Best Library Programs For Kids In New York City
Libraries provide more than just books these days.These free institutions of learning and community are part of the glue that creates and maintains thriving neighborhoods. They are havens for face-to-face, tactile experiences in an era when kids and screens are inseparable. Looking for an enriching program for your child? Check out your local library, or take a day trip to these amazing branches.
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Story Time With Ms. Eve
Mott Haven Library
321 E. 140th St.
Bronx, NY 10454
(718) 665-4878
www.nypl.org/locations/mott-haven
Hansel and Gretel are just the beginning. Beloved stories from around the world are spotlighted at the Mott Haven Library on Tuesday afternoons from 3 to 4 p.m. by children's librarian, Ms. Eve. Each week, a popular fairy tale from another country is read aloud to the rapt audience of neighborhood children, who are also provided with a hands-on opportunity to learn about the story's geographic origins and the cultural aspects of the people living there. A historical landmark, the Mott Haven Library has been serving the community since 1905 and is the oldest library building in the borough.
Origami Wednesdays
Todt Hill-Westerleigh Library
2550 Victory Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10314
(718) 494-1642
www.nypl.org/locations/todt-hill-westerleigh
A popular paper folding craft known to help children acquire hand-eye coordination and boost creative skills, the Japanese art of origami has taken Todt Hill-Westerleigh Library by storm. Origami Wednesdays, for children ages 6 and older, takes place on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Step-by-step instructions are provided and parents are welcome to try their hand at the ancient craft too. If Wednesday's class schedule doesn't jive with your routine, no worries. Tuesdays at 4 p.m. are reserved for Craft Corner, a program featuring a wide range of fascinating, hands-on educational projects for kids. You never know what you'll be making, so arrive with a sense of adventure.
Babies And Books
Windsor Terrace Library
160 E. 5th St.
Brooklyn, NY 11218
(718) 686.9707
www.bklynlibrary.org/locations/windsor-terrace
Nestled between multiple schools, the Windsor Terrace Library is a small, local branch serving a thriving community. Children here are never far from a program. Read-aloud story time featuring concept books about numbers, letters and all-things learning take place for kids of all ages on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. and on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. Brooklyn babies can catch the reading bug early with the special Babies and Books programming that's provided on Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for the sitting-on-a-lap set. And it's not just about books here either. Hands-on learners get to do special arts and crafts projects on the first and third Thursday afternoon of every month at 3:30 p.m., focused on holidays and special events of interest to kids. Wondering where your tweenager is after school? Check the library first. Gaming programs keep them safe and sound and off the streets on Thursday afternoons from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Mother Goose Time
Windsor Park Library
79-50 Bell Blvd.
Bayside, NY 11364
(718) 468-8300
www.queenslibrary.org/branch/WindsorPark
Wednesdays are chock-full of children's programming at this Bayside institution. Music, reading and fingerplay games, sure to enchant the littlest learners, abound during Mother Goose Time -- Windsor Park Library's special program for the 7- to 23-month-old set. Pre-registration is required for the half-hour classes, which take place on Wednesday mornings from 10:15-10:45 a.m., followed immediately by similar programming for toddlers. Toddler Time -- from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. -- also requires pre-registration and features stories better suited to the tastes of 2- to 4-year-olds.
New York Therapy Dogs R.E.A.D.
Webster Library
1465 York Ave.
New York, NY 10075
(212) 288-5049
www.nypl.org/locations/webster
If you're wondering why kids on Manhattan's Upper East Side can't wait for the weekend to end, blame it on the Webster Library. New York Therapy Dogs R.E.A.D. takes place on Monday afternoons at 3 p.m. Kids get to read a story to a working and licensed therapy dog. The one-on-one, no-pressure reading time is for lucky kids aged 5 to 10. Each slot lasts for 15 minutes and pre-registration is a must for the highly popular program. But you don't have to be an animal lover to love this library, either. Toddler Time takes place on Wednesday mornings at varying times. Little tikes and their caregivers get to hang out with each other, read and enjoy fingerplay activities.
Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
