Pinto Bella Hoops said she once taught a 90-year-old woman how to hula hoop, so "there [was] no excuse" for children at the Wareham Free Library not to learn.

Hoops spoke at the closing ceremonies for the Wareham Free Library's Summer Reading Program and hula hooping was on the agenda on Thursday.

Over the course of the summer, there have been more than 1,000 children who participated in the program on Tuesdays and Thursdays since June 23, said program director Bethany Gay.

Thanks to sponsors like A.D. Makepeace, the Wareham Cultural Council, Wareham Food Service Program and Wareham Public Schools, the library hosted several programs for children throughout the season.

After thanking the sponsors, the Gay turned it over to Hoops, who encouraged the children to try their hands (and feet!) at hula hooping.

Hoops demonstrated the ways one could use different sized hula hoops, beginning with an extra large one.

"If you can slow it down, then you have some more time to think about it," she said.

The trick to hula hooping, she said, is letting the hoop circle around while your body stays straight.

The children also enjoyed snacks made with vegetables from the library's garden during the ceremony.