Welcome to the Shine Kids Corner!☀️
Welcome to our little corner of sunshine for kids and families in Jefferson County!
On this page, you will find upcoming events, Shine Storytime updates, recipes, kids’ activities, and more!
~ 📚 Storytime at Shine Realty Dates 2026 📚~
Next Shine Storytime with Ms. Adriane
☀️📖 WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 at 9:30 AM at St. Paul School in LAKE MILLS ☀️📖
Shine Storytime is a free & fun one-hour event offered to parents, caregivers, and children in the community.
You and your children (or grandchildren) will enjoy:
- a story
- creative activities
- playtime
- snack
- coffee for the adults!
Shine Realty broker and owner, Adriane Stuebs, usually leads storytime and reads the story. But sometimes, we have special guest readers join the fun! In the summer, Shine Realty teams up with Ms. Jess from Power Hour and holds outdoor storytime in Lake Mills!
📍Shine Realty in Jefferson, WI
Upcoming Local Events for Families
Here are some fun, family-friendly activities happening in and near Jefferson County.
☀️ Upcoming Events ☀️
~ Events with the ☀️Sun are events Shine Realty is hosting or attending!
June 10-August 28 🥪 —Summer Sandwiches in the Park: Free lunches for families with kids at Riverside Park, Clark Park, or Timothy Johnson Park from 11:30-12:30 in Watertown (see flyer below for specific dates and locations).
July 3 🎆– City of Jefferson Fireworks: when the sun goes down, fireworks go up in Jefferson
July 4 🎆🇺🇸— July 4th Parade: If you’re looking for an Independence Day Parade, head to Watertown.
** Here’s a blog about local happenings for 4th of July fireworks & celebrations in Jefferson County.
July 4 🎆🇺🇸— July 4th Fireworks: Free goodie bags for kids, concession stands, and awesome fireworks in Lake Mills.
July 7 & 14 🎨 — Chroma Kids: Creative Studio Summer Series for grades 4-6 is 1.5 hours of creating art they’re proud of at Chroma in Fort Atkinson.
July 8-12 🎡 — Jefferson County Fair: It’s fair week, that means animals, entertainment, carnival rides, games, lots of food & fun in Jefferson.
July 11 🎨 — Chroma Kids: Little Makers Summer Series for ages 3-5 is a magical hour of creating at Chroma in Fort Atkinson.
July 25 🍿 — Family Movie Night: Jerzey Junction is hosting Christmas in July Family Movie Night at 8:00 PM in Lake Mills.
July 15 ☀️💥— Shine Storytime/Power Hour at St. Paul: Enjoy a fun story, craft, activities, and outside play (weather-permitting) at St. Paul’s in Lake Mills.
August 1 🐐 — Goat Fest: Goat Island goats come ashore for one unforgettable day of fun games, music, a makers market & food at Rotary Park in Jefferson!
August 8 🍿 — Family Movie Night: Jerzey Junction is hosting another fun Family Movie Night in Lake Mills.
August 13 ☀️– Shine Storytime: Enjoy a fun story, craft, activities, and play at Shine Realty in Jefferson.
August 19 🎪– Nickel Night: Games, crafts, food & more — it’s a fun family night in Johnson Creek.
Looking to get active? 🛼 Skate, Arcade, Food: Enjoy a fun time of skating, arcade games, and food at McGrath’s in Fort Atkinson or at Skate Express in Watertown!
📚 ** Be sure to check out your local libraries for Free Summer Reading Programs! There are so many neat opportunities for kids and families!**
Related: 19 Fun Things to do in Jefferson County this Spring!
Jefferson Area Storytimes by Day of the Week
Looking for local storytimes that fit your schedule best?
Here are some of our Jefferson area storytimes divided by day in:
- Jefferson
- Lake Mills
- Johnson Creek
- Fort Atkinson
There’s at least one each day of the week, so hopefully you can find something that fits your schedule!
Here are links to each storytime host if you need more information:
* MONDAYS *
Baby Bounce: Geared toward birth to 18 months at Jefferson Public Library!
Storytime with Ms. Carrie at Simple Kup coffeeshop in Lake Mills!
* TUESDAYS *
Baby & Me Storytime: Geared toward birth to 24 months at L.D. Fargo Library in Lake Mills!
Little Listeners: Storytime & early literacy geared toward ages 18-36 months at Dwight Foster Library in Fort Atkinson!
Little University Storytime: Storytime & early literacy geared toward children ages 0-5 at the Watertown Public Library!
Storytime at Shine Realty: Geared toward babies through preschool age at Shine Realty in Jefferson! [☀️2nd Tuesday of each month☀️]
* WEDNESDAYS *
Storytime/Power Hour: Enjoy a story before heading to the gym for open play and activities for children birth-4 at Power Hour at St. Paul in Lake Mills!
Storytime: Geared toward ages 2 to 5 at the Jefferson Public Library!
* THURSDAYS *
Themed Storytime: at the Johnson Creek Public Library!
Little Movers Storytime: Storytime, early literacy skills, & interactive play at the Jefferson Public Library!
Rhythm & Rhyme Storytime: Sing, dance & play geared toward children ages 0-2 at Dwight Foster Library in Fort Atkinson!
Little University Storytime: Storytime & early literacy geared toward children ages 0-5 at the Watertown Public Library!
Baby Bounce: Songs, rhymes, books & more at the Watertown Public Library!
* FRIDAYS *
Toddler Storytime: Stories, songs, rhymes, and a craft geared toward ages 2-5 at L.D. Fargo Library in Lake Mills!
* SATURDAYS *
Family Fun at the Library – One Saturday per month at the Johnson Creek Public Library!
Read to the Dogs – One Saturday per month at L.D. Fargo Library in Lake Mills!
Want more event ideas?
Check out 15 Festive Things to do in Jefferson County this December and 17 Fun Things to do in Waukesha County this December!
Also, check out Jump Around Gymnastics in Cottage Grove and DeForest! They have lots of Open Jump hours for your little ones to burn some energy (adults too!)
Be sure to check out your local library programs. There are LOTS of activities going on like LEGO Club, Storytime, Fort Building, Reading to Dogs, and more!
Storytime & Other Fun Shine Activities
March Storytime at Shine Realty Highlights
November Storytime at Shine Realty Highlights
August Storytime / Power Hour in Lake Mills
Town & Country Days Parade in Lake Mills
We loved seeing so many of our friends downtown Lake Mills as we walked in the Town & Country Days parade in Lake Mills! We hope you enjoyed your treats, bubbles, or shiny gold coins!
Last November’s Fall & Veteran’s Day Storytime
Touch-A-Truck (or Staging Van 😉🚙☀️) in Lake Mills was so much fun!
We got to see so many friendly faces from the community and do crafts together in front of the iconic Shine Realty Staging Van!
We hope this becomes an annual summertime event.
August Shine Storytime Teddy Bear Picnic
We had such a fun Teddy Bear Picnic with stuffed animals for our August Storytime at St. Paul’s School in Lake Mills.
We love seeing our storytime friends & meeting new ones each month!
Enjoy this quick video of some of our Summer Shine Storytime fun on YouTube!
Summer brings our special Shine Storytime series where we team up with Ms. Jess from Power Hour and have outside storytime! The kids listen to a story, do fun activities, and play on the playground while parents sip iced coffee and enjoy the beauty of kids, friendship, and summer together!
Be sure to check out our Lake Mills Guide for a bucket list of fun things to do around Lake Mills every season!
May was a Special Mother’s Day Storytime
Ms. Adriane’s Homemade Play-dough Recipe
Love the play-dough that was at November Story Time? This play-dough recipe feels great, smells great, and lasts a long time.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup salt
- 4 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- food coloring (optional)
- essential oils or spices (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Mix all ingredients except the food coloring and oils/spices in a pot of lukewarm water.
- Stir over low heat until it’s a good dough consistency – it will be hard to stir.
- Remove dough from pot and allow it to cool a few minutes.
- Kneed in optional food coloring/essential oil/spices. Cinnamon and pumpkin spice are great for fall, but there are many other options, like lavender and orange!
- Now it’s ready for your kids (and you) to enjoy hours of creative play! 🧡
DIY Playdough Video
Ms. Adriane woke up super early to make this playdough for story time. Here’s a video so you can see how simple it is to make. Enjoy!
September Storytime
We had such a wonderful time with the families who attended Shine Storytime! We read a silly story, played with Calico Critters, babies, and trucks, put together an alphabet puzzle, and made fall creations with Play-Doh. Moms enjoyed iced coffee and the kids went home with a yummy snack. Thank you for coming!
Hooway for Wodney Wat Reading by Ms. Adriane
If you were unable to attend storytime, we missed you! Here’s Ms. Adriane reading Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester to your kids. This way your child can still enjoy a special piece of Shine Storytime (and maybe you can enjoy a few moments of peace 😉).
Shine Kids’ Activity Pages
Tap the button below to access Free Activity Pages we created to help you keep the kids’ hands and minds busy.
Mazes, Word Searches, and Coloring Sheets can be helpful while you’re viewing houses, if you need to leave for showings, or if it’s just been a long day and you need a little sunshine in your life!
School Supply Drive for Kids in Jefferson County, WI
☀️ School Supply Drive with Jefferson County Board of Realtors
Thank you to everyone who helped us stuff the Shine van with donated school supplies to help local youth get ready for the school year!