Adventures for Kids at Your Local Library

Do you want to get your kids excited about books and help them participate in educational activities? Take them to public library programs. Your local public library is a resource that is often like a buried treasure. Many people are not aware of the abundance of programs hiding within the library's walls. For example, many libraries present story times for children of all ages. These story times are held in the morning or in the evening. That way, people who work outside the home can still take their kids to special library programs.

Story times usually involve read-alouds, songs, and crafts. Some story times are designed for babies or preschoolers. Others are geared towards school-aged children. There are even book clubs for middle schoolers and teens.

Your friendly neighborhood library not only offers story times but special programs as well. Mystery events, programs celebrating a particular series of books, and holiday programs are just a few of the activities the library offers to kids. Best of all, the programs are almost always free.

Some libraries allow kids to contribute to in-house literary magazines. Young authors can submit their stories, poetry, book reviews, and comics and see their work in print. Other libraries might offer activities such as drawing or drama clubs. Is your teen a serious gamer? Some libraries offer a video game night where teens can compete on the popular Dance Dance Revolution game. Other teens are crazy about manga, a type of comic book that was developed in Japan. Many libraries offer a manga club where teens can eat snacks, learn about new manga books, and watch anime (cartoons from Japan).

Most children's departments in libraries have computers specifically reserved for young library patrons. The computers offer educational games, books on CD, Internet access, word processing software, and desktop publishing software.

Did you know that most libraries offer DVDs and videos for free? Instead of going to your local video store and shelling out big bucks for children's movies, you can find fun flicks at the library. Classics, recent releases, and other films to delight your child are waiting for you on library shelves. All you need is a library card!

When kids regulary visit the library at a young age and have access to books that interest them, they develop a lifelong love of reading and learning. They learn that visiting the library is a fascinating adventure where they can learn new things, travel to distant lands, or visit other worlds. So what are you waiting for? Gather up the kids and head on down to your local library. You'll have a fantastic time, and you won't have to spend a dime!