I love Love LOVE the Library!

If you and your kids watch the backyardigans, you might recognize that line from “The Masked Retriever” episode.  At our house, this is a very real thought.  And lots of times, it’s also a very real song, as the kids sing along….

Today I am focusing on some of the many great things about our local library.  Yes, yes, they have books of course, and for a book worm like me, that is enough to inspire a visit.  But there are so many other great things that I have been discovering since taking my kids there.  Our library is part of a consortium of the province’s libraries, so they will order in and hold any item from any other branch in the province.  You can borrow books, movies, CDs and even patterns! Yes, they have kids stuff of course, and that is what many of us think of as the list of things the library has to offer.

But our library also has lots of things to do!  There are knitting classes, which I was tempted to go to this year, but it didn’t work into my schedule.  There are kid’s and teen’s crafts.  One of my favourite features is our library’s full size theatre.  They play kids movies every day of school holidays, like Christmas or winter break.  Most often they are very recent movies, including some of the newest Disney films.  I love taking my kids to see movies there.  I’ve never seen it packed, the seats are great and in good shape, and it is always super clean.  No, you can’t eat snacks during the movie, but I think that’s a small thing compared to what I’m getting.  There are after school science clubs, and anime appreciation club, and so many more!

Last night I took Colleena to pre-school story time.  Yes, we read a lot of books at home together, but this way she gets to feel part of a group and do activities with someone other than mom.  She’s been looking forward to going for a few weeks, and feels like this is her “pre-school time”.  It was special to go out, just her and mom ( we left Daddy at home with Baden and Lily), and she got to read some great books, do a couple of great activities and then make a fun craft to bring home. Mommy got 45 minutes all alone to hang out in the library, a rare treat for me.  She got to experience a lot of the same things that Baden did in pre-school, like being part of a group, taking turns, following instructions and going along with a schedule of activities.  The class was led by a wonderfully friendly woman who was great with the kids.

All of these things are completely free.  There are also lots of summer programs at our library, and I’m looking forward to sharing them this summer too!  Check out your local library’s website, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much they have to offer!!