Visit Our CHILDREN'S ROOM

​Library Hours
Mon & Wed: 10 am-8:30 pm
Tue & Thu: 10 am-5 pm
Fri & Sat: 10 am-2pm
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Summer Closings 
Closed Saturdays in July, Aug

Tips for Parents

“1000 Books Before Kindergarten” is a nation-wide challenge to parents, designed to help children learn to love books and gain skills for kindergarten readiness. Sign up at the library and take home an info packet. Read a book a night to your child and in less than three years you will have given an immense gift to all the family, and prepared for the second thousand.

Visit or call the library to register.
Click image for downloadable reading lists.

Building Sets

Lego and Duplo blocks are available for building fun in the Children's Room during library hours.

Marking the 60th anniversary year of Winnie-the-Pooh,  Winnie character dolls were donated to the library by patron Dawn Remson.

Program sign-up required.
Call 203-266-7510,7
or register online  Sign Up Page

Pre-K Story Time

Summer Storytime Schedule
​July 16th to August 20th, 2019

Children ages 2 to 7 are invited to hear a story or two and meet other children. A craft table will be available for your creativity. 
on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Sign up below to ensure your spot 
or call 203-266-7510,7

Program sign-up required.
Call 203-266-7510,7
or register online  Sign Up Page

Resources for Parents
Need a good book to read to your child? A wide variety of recommended titles are available at the Library:

~ Board Books
~ Preschool-Age Books
~ I Can Read! Books
~ Summer Classics
~ Bedtime Favorites
~ School Reading Lists

Games, Toys, Discovery Backpacks

Educational Play
By borrowing new play materials every week or two, parents can save money and significantly contribute towards the development and education of their children. A variety of high quality educational toys, puzzles and games are available at the library:

~ Discovery Backpacks
~ Scrabble 
~ Pre-K Puzzles
~ Building Sets
~ Alphabet and Reading Games
~ Brain Teasers
~ Creative Activities
~ Physical Activities & Games
~ and more!

Books for Baby

When your baby's birth is announced,
come to the library for his or her first board book! Compliments of the Library Friends.

PLAY & LITERACY

Play is what children do, right? Let them loose in any environment and they will figure out a way to turn it into jungle, an airport, a grocery store, or a rocket ship. There’s much more going on than simply relieving boredom.
 
In fact, play is essential for early learning. It’s THE way young children learn about the world. Unfortunately, the amount of time that children are spending on free play has gone down dramatically in recent years, as many are choosing instead to spend more time with passive activities (e.g. electronics). As a result, children miss out on important opportunities to develop critical skills and abilities, including early literacy skills.

Play has a direct link to early literacy experiences, especially sociodramatic play. Children can act out stories and rhymes or retell stories through play. Play allows children to express themselves verbally and make a stronger connection to letters, words, language, and story ‐ thus paving the way for future reading skills.  Your public library is very well suited to address the early literacy needs of young children.
 
Four Fun Facts
1. Play is a timeless feature of human societies, and when combined with 21st century learning it provides children and adults with opportunities to experiment with their surroundings as a form of problem solving.
2. Through play, children explore and develop their multiple senses, which creates more brain synapses. This in turn contributes to a child’s overall intelligence.
3. While playing, children can stretch and bend reality. All rules can be broken and all kinds of new rules can be invented.
4. When children play with adult family members, it creates a stronger bond between them.
 
From http://www.ala.org/alsc/importance_of_play