What are the benefits of visiting the library with a toddler? I have 10 reasons it’s good to take your toddler to the library.
Ever since my daughter was crawling, I began taking her to the local library on a weekly basis. When she got a bit older, I began doing home preschool with her to keep her brain active and engaged. Visiting the library had become a huge part of my parenting routine and something my daughter looked forward to every week.
We made some friends, listened to stories, and sang. Generally, story time at the library was a mini-break for me. Aside from running around picking out books, I was able to sit down as she listened to stories or played with her new friends. Most of the time, I could just enjoy the moment, instead of leading an activity.
Unfortunately, I haven’t raised my son the same way. He’s been too wild for me to handle and a trip to the library isn’t as much of a break for me as it was with S when she was the same age. But, I am putting things together to being working on some of the preschool skills with him, now. That means, I’ve got to get in gear and prepare myself for weekly library visits.
As I sit and think about it, these are the benefits of visiting the library with a toddler I can come up with. I’m hoping it gives me the motivation I need to make this a tradition for my son, too.
Taking Toddlers to the Library
When planning a trip to the library with little kids, it’s never a bad idea to pack a few things. If you don’t plan ahead, you won’t immediately see the benefits of visiting the library with a toddler. These are things I’m sure not to leave behind when I’m planning a library morning with the kids.
Water
Snacks
A bag for our book checkout
Pack a lunch if story time cuts it close
Your phone or a camera to snap some cute pics when they’re involved in something
Benefits of visiting the library with a toddler
I think there are tons of great benefits of a public library, but these are among my top reasons to visit a library with toddlers.
Routine
We have our day and baby girl knows it. It gives us something to look forward to every week and I love hearing the excitement in her voice when she realizes is “rary” (library) day. Plus, the routine of following instructions from the story teller makes me feel like I’m preparing her for school!
Free story time for kids
Someone else is entertaining my little one for a bit. Our story time usually consists of singing and dancing, which is great to help baby girl move around and let out some energy.
Socializing
The more we go, the easier it is to feel comfortable with the other moms and children who are also going regularly. Since we stay home most of the time, this is a good exercise for my daughter to get acquainted with other people.
Free books to check out
This is great so we’re not spending extra money on so many books, but I can still engage baby girl in stories that are new to her every week. Plus, we can borrow the books we need for our preschool work.
Testing books
Sometimes I’m interested in buying a book, but they’re so expensive. I like to test them out before deciding if they’re good enough to purchase. You just never know how the kids will react to certain books.
Learning how to use the library appropriately
Teaching kids to use inside voices is reinforced at the library. Plus, we learn how to find books, check them in and out, and responsibility if we have to pay overdue fines.
It’s a reason to get out of the house
Sometimes as a SAHM, I find it easy to get stuck in the house if I haven’t planned for anything. I know I said “routine” in #1, but this is beyond that… making sure we actually LEAVE the house when nothing else is happening.
I’m hoping to have avid readers
Okay, yes, I’m thinking long term value, and there’s no guarantee this will work, but we have to have hope, right?
They offer videos and CDs
Wanna check out some different music or movies? It doesn’t always have to cost you (other than the gas to and from the library). If you’re on a budget but want different media, this is a valuable resource that I’ve used for the kids and for myself.
They offer other programs
Our library has brought the zoo in with some special animals for the kiddos to pet, a MyGym demo, and game night. I’ve seen posts for things like anime meetings, teen activities, and even some adult education classes. In December, I took the kids to see Santa, snapping my own picks of them to save money on the expensive mall photos. Who needs to pay for those when you can get a picture of a screaming kid for free?!
If you didn’t know about these things, maybe it’s time to start checking out your local library offerings. What does yours offer?
3 comments
I also took both my girls to the library here from a very young age for so many of the above reasons and more. And to be honest, I think this is why both of my kids absolutely loves books and reading now well into their elementary school days. So would also recommend taking very young toddlers to the library often, too.
I absolutely LOVE the library. I think it’s super important even for my 8 year old. She and I go on dates and hit the library and get frozen yogurt. It’s so much fun. Your list is spot on. You can read all the books you want at home but you can’t get the social until you leave your house!
[…] he has very little attention span for worksheets and sitting. It’s even a major challenge visiting the library for story time with this […]
[…] early on. The habits you’re likely to want your toddler to learn are likely healthy eating, visiting the library and reading, and instilling a love for the […]
[…] him, raising my daughter as a stay at home mom meant scheduling and attending play dates or visiting the library story time for regular interactions with […]
It is said that if you want to become a Lion then you should hang out with Lions. So, if parents want their kids to become readers then it would be beneficial if they hang out with readers. There is a crisis for the generation that came after the advent of social media. Since short content is available almost everywhere, the readership is going down rapidly and this is a problem all across the globe. Until and unless parents give their kid the extra push this problem is will only get worse. Thank you for sharing!
[…] are benefits of visiting the library with a toddler, but it’s important to also continue reading at home. Reading with your […]
[…] are so many benefits of visiting the library with your kids, but it will also help them to build their interests if you let them pick out their […]
[…] 10 Benefits of Visiting the Library with a Toddler […]
[…] of my favorite things to do with the kids as toddlers was to visit the library and let them pick out new books as often as once a week. This kept them interested in books because […]
[…] Don’t forget your local library. […]
[…] that fewer trips to the library saves time and money on gas. And, while I believe there are great reasons to visit the library with a toddler, it’s not always […]
Comments are closed.