check it out! library adventures with Littles!

4 hours ago
9 min read

Friday, April 24, 2026

There’s something a little magical

about walking through library doors with a Little!

Quiet corners hold big adventures

and every shelf invites curious hands to explore!

And since this happens to be National Library Week,

it’s the perfect time to celebrate these special places that welcome our Littles

with open arms and endless stories.

Today, we’re celebrating all the ways a trip to the library can spark imagination,

nurture a love of reading,

and inspire sweet moments along the way!

In this season of learning and growing,

the library can become so much more than a place to borrow books…

It’s a space for wonder, connection, and discovery together!

From storytime snuggles to choosing that just-right stack to take home,

each visit offers simple, meaningful times spent with our Littles.

And while we both LOVE the library and spending time with our Littles there,

Laurie is able to do so much more consistently.

As a GRAND who watches her Littles on a regular basis,

today she’s sharing a few of her adventures with us all!

I love being on the go with my Littles!

One of our favorite places to go is the library! I have so many fond memories from my own childhood, riding my bike to the library and coming home with a bag full of books - new worlds to enjoy! If you haven’t been to the children’s section of a library since you were a Little yourself, you are in for a treat!

I first started going to the library when Little D was quite young!

It’s hard to believe that was more than four years ago!

There are usually children’s sections in libraries

which contain LOTS of books

but also puppets, games and small activities.

In addition, most libraries have baby to school age programs that are free and we take full advantage of this year round. However, one of our favorite times of the year to visit the library regularly is during the winter months, when the days feel sooooo long! And, of course, it's a great place to spend time when you need to cool down during the summer months, too!

We’d participate in regular Baby Storytime at first and then we graduated to the toddler and preschool versions as my Littles grew! Each time, we’d meet in a separate room in a circle led by a children’s librarian. We’d read books together (we’d each get our own set to use during the reading so those little eyes could focus easily on the pictures) and we’d have opportunities to rhyme and sing songs for a portion of our time together. Each session ended with bins of toys (that had been cleaned and sterilized after each session) being pulled out for playtime..

At this age, Littles often parallel play (where they play next to other children but not necessarily together). These experiences were such nice exposures to socialization and the moms, dads and GRANDS that gathered all loved the chance to focus on their own Littles(s) while chatting with other adults, too! As my Littles have gotten older, we still look forward to these visits!

After story time, we’ve always had the ritual of spending time

in the children’s library.

There are building toys, a grocery story, train tracks, puppets,

fun chairs, magnets, coloring sheets and more!

Sweet photos of Little D when she was younger! How she has grown!

Now her little sister, Little P, joins in the action!

Of course, my favorite part of any library visit

is the opportunity to explore new books with my Littles!

We always leave with a new bag of books to explore!

And, I do have to admit, a big plus for any new walker

is the large spaces available at the library.

Young Littles can walk safely and explore their surroundings in snowy or rainy weather!

One final bonus?

I can always count on a good afternoon nap or quiet time

after any library adventure!

Here’s our list of 5 things to remember

for a successful library visit with Littles!

Always take your Little’s lead! It took awhile for my Littles to appreciate the main focus of the library - the books! There was so much for them to explore and do. Now they love to pick out books and read with me, so don't be surprised if it takes a while for your Little to discover the books!

Look on-line for programs and activities at your library! I love to pick up a seasonal “brochure” at the library, and circle things that I think my Littles will enjoy - either with me or with their mommy and daddy during the weekend! There are many fun activities for all ages! SUMMER IS COMING - IT’S A GREAT TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE FREE PROGRAMS!

When you arrive, check in with the librarians! Our library has a weekly “search” game in the children’s section. For example, one week the theme was dinosaurs. Little D was too little to take the sheet and mark off the dinosaurs, but she loved looking around and was very excited when she found one. I also know the librarians are happy to hand out stickers and stamps and bookmarks when you engage with them!

Do not stress if you have loud, busy Littles! I have discovered most libraries have their children’s section separated from their adult section. Of course you want to teach your Littles to have quieter, respectful voices, but don’t stress… Like everything else, it is a process to keep working on!

Check out books! It’s free and a great way to keep your own collection revolving! There really is nothing more exciting for Littles than finding the same book at the library that they are familiar with and have at home!

If you have older Littles in your life

don’t overlook an outing to the library with them, too!

There’s something for everyone!

Older Littles can be more independent when enjoying time at the library.

Some may be totally engaged looking at and reading books on their own!

Others may welcome some direction.

Here are 3 fun options for library fun for ALL ages!:

#1 - Picture Book Scavenger Hunt!

This scavenger hunt will help your Littles discover all different kinds of books

as they explore the library and all it offers!

Feel free to use this graphic or

you can create your own list of book topics

to include In a scavenger hunt.

Good Luck!

#2 - A Note of Kindness!

We read about this idea and it sounded like such a wonderful way

to practice kindness with our Littles and then pass it on to others!

Before heading to the library,

spend some time writing a few encouraging messages

on post-its or post cards!

Ideas include, “I hope you like this book.” or “Wishing you a nice day.”

When you are at the library, look through the books

and choose a few of your favorites.

Stick a message inside each one!

Imagine how fun it would be to discover such a note

in your library book you’ve checked out!

#3 - I Spy with My Little Eye!

Littles of all ages love to play the game, I Spy,

so it is a great choice for a quiet game to play at the library!

Find a peaceful spot where you can see a lot of book covers

and you can talk in hushed voices.

One person is the leader, looks around and chooses a book

without letting anyone know what it is..

Then he/she offers clues while the others guess.

Here are some ideas…

I Spy With My Little Eye…

a book about dinosaurs

a book that has a sun on the cover

a book that shows lots of colors

Others guess what book the leader is thinking of..

This is a fun way to look at a variety of books while using our skills of observation!

Last summer I made a goal

to create a new dramatic play center for my Littles each month.

Our Library has been one of the simplest play centers to set up at home,

and the most loved,

behind our Baby Day Care, that is!

The main props were the books and we have plenty of those!

We have a small area behind the couch in our family room where we ended up storing a coffee table while remodeling our kitchen/living room last year. The coffee table just kind of stayed there, making it the perfect set up for a small play center. So far the area has housed a Baby Day Care (2x - did I mention it’s a favorite?), a Donut Shop, an Ice Cream Shop, a Nail Salon, a (Valentine) Card Shop, a Hair Salon, a “House for Trick or Treating” (suggested by our Little D), a Flower Shop and now the area is currently a LIBRARY! Most of the play centers have been suggested by our 4-year-old Little D… Little P, at age two, goes along with anything!

Setting Up Our Library!

Here are the materials I added to bring our library together!

✱ Books and Magazines

We have LOTS of these and I even cleared off a bookshelf to house them!

✱ The “Check Out” Machine

I was lucky to have a cash register from when my own children were little, one that included a scanner. It works perfectly for checking out books.

✱ Library Cards

I taped a piece of paper over a used gift card to make a library card for each Little.

✱ My Old School ID

I used this for my Little's librarian “work” badge.

✱ A Computer Keyboard

While this isn’t necessary, it was a hit with my Littles who loved using it to “look things up”!

✱ A Basket for Story Time

The librarian often carries a basket of books to be used during our local storytime so we, of course, needed one of our own!

✱ Book Bags

No explanation needed! My Littles love loading canvas bags with a collection of books that are being checked out!

✱ A Book Return

To make our book return, I used a large box that I cut a slit in and then I labeled the top as shown below. My Littles loved returning the books through the slit, taking the top off the box and reshelfing the books over and over again!.