Parents & Children
We miss you!
The Children's Department is sad that we cannot be together during this time of social distancing.
The Children's Librarians have been making many videos to share with you filled with stories, rhymes, singing, crafts and even baking! Please check our blog regularly to find fun and educational activities you can do while we spend this time at home.
Curbside Crafts
Enjoy the fun of our library programs at home with our Curbside Crafts! Once a week on Wednesdays we will offer a new curbside craft for you to register your children for and then pick up using our curbside service. Each curbside craft kit will include 1-3 crafts that go along with that program’s theme and a link to a prerecorded video with one of your favorite librarians. This will allow children to watch the video with the story and craft instructions on their own time. These kits are most appropriate for children who have completed grades K-6. Registration is required for these programs as supplies are limited. Once your child is registered, you will receive a call within 24 hours to schedule a pick up time. You can also call the Children’s Department to register and schedule a pick up time for our curbside crafts on or after the registration date. Please check our program calendar to see what the weekly craft will be and for additional virtual programs and live Zoom programs with your favorite librarians.
Family Storytime Kits
We have various family-friendly themes for our new Family Storytime Kits that you can take home using our curbside service! On Friday of each week we will release a new themed kit that includes a craft, activity sheets, and a QR code that will take you to our digital storytime guide with links to eBooks and more extension activities for you to do at home. These kits are most appropriate for children 18 months to Kindergarten, but can be enjoyed by the whole family. Call the Children’s Department at 631-924-6400 x236 to reserve your Family Storytime Kit and set up a curbside pick up time! You can also access our Family Storytime Kits online in our Children's Kit gallery here.
Themes include: pirates, dinosaurs, farm, shapes, beach and many more!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Young children will enjoy participating in our 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program. We wanted to bring 1KBK to you while we all spend some time at home. Whether you want to start now or continue your child’s progress, simply color a star for every book shared with your little one reading on this reading log or log you reading online on Beanstack and visit us when the library re-opens to celebrate and collect your prizes! No printer, no problem… You can use a piece of paper from home and color your own circles or use stickers…it’s up to you!
Museum Passes
At this time, many museums are closed and many of our museum passes are currently unavailable at this time. Our librarians have put together a list of the museums now offering virtual tours to enjoy in the meantime. Browse and reserve available museum passes here.
Homework Help
Your library card offers students the chance to get homework assistance from a live tutor. Brainfuse HelpNow is a free resource that allows you to work one-on-one with online tutors. You can draw or type your question in their online classroom and receive live homework assistance from a Brainfuse-certified tutor. Tutors are trained to not only provide answers but to help you master the homework assignment's underlying academic concepts. Live tutors are available seven days a week from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm, EST.
Nursery School Fair
Choosing the right preschool can be a daunting experience, so the library is here to help. Each year the Children's Department plans a nursery school fair. Representatives from local schools are available to speak with you and answer any questions you may have. Watch the library newsletter for information.
Our librarians have put together a downloadable listing of local nursery schools, many of whom participate in the annual fair.