Malden residents are not shy when it comes to buying boba. With five boba spots spread throughout the city consisting of Gong Cha, Kung Fu Tea, Tsaocaa Malden, Monkey King Tea, and Honey Honey Dessert Cafe, residents have many options around Malden to get the classic tea with boba pearls at the bottom.
The Malden Public Library young adult section, well aware of how much kids favor boba, decided to host its first-ever Boba Keychain event for grades 6-12, which occurred on October 5th, 2023.
Knowing that boba is a preferred favorite, the idea to make keychains that look like boba was bound to be popular among the students. In order to gain access to the event, one would have to reserve a spot ahead of time by calling or emailing the library. The process of making a boba keychain consists of picking what color slime you want, picking a straw, and then adding miniature tapioca pearls. The top of the keychain is able to come off so that you can play with the slime.
From left to right, top to bottom: attendees building their boba keychains; students helping each other with their creations; three completed keychains. ASHTON CALIXTE
With art events at the Malden Public Library, the library gets most of its supplies from “Michaels or Target, but when we aren't able to find what we need, we go to Amazon," Patrick Brennan, the information librarian who is also in charge of the young adult section, stated.
The Malden Public Library usually hosts one to two art events a month. In November, “The library is going to host a perler bead craft, and people will be able to make their personal keychains or magnets,” stated Brennan. “The boba keychain is a very easy craft and doesn't take very long to make. Some kids come straight from afterschool programs to these events.”
The event took place in the second-floor program room. When entering, three tables were set up for attendees to sit at. On the table, there were beads and other supplies to put in the slime before adding it to the miniature boba cup. There were two slime options for making your boba keychain. One option was to create your own slime with glue and an activator, and the other was to use pre-made slime with various colors such as red, blue, pink, and teal.
The successful Boba Keychain event is one of the many events the Malden Public Library hosts. Malden's youth should prepare for more upcoming events hosted by the Young Adult program.
