Dryden’s Southworth Library offering program to teach kids about currency

The Southworth Library in the village of Dryden is giving children a variety of ways to learn about fiscal matters and strengthen their financial literacy.

The library recently received a Thinking Money for Kids program kit from the American Library Association and the FINRA Investor Education Foundation and will use its games and programs to teach kids how to use money.

The kit includes resources to teach financial education concepts for children ages 3 to 12, both in the library and in children’s homes. The Southworth Library is one of 300 recipients of the kit.

The library now has five Playaway Launchpad Tablets that are preloaded with “fun financial” educational games, said Southworth Library Director Diane Pamel.

“They’re all designed to teach kids what money and currency is about, how to manage it and budget, save and more,” Pamel said.

The games included with the kit are Currency Conga, Penny Pinchers’ Party, Pet Cents, Piggy Bank Theater and Making Moo-Lah.

“It’s just the games. No internet connection is needed,” Pamel said.

When the library held a special event on Nov. 1 to showcase the program kits, Pamel was surprised by the need to teach kids about currency.

Pamel noted that the kids who got to experience the program firsthand had a great time with the kits.

“They love playing this game, so I know they’re learning something about financial management,” Pamel said. “When kids can learn from games, it engages so many different aspects. It’s physical because they’re touching things, and listeners and readers are learning from it, too. It sticks more when they’re having fun with it through a game.”

Pamel said that one of the games, Currency Conga, is similar to the classic game Twister.

“The kids have to put their hands and feet on different pictures for money or they have to add money to get to that picture,” Pamel said.

The library also held a scavenger hunt for coins, which was separate from the games available in the program kit. The hunt involved kids finding coins and using them to buy items, gizmos and giveaways from a little store that the library created.

Pamel said that the library also has activities where kids would design their own money, fold a dollar bill in the shape of a heart and learn about currency around the world.

“We wanted to have options on what currency is and how it works,” Pamel said.

Pamel noted that events like the one on Nov. 1 won’t occur on a weekly basis. The library will hold special programs periodically, up until December of next year.

The library will have events like President’s Week in February and playing Moo-Lah Money during Dryden Dairy Day in June.

“[President’s Week] corresponds to what is on money, so we’re going to do a program for preschoolers during that week and a program using one of the games for the older kids,” Pamel said.

The Moo-Lah Money game teaches kids how to purchase items on a farm and how different situations happen in farming in terms of currency.

“We thought that’d be a fun fit [for Dryden Dairy Day], especially with it also happening during dairy month,” Pamel said.

Pamel said that there are open times during the week when kids can play games on the tablet. People can check out the LaunchPads at the library like a book.

Aside from the program kits, Pamel said the library also provides fun books on pennies and finances. 

For more information, go southworthlibrary.org, call 607-844-4782 or send an email to southworthlibrary@gmail.com.

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Southworth library to be closed Thanksgiving weekend

Southworth Library has announced that it will be closed on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28, through Nov. 30.

The library also noted that there will be no preschool storytime on Nov. 29. The library will reopen on Dec. 2.

Village asks residents not to mix branches with leaf piles

The Village of Dryden is asking residents to not mix sticks or branches in leaf piles for pickup.

A notice on the village’s website said the department of public works “can’t vacuum leaves” with branches in the pile, emphasizing that only leaves are allowed for pickup.

The website states that DPW will not pick up leaves if branches are in the piles. All branches or sticks can be taken to the composting site on Bradshaw Road in the village.

The village also noted that this week could be the last one for leaf pickup this year.

Registration open for Shooting Stars program

The Town of Dryden Recreation Department has opened registration for the Shooting Stars program.

Shooting Stars is a co-ed, in-house basketball program that aims to teach kids about basketball basics through games and skill-building activities. Program participants will learn to dribble, shoot, pass and play basketball.

The program is for children in kindergarten through second grade. It will run on Saturdays between Jan. 11 and Feb. 15 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Dryden High School.

The cost for the program is $30. To register, go to drydenrec.recdesk.com. Registration is open until Dec. 21.