6 reasons to visit the library with your children

Discover the magic

The library can be an amazing place for you and your children to visit. As soon as you walk through the door with them, they’re transported into a world of magic and wonder. There’s a sense of adventure as they run off and explore, with so much possibilty at their fingertips. Surrounded by books, toys, dressing up clothes and other children to play with, a trip to the library can turn into a real treat.

Benefits of the library

With the library being so easily accessible for a lot of us, and free to join, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be part of it and enjoy all the benefits it has to offer.

So what can our children gain from going to the library? Read on to find out:

1. An almost unlimited choice of books

There are so many books to choose from, even in a small library, that the choice is almost overwhelming. At home, we’re limited by the size of our bookshelves, but in the library we can take advantage of those thousands of books that are just waiting to be taken home and read.

Make it fun

A fun thing you could try is to have a theme with your book borrowing. One week you could try lift the flap books, the next week could be animal books, and the week after could be books about bedtime. The posibilites with this are endless and children can have fun getting involved in choosing the theme, and running around the library trying to find the books that match it.

2. Making reading fun and creating a habit

Why not try making an afternoon at the library a fun part of your weekly routine. The more children read, the more they’ll want to read, so it’s good to create a habit which they can look forward to. Whether you always have a bedtime story, or read a book first thing in the morning, creating a routine can give them something to focus on each day. Choosing the books together that you’ll read during the week can also help them to feel involved.

3. A sense of responsibility

Joining the library and getting their own library card can give children a sense of responsibility. It will likely be the first membership they’ve ever had and it can be exciting for them to be part of something that other children and adults are part of too.

Looking after other people’s belongings

Borrowing books can teach children about looking after things and taking care of other peoples property. It can also teach them about borrowing and taking things back when they’ve finished with them.

4. Books that grow with them/something for all ages

Children can benefit from going to the library even when they’re tiny The children’s section is usually separate from the adults and contains everything for newborns, all the way up to about 7 years old. When children are over 7, they can then venture out into the young adults section and be introduced to a whole new world of books.

Find the right section

The books are usually separated into sections:

• Baby books – Soft, lots of pictures and bright bold colours
• Toddler books – Lift the flap, a few words, short stories
• School age – More words, less pictures, and more storyline

5. Bounce and ryhme and story time

Most libraries offer some sort of bounce and rhyme or story time for children. Children of any age can benefit from these, from newborn to school age.

Bounce and ryhme

The bounce and ryhme groups involve half an hour of songs, actions and toys to play with. They are usually seperated into newborn, crawling, and walking groups so that the activites will benefit the particular age group that they’re aimed at.

Storytime

Story time involves songs, actions and reading through a book together. These groups usually involve children of all ages, and are a good chance for them to relax on the floor or a bean bag and listen to a story.

6. Meeting other children

The library is a great place for our little ones to begin to socialise and learn about sharing and interacting with other children. As well as it being a good place for our children to socialise, it can also be a great place for us Mums to socialise too. When your children start playing together, you can’t help but strike up a conversation with the other parents.

Not just a library

As you can see above, the library isn’t just a place to go to read books. There are all sorts of activities you can participate in, and all sorts of benefits to be had if you make the time to go, and the best part is that it’s all totally free.

As well as the books, libraries also have some great facilities that parents can take advantage of:

• Baby weighing scales – A lot of libraries now have scales where you can weigh your baby
• Baby changing facilities – If you’re out and about and need to change your baby, why not pop into the library to do it, and borrow some books while you’re there
• Breastfeeding – As you’re around other Mum’s, the library can be a safe haven when it comes to breastfeeding. Chances are, somone else is doing it too

Create memories

I have very fond memories from going to the library when I was little. The smell, the sounds and the excitement I got from being there come flooding back when I walk in, and I still love going to the library and having a browse. Create some happy memories for you children that they’ll remember for years to come, and share the love of reading.

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