Ernesto Duran of Olympia helps his daughter Erianna, 4, put the finishing touches on her gingerbread house during an event on at the Tenino Timberland Regional Library Saturday.
Gretchen Pitkin of Olympia helps her son Johnathan, 5, and daughter Melissa, 8, build their gingerbread houses at the Tenino Timberland Regional Library Saturday.
Sarah Alvarez of Tenino helps her son Miles, 2, and daughter Paige, 5, with their gingerbread creations Saturday at the Tenino Timberland Regional Library.
Whitney Ricca, 7, of Tenino, adds frosting to a graham cracker "wall" to make her gingerbread house at an event offered by the Tenino Timberland Regional Library Saturday.
Terry and Heather Cumberworth of Tenino help their granddaughter Awnixx Roundtree, 2, build a gingerbread house at the Tenino Timberland Regional Library Saturday.
Ava Johnson, 4, of Yelm, celebrates the completion of her gingerbread house at the Tenino Timberland Regional Library's gingerbread making event Saturday.
As she added the finishing touches to her graham cracker, frosting and candy structure Saturday, Kate Pitkin, 8, of Olympia smiled as she licked a bit of frosting off her fingers. When asked what the secret to a good gingerbread house, she shrugged.
“I don’t know, this is my first time,” she said.
But when asked what her favorite part was, that was an easier answer.
“Eating the marshmallows,” she said.
Dozens of families packed the Tenino Timberland Regional Library Saturday for a gingerbread-making family activity that is sure to become an annual tradition, said youth services associate Samantha Pry. Pry, who plans the children and teens events for the branch of TRL, said while it looks like play, the event, like everything at the library, is intended to have a much deeper impact on children’s developing brains.
“Preferably things here are hands on and work on a skill,” Pry said. “Today, we’re working on engineering. We’re working on how to build something. And something might fall down the first time we try it so then how do we fix it and build again?”
Which was exactly what grandparents Heather and Terry Cumberworth of Tenino experienced at the gingerbread house making event. They of Tenino brought their granddaughter Awnixx Roundtree, 2, for a little bonding time before Christmas. Terry said their first house fell down after Awnixx added a few too many candies to the roof. The second try seemed to be holding its shape but the trio seemed unflustered by the setback, especially Awnixx.
“I think she’s enjoying eating the candy more than sticking it on the house,” Terry said with a laugh.
The Tenino TRL offered the gingerbread house making event for the first time last year and Pry said it was so popular they decided to bring it back. But it is just one of many events at TRL branches across the South Sound. Pry said she would estimate the Tenino TRL offers about 10 events each month geared toward kids and teens.
Tenino TRL lead library assistant Sirena Painter explained that their branch is making an effort to add more events that are intergenerational and create an environment that brings people together. One example is their crafternoons, which are geared toward people who are home during the day. The gatherings give people an opportunity to learn an artistic technique and create a piece of art to take home. Some events, like the gingerbread making, draw dozens, while others may draw just a handful. But they are all important, she noted, because they create space for the community to gather.
“So many people are engaged with computers and cell phones that it’s hard to connect,” Painter said. “In my opinion, that makes it even more important for libraries to be a place where people can learn new things and meet new people.”
For Tasha Johnson of Yelm, bringing her daughters Ava, 4, and Caia, 3, to the gingerbread making party was a fun way to get out of the house for the afternoon. Johnson said their family often visits Tenino to come to businesses like the Sandstone Café and come to the library for events.
“I think it’s awesome the fact that it’s creating fun for the kids and they’re out of school right now so we were going to go a little stir crazy otherwise,” Johnson said of the event.
