Library, Library, Library!
I just can’t say it enough: the library can be such a wonderful, underrated experience. If you’re lucky enough to have a fantastic library system nearby—USE IT!
Insider tip: Check out libraries in surrounding cities too! Where we live, you only need an address in the state to get a library card not just in our city, but in many nearby cities as well.
So, we have cards for 3 cities. 3 times the opportunities. 3 times the experiences.
You might be wondering, “What’s the point of that? Who could possibly need that many books?!?”
Me. But that’s beside the point. 😄
Libraries offer so much more than books—and not just for kids, but for all ages.
There are a wide variety of events that cover all sorts of interests and age ranges: arts and crafts, STEAM activities, movie nights, story times, book clubs—you name it.
I have made full use of libraries while being a nanny. One of my former charges absolutely loved books. He and I could visit the children’s room every single day and never get bored. There are books (obviously), but there are also toys and hands-on activities: blocks, magnet tiles, puppets, coloring pages, scavenger hunts, puzzles, even a pretend grocery store. And that barely scratches the surface. Each library branch offers something different, and they’re often changing and adding new things. We spent many days traveling throughout the different cities, visiting different libraries, and soaking in what each one had to offer.
That’s just the everyday stuff—the staples you can walk in and enjoy anytime. But the classes and programs? Those are a whole different story.
Over the years, I’ve taken kids to story times, craft days, sensory sessions, science activities, and open play days. Three of my absolute favorites still stick with me:
1. The Librarian-Themed Play Day
The library’s conference room was turned into a mini library, and it was adorable. Designed for kids aged 3–5, it let them “be the librarians” for the day.
Half the room was a checkout station where kids could browse books and “check them out” using a real computer and scanner (with staff help, of course). There was even a cardboard “book drop,” where the kids could return books, and a cart they could use to collect the “returned books” and reshelve them.
The other half of the room had an easel with alphabet magnets, story time gear, and a cute setup with stuffed animals as the audience. Kids were encouraged to run their own story time, for the stuffed animals or each other.
The whole session was unstructured. They were given free reign, within reason of course, of the conference room to play however they liked.
And oh, their imaginations soared!
2. The Stuffed Animal Sleepover
This one still makes me smile. Kids were invited to the library after hours, in their pajamas, with their favorite stuffed animals. The novelty of being in the library at night, in jammies, was magical all on its own.
We played in the kids’ area for a bit, then headed to the story room to sing songs and read a bedtime story to the stuffed animals. The kids tucked the animals in and said goodnight.
But it didn’t end there.
The stuffed animals had a full-on “sleepover” at the library! When we picked them up the next day, we got to see photos of what their stuffed animal “did” overnight—playing pretend, reading books, coloring, using the computers, “meeting” other stuffed animals, and getting into a little mischief in the empty library, “all by themselves”. The librarians truly went above and beyond to make the experience real for the kids.
Seven years later, and I’m still impressed.
3. Reading to Therapy Dogs
This one is pretty self-explanatory—but still worth a mention!
Early readers are able to come read to therapy dogs. They get to practice reading aloud in front of a different kind of audience, building both their confidence and their reading skills
These are just the special events. Libraries also offer reoccurring story times, crafts, science activities, and more—many of them weekly or monthly. They are always full of creativity and care, and rarely disappoint.
Honestly, I could go on and on in this little love letter to the library, but I’ll wrap it up here (for now—I’m sure I’ll have more to gush about soon).
Seriously, go visit your local library. Look around. Ask a librarian what they offer.
The answer will almost always be: so much more than books.
