BATH — Kids’ movies will be coming to Bath, courtesy of a $5,000 grant from Redbox, owners of DVD vending machines, and the Online Computer Library Center.

The grant awarded to the BHM Regional Library, with the assistance of “Wee Pirates Play Outside!” organizer Debra Torrence, will be used to purchase a large blow-up movie screen, audio system, canopy tents, colorful umbrellas and a bench. The remaining $1,000 will be used locally to buy other supplies needed to host outdoor movies.

The grant adds to the effort to create more outdoor learning and play opportunities in a town where history draws plenty of adult visitors, but historically, there’s been less draw for children.

To that effort, Girl Scout Troop No. 3556 recently installed a hopscotch board on Lawson’s Walk, a town walking trail. A knot-tying station is in the plans, as well as other interactive, and fun, learning activities spaced throughout town, that will ultimately tie Bath’s points of historical interest together, according to organizers.

Torrence teamed up with BHM Regional Library Director Susan Benning to include Bath’s library in the effort. Benning said the two came up with several ideas — one, an indoor program about the shapes and sizes of tree leaves, followed by a trip into nature to locate those leaves. On the heels of the brainstorming session, Benning find out about the Redbox/OCLC grant and overnight, Benning and Torrence gathered the materials to apply. When the $5,000 grant recipients were named, BHM Regional Library was one of 20 recipients chosen from applicants nationwide.

“It was really just the strangest, most serendipitous thing I’ve ever experience in my career,” Benning laughed. “We won. We found out a week later. Isn’t that the coolest thing ever?”

Officials with the Town of Bath were contacted and gave permission for outdoor movies to be held on the lot next to Town Hall, Benning said.

Benning said once the equipment comes in, a test run will precede the public invitation to a free, outdoor movie. The target date, however, is by the end of July, she said.

“We’ll probably pick a Disney movie because we want families to come,” Benning said.