • Skills like cooperation, sharing, helping, and emotional regulation are strengthened as they work with other kids
  • Family involvement and understanding of library resources are heightened

Outside of events, LEGO® Bricks are available for free play in various libraries across York County. Ask your local library what they can offer!

Attend a LEGO® Block Party

Benefits of Block Play Programs

Using one’s hands to create, build, and play is one of the essential ways children learn. They learn best by using all five senses. With building and block play, hand-eye coordination, social-emotional skills, and early math and science skills are all strengthened. Additionally, your child can practice their creative and imaginative skills. They also get a chance to socialize with and learn about playing with other children.

Some of the skills your child can learn from Block Parties include:

  • Describing
  • Focusing
  • Experimenting
  • Listening
  • Sharing
  • Problem solving
  • Wondering
  • Counting
  • Being creative
  • Adding
  • Balancing
  • Pretending

We have a lot to enjoy!

  • Books and resources for hands-on activities
  • STEAM Kits available to be checked out
  • Equipment in libraries such as 3-D Printers, educational games, and Makerspaces
  • Play, Learn, Grow Materials
  • And many more! Ask your local library for more information.
Three Children Participate In A Science Experiment During A Leap Program

Leap into Science

Explore new STEAM topics during these hands-on programs for school age children. Leap into Science is an interactive program that focuses on multiple STEAM topics. Join a professional educator to ask and answer questions like scientists do! Families work together to learn scientific information from books, make observations and predictions, and then conduct science experiments to investigate answers.

Leap into Science is funded in part by:

The Donley Foundation and The Anne & Philip Glatfelter, III Family Foundation

Upcoming Events

Why do we offer STEAM programs?

STEAM programs help to spark curiosity about how things work. Curiosity, when encouraged, can be transformed into keen interest, which can in turn become a lifelong engagement in the innovations and ideas that keeps us all moving forward.

The beauty of offering STEAM education in the library is that it’s a neutral space where students are not being graded for their participation. Libraries can focus on what interests children most while still adhering to the highest educational standards. In less affluent communities, whose schools may not have the funding to offer things like LEGO® robotics clubs or Science Olympiad, the library can fill a major void in a child’s education.

By providing tools and programming tied to STEAM for children, teens, and adults, libraries play a vital role in fostering creativity, curiosity, and a community of tinkerers, learners, and thinkers.

Find a York County Library close to you!

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