Library Hop: Waterford
Read, Explore, Splash & Ice Skate at Waterford Public Library
Waterford Public Library (WPL), part of the Prairie Lakes Library System (SHARE Catalog), offers all the things you want in a library hop! There are several fun things to explore within walking distance and a nearby bike trail to take you a little further. Pack your road snacks, bikes (or ice skates) and buckle up!
The Library
As you come into town, grab yourself a beverage at DW Coffee in Rochester or Kat’s Coffee in Waterford. Next stop, the library! The library itself is situated on the Fox River next to Waterford Village Hall and Village Hall Park. In the spring your kids will enjoy watching the ducklings and goslings learn how to navigate the river ripples. Otherwise, consider reading books outside as you take in the sounds of the river.
Inside the library you’ll find several cozy nooks to park with your backpacks and focus on table subjects. Alternatively, cozy up in some of the chairs next to the grand piano and soak up the light pouring in from floor-to-ceiling windows. I always appreciated computer stations in the youth areas and WPL provides! You can snag a 60 minute session for some online learning (i.e. CTC Math, Prodigy etc.) but I suggest being prepared with your own headphones if your kiddo needs audio access. For younger students, there is a nice play space to move around and/or sit at a table for puzzles and games.
Teen Space
We know that older students enjoy their independence. The tween/teen space located in the young-adult section has some cozy gaming chairs and for families that bring their own technology, there’s a nice table overlooking the river with multiple charging ports – it’s one of my favorite spots in the library (aside from the highboy tables along the windows). This is an ideal space to pull out a notebook or journal and work on some focused writing assignments.
For You
There are a few private study spaces available to focus if you need to move your kids into a zone to talk above your ‘library voices’ as you work through things with younger students. Otherwise, take a walk around and find your nook. Whenever we visited a new library the very first thing we did was tour the whole place to find our ‘spot’ while taking mental notes on sections that we wanted to check out before leaving.
Picnic Spots
The next best thing to do after a productive morning is to find a place to picnic. Village Hall Park is beautiful and your older students might appreciate the relaxed vibe. My recommendation however, is to walk over to Ten Club Park which will cater to your youngest student(s) with a splash pad & playground in the summer and ice-skating rink – with self-managed fire pit – in the winter. The park is large and along the river so if your older student(s) have aged out of playgrounds, there are plenty of benches and shady spots to throw down a blanket and/or fish along the river.
What to bring in summer: Swimsuits, towels, change of clothes, fishing gear
What to bring in winter: Ice skates, appropriate outerwear, matches, firestarters
Local History
On the map you’ll find a couple of nearby historical markers. Use this opportunity to walk around the town, geocache, learn about local history and/or use the markers as photo ops. A fun way to capture these memories and make them more relevant to your learning is to print a photo or two on an HP Sprocket 2x3 sticker printer then place those stickers in a Timeline Book.
If your family is into biking, you can start from the library and head to nearby Seven Waters Trail (.3 miles). Take that north about 3 to 3.5 miles and you’ll arrive at Old Muskego and Colonel Heg Park where you can learn a little bit about early Norwegian pioneers (1839). The Norway Historical Society operates a museum here but at the time of this post I couldn’t find the hours of operation online. A round-trip bike ride will cover about 6-7 miles and roughly 40-60 minutes depending on your pace. History? Check. Health & fitness? Check!
Other Attractions
We always tried to keep library hops as no-cost or low-cost as possible but if you have some extra spending money, here are a few fun suggestions:
Coffee: Kats Coffee House & DW Coffee
Eats: Noble Brothers Burger Shop & Custard, Scungillis Italian, Crossover Cantina
Must Stop: Reads by the River Book Shop & Gifts
Honorable Mentions: Bear Den Petting Zoo, Creative Spaces Quilt Shop, Unique Antiques, Love Inc. Thrift Boutique, Main Street Mercantile
With all of the amenities that the library provides coupled with the small-town, historic charm of Waterford, it’s hard to go wrong with a local library hop here!
Upcoming in Racine County
Other Library Hops
