Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, on assignment for The Winooski News
Hattie, a 7th-grader and marshmallow catapult engineer extraordinaire, set her creation on the floor of the Winooski Memorial Library. A crowd gathered, steering clear of the impact zone, and awaited the launch. As the 12-year-old made a few last-minute adjustments to her design, the tension in the crowd grew.
Hattie carefully placed the marshmallow in her homemade catapult, pulled back on the rubber bands and took a deep breath.
“Three, two, one!” she called out.
Eyes widened, mouths dropped open and eyebrows shot up as the marshmallow soared through the air, finally landing an impressive 38 feet and four inches away. A moment of stunned silence was quickly followed by cheers of excitement.
“Launching the marshmallow was my favorite part,” Hattie said. “It’s fun to do over break when you have nothing else to do.”
The Winooski Memorial Library made the Feb. 24-28 school break more exciting for local families by hosting a series of hands-on activities.
The pop-up events, which included jewelry time, cardboard city, Pokemon day party, and marshmallow catapults, were designed to give children a space to explore new projects and connect with their peers.
Kirsten Wilson, the youth services coordinator at the library, emphasized the importance of the programs to help children engage with others and sample new activities, particularly during school breaks.
“A lot of parents still have to work, and so kids might just be kind of idle at home. So I’ve kind of seen vacation or winter break as an opportunity to try something new and invite people to the library,” Wilson said.
For 11-year-old Muna, the library is more than just a place for books.
“My favorite part is when we compete in chess or checkers and everybody is connecting,” she said. “I also love making beads.”
Her friend Jesseca agreed, adding, “Doing the bracelets and talking to Muna was my favorite part of today.”
Parents in Winooski also appreciate the library’s role in the community. Mark Spigos, a father of four, spoke about the value of these events.
“The staff here, they know the kids and they care about them and they take their time with them to connect with them,” Spigos said. “It’s a place where you can feel good bringing your kids to have a nice experience.”
Beyond these events, Spigos shared his experience with raising a young family in Winooski. He highlighted the city’s diversity, noting that families in Winooski have the opportunity to connect with people from all over the world.
With students speaking around 11 different languages at school, Spigos said his children gain valuable exposure to different cultures in an environment where that diversity feels natural.
“So I would say it’s kind of like living on Sesame Street. You walk out onto the street, you see people you know, and it’s a great community,” Spigos said.
The library offers more than books—families can check out toys, snowshoes, and tabletop games, or simply gather in a welcoming community space.
Molly Coffey, a mother of two, highlighted the importance of structured activities during long breaks.
“It’s a great way to build community,” she said, noting that hands-on projects can draw kids “who maybe wouldn’t come to the library just to get a book.”
Beyond structured activities, the library serves as a crucial resource for many families who don’t have the same supplies at home.
“I think another sort of big use of the library is computers,” Coffey said. “A lot of kids don’t have computers at home” but can come to the library to use them for homework or to play games.
She added that the library is also a resource “for adults who don’t have access to internet, it’s really great for that option for them as well.”
The library plans to host more pop-up events during future school breaks. Winooski families can look forward to more opportunities to engage, build and explore— one marshmallow launch at a time.