The summer reading program at the Albert Lea Public Library is in full swing, but children can get much more than reading from the program.

One of the activities children can do beyond reading is Science Blast, a weekly event where children can experience science and do experiments.

The experiments are lead by Patty Greibrok, children services librarian at the library. Each week has a theme; this week, children learned about density with an activity where they learned what type of objects would sink in water and what type of objects would float.

Greibrok said the library started Science Blast during last year’s summer reading program when the theme was Fizz, Boom, Read, as it went with the science theme.

However, due to good turnout and interest, Greibrok said the library decided to continue Science Blast.

In years before, Griebrok said the library had a game night, but retired that in favor of Science Blast. She said many families have games at home, but not all families do science experiments at home.

Greibrok uses many resources to gather the science experiments the children work on, including tutorials on Youtube and author Steve Spangler’s experiments.

Along with providing demonstrations and different stations to do science experiments, the library provides families with printouts of the instructions for each experiment so they can recreate them at home.

Greibrok said many experiments are easy and inexpensive, using materials many families already have at home.

“Every child can do science,” Greibrok said. “It doesn’t take a lot of equipment.”

Greibrok said having children do science in the summer helps enrich them when they aren’t in school.

“It’s our little way to show people that science is all around us,” she said.

Science Blast and all of the other summer reading program events are funded by the Friends of the Library, Greibrok said.

Upcoming Science Blasts will be at 2 p.m. Tuesdays in June and July, except for July 7, which is LEGO time.