By Tanya Steele
The Healesville Library changed up its monthly dine and shine this week to capture the hearts and tummies of the younger generation for a Mad Hatter Tea party on 20 April.
With an excellent turnout of kids of all ages, the library hosted a magic show and storytelling by Em Chandler, followed by a conga line to a delicious banquet with food every colour of the rainbow.
Librarian Sharni said the chance to mix it up for the holidays was great fun.
“We thought it was a good opportunity to reach a different demographic,” she said.
Creating the entertainment “crafternoon” expanded the usual lunch into a chance to host two groups back to back, which meant larger numbers could attend and enjoy the experience.
Two groups of 40 attended in total and Sharni said the level of engagement was really positive.
“It was awesome and the energy from the kids was really, really good,” she said.
The library staff embraced the theme with Alice, the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit and the Queen of Hearts herself making an appearance.
The Rabbit never quite seemed to make any of the activities exactly on time, while Alice and the Mad Hatter entertained the kids with a topsy-turvy version of musical statues.
The Queen of Hearts was also spotted taking time out to help a patron with their book borrowing amidst the dancing.
Volunteers catered food for the event which included an array of tiny cakes, sandwiches and more.
The library staff enjoyed bringing the event to Healesville and hope to continue to engage the public with community events.
