Be a Chemist! Science in the Summer 2026

It's time for Science in the Summer! Join us at the Municipal Library (501 Bywood Ave.) for this amazing program focusing on chemistry! We will meet Wednesday July 1st & July 8th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm each day. This hands on and engaging program will have the children asking to do more! Science in the Summer is open to students entering grades 2 - 6. Register each child individually. Each participant completing at least 4 of the activities will receive a complimentary ticket to the Franklin Institute.

GSK Science in the SummerTM - In collaboration with The Franklin Institute

Please register each child in your family individually. All libraries will offer at least 4 of the 5 career activities as part of the program, using the same curriculum. Each library will hold their own registration. Patrons will know right away if they have been accepted into the program.

Be a Chemist

The Be a Chemist! program invites children to take the role of scientists and engineers as they investigate how chemistry creates the materials of everyday life. The activities encourage scientific practices like making observations and testing hypotheses while exploring the following questions:

What chemicals make up the materials in the world around us?

How are substances alike or different?

How do substances interact and change when they are mixed together?

Each Be a Chemist! activity highlights a real-world career through a story that invites children to play the role of a person in that career:

Be a Cosmetic Chemist A cosmetics company is looking for nature-based coloring agents to add to their products. Explore two natural materials, cochineal and butterfly pea, to discover the range of colors their pigments can produce; then test the pH of the results to determine their safety for human skin.

Be a Forensic Chemist A handwritten note found at a crime scene may provide key evidence for locating the suspect. Use the technique of chromatography to analyze the components of different types of ink and find out which type of pen was used to write the note.

Be a Materials Chemist A toy company wants to develop a new variety of their best-selling slime toy. Compare the properties of the original slime to other stretchy toys and adapt the formula to create a stronger, stretchier material.