Spending more time around the house this summer? Are the kids about to drive you mad? Try your hand at a new skill with the help of the Natchitoches Parish Library’s (NPL) online Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center. This is one of several online databases, or digital libraries, on the NPL’s website natlib.org.

The Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center has something for people of any age or skill level. There is an entire section devoted to kids’ crafts, including topics such as cake decorating, clay modeling, drawing, beading & jewelry making, paper crafts, and even magic! And for adults, the home and garden category covers topics such as aquariums, candle-making, cooking & baking, genealogy, gardening, wreathmaking, and winemaking.

If you are looking for something to involve the whole family, the outdoor recreation section can help you find something to do in the gym that is always open, the great outdoors. Here you can learn about bird watching, camping, caving, cycling, fishing, kites, hiking, mountain biking, skateboarding, and geocaching.

For more “mental” hobbies, there is an entire science and technology category where you can learn about robotics, model rockets, metal detecting, astronomy, and amateur ham radio. Or you could exercise your artistic side with the performing arts, such as drum playing, dancing, guitar playing, juggling, piano playing, and puppetry.

So, no matter your tastes, the NPL has this resource for you to learn something new, develop skills, and engage your mind and body.