On the first Wednesday of every month in the teen space, tucked away in a quiet corner of the 2nd floor of the main Library, an enthusiastic group of kids gathers to play Magic—The Gathering. It’s a card game that features beautifully illustrated collectible cards and consists of a battle between wizards, known as plane walkers, who can cast spells and use artifacts to drain their opponents of their twenty life points.
According to Librarian Jan Wade, who oversees the teen space and is a Magic player herself, on a typical game day, there are about 10-12 teens engaged in a match or building custom decks of cards. The kids get to keep the cards as their own. While the game is certainly entertaining, it also helps teach critical reasoning skills, strategy, memorization, teamwork and innovation, according to Ms. Wade. Magic also solidifies social skills through learning how to deal graciously with victory and defeat.
The Boulder Library Foundation is proud to sponsor this exciting teen activity and provide Magic playing cards, food and refreshment for the participants at no charge.
