Birth to Five

You are your child’s first teacher.

Do you have a child going into kindergarten?
Check out these activities and resources to give your child a great start to school.
Activity of the Month​
Make your own Journal

Have fun at home with this fun craft and make your own personal journal!

Branch Buzz
Parsons Branch
Looking for something fun to do with your kids? Check out Parsons Branch.
Skill Builder
Rhyming
Check out this fun at-home activity to help get your child ready for kindergarten.

Watch previous Branch Buzz and Skill Builder videos here.

Great Books for Kids
The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Signs
by World of Eric Carle

Learning to communicate can be frustrating! – Let this sweet and colorful book help! Utilizing a mix of classic Eric Carle illustrations and photos of real children, this book is filled with common baby signs to help you and your baby better understand one another.

Teddy’s ABC
by Priddy Books

Who says learning can’t be fun? This touch-and-feel alphabet book is filled with cozy illustrations and rich vocabulary, so you and your toddler can enjoy learning while going on a visual and tactile adventure.

Little Owl’s Fog
by Divya Srinivasan

Are you afraid of the dark? When Little Owl was invited to the bats’ cave at night, he was nervous to encounter strange sounds, sights, and creatures. While exploring the forest, Little Owl discovers that different doesn’t mean scary. Dare to adventure with your preschooler and learn that the unknown can open new possibilities!

Great Websites for Kids

Funology

Funology is the ultimate parenting toolbox! We offer ideas you can use to inspire and entertain your kids offline. Simply put, we offer the cure to boredom!

Sesame Street

The Sesame Street website has everything a preschooler might need! From games and coloring to short videos and songs your child will be engaged and practicing many important Ready for Kindergarten skills.

Programs for Kids and Caregivers
Storytimes, Classes and Play to Learn are on a break and will start again on Tuesday, Sept. 2. Check back soon for dates and times for fall.
Some locations are offering holiday Storytimes. See the scrolling schedule below or visit our Events page and filter by Event Type Storytime for more information.
Storytimes

Stories, songs and fun activities to build reading skills.​ Ages 0-5.

Hours vary by location; choose your location below.

Programs at all locations are paused while we prepare for Summer Reading Challenge, which kicks off May 31.

Check back soon for our summer schedule.

Address

Temporary Location
3227 E. Livingston Ave.

Hours

Preschool Storytime:
Thursday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Address

115 Franklin St.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Tuesday: 11 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Wednesday: 10 a.m.

Family Storytime
Tuesday: 10 a.m.

Address

1422 E. Livingston Ave.

Hours

Family Storytime
Monday: 5-5:30 p.m.

Address

75 N. High St.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Thursday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Friday: 10 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Monday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Tuesday & Wednesday: 10 a.m.

Preschool Storytime:
Wednesday: 11 a.m.

Family Storytime
Tuesday: 11 a.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.

Address

1061 W. Town St.

Hours

Family Storytime
Tuesday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Address

310 Granville St.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Monday: 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday: 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday: 9:30 a.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Monday: 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday: 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Preschool Storytime:
Wednesday: 10:30 a.m.

Family Storytime
Saturday: 11 a.m.

Address

4500 Hickory Chase Way

Hours

Baby Laptime
Thursday: 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Monday & Tuesday: 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Preschool Storytime:
Wednesday: 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.

Family Storytime
Thursday: 7 p.m.
Saturday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Address

511 S. Hague Ave.

Hours

Toddler Storytime
Wednesday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Family Storytime
Thursday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Address

5590 Karl Rd.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Thursday: 11-11:30 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Wednesday: 11-11:30 a.m.

Preschool Storytime
Tuesday: 11-11:30 a.m.

Family Storytime
Saturday: 11-11:30 a.m.

Address

96 S. Grant Ave.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Monday: 10:30-11 a.m.
Thursday: 1:30-2 p.m.

Toddler Storytime
Tuesday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Family Storytime
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 10:30-11 a.m.
Saturday: 11-11:30 a.m.
Sunday: 1:30-2 p.m.

Address

1467 E. Long St.

Hours

Family Storytime
Monday & Wednesday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Address

200 Market St.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Monday: 9:30

Toddler Storytime
Wednesday: 9:30 & 10:30 a.m.
Thursday: 9:30 a.m.

Preschool Storytime
Wednesday: 1 p.m.

Thursday: 11 a.m.

Family Storytime
Saturday: 11 a.m.

Address

4093 Cleveland Ave.

Hours

Family Storytime
Wednesday: 11 a.m.
Saturday: 3 p.m.

Address

1423 N. High St.

Hours

Family Storytime
Wednesday: 11 a.m.

Address

1113 Parsons Ave.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Tuesday: 5 p.m.

Address

1402 Brice Rd.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Wednesday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Monday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Preschool Storytime
Tuesday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Family Storytime
Saturday: 11 a.m.

Address

3540 S. High St.

Hours

Family Storytime
Tuesday: 10:30 a.m.

Address

3980 S. Hamilton Rd.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Monday: 11 a.m.

Family Storytime
Thursday: 11 a.m.

Address

3909 N. High St.

Hours

Baby Laptime
Monday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Toddler Storytime
Tuesday: 10 & 11 a.m.

Preschool Storytime
Wednesday: 10 a.m.

Family Storytime
Wednesday: 7 p.m.
Thursday & Saturday: 10 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Address

4445 E. Broad St.

Hours

Family Storytime
Monday-Wednesday: 11 a.m.
Thursday: 6:30 p.m.

Ready for Kindergarten Classes

Hands-on practice of kindergarten readiness skills. Ages 3-5.

Hours vary by location; choose your location below.

Programs at all locations are paused while we prepare for Summer Reading Challenge, which kicks off May 31.

Check back soon for our summer schedule.

Programming is currently on break and will restart the week of August 21st.
Address

75 N. High St.

Hours

Wednesday & Thursday: 2-2:30 p.m.

Address

4500 Hickory Chase Way

Hours

Monday: 1, 2 & 7 p.m.

Tuesday: 1 & 2 p.m.

Address

511 S. Hague Ave.

Hours

Tuesday: 10:30-11 a.m.

Address

5590 Karl Rd.

Hours

Tuesday: 1 p.m.

Wednesday: 5 p.m.

Address

96 S. Grant Ave.

Hours

Thursday: 11-11:30 a.m.

Address

200 Market St.

Hours

Monday: 10:30 a.m.

Tuesday: 1:30 p.m.

Address

4093 Cleveland Ave.

Hours

Monday & Wednesday: 5 p.m.

Address

1402 Brice Rd.

Hours

Wednesday: 10:30 a.m.

Thursday: 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.

Address

3980 S. Hamilton Rd.

Hours

Wednesday: 11 a.m.

Address

3909 N. High St.

Hours

Wednesday: 11 a.m.

Address

4445 E. Broad St.

Hours

Tuesday & Thursday: 11 a.m.

Play to Learn

Stop by the children’s area to play and work on fun activities with your child. Ages 0-5.

Hours vary by location; choose your location below.

Programs at all locations are paused while we prepare for Summer Reading Challenge, which kicks off May 31.

Check back soon for our summer schedule.

Programming is currently on break and will restart the week of August 21st.
Address

1422 E. Livingston Ave.

Hours

Wednesday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

75. N. High St.

Hours

Monday & Wednesday: 4-5 p.m.

Address

1061 W. Town St.

Hours

Thursday: 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Address

511 S. Hague Ave.

Hours

Monday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

Temporary Location
1990 Jefferson Ave.

Hours

Monday: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

1467 E. Long St.

Hours

Monday & Wednesday: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

4093 Cleveland Ave.

Hours

Monday & Wednesday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

1423 N. High St.

Hours

Tuesday: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Address

1113 Parsons Ave.

Hours

Monday: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Address

850 N. Nelson Rd.

Hours

Tuesday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

3540 S. High St.

Hours

Tuesday & Wednesday: 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Address

4445 E. Broad St.

Hours

Monday: 9:30-11 a.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

EVERY MOMENT COUNTS

You have big plans for your child, but it’s the little moments that count. Here are some ideas to help your child succeed.

In partnership with

  • Take a “word walk” by naming everything you see. This helps with learning new words.
  • As they get dressed, talk about the steps. “First you put on your red shirt, next, you put on your blue pants.”
  • Ask your child to tell you a story about anything in their world. Ask questions like, “And then what happened?” to keep your child talking.
  • Read or tell stories. Point out pictures, shapes and colors in the book. Ask them what they think will happen next.
  • In the car, see if they can find a sign with the letter “s” in it. Point out different shapes and words.
  • Ask your child to retell their favorite story or a TV show they watch. Retelling a story will help them remember what they read later on.
  • Start a sing-along. Get creative by leaving out words and having them choose the animals or people to insert into songs like, “The Wheels on the Bus” or “Old MacDonald.”
  • In the bathtub, sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and have them splash to the rhythm of the song.
  • Sing a song from memory with your child. Singing will help your child learn and remember words.
  • Blow bubbles and see how many your child can count. Ask your child if the bubbles are big or small.
  • Play the game, “I Spy.” Have them pick an item that they can see and you guess what it is.
  • Pick a word and create as many rhymes as you can.
Resources for Building Literacy
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