Fall Programs at the Library Enrich Your Children's Lives!

Now that your older children are back to school, preschoolers want to learn too!  Libraries have wonderful FREE programs for babies to five year -olds which have significant benefits.  Storytime attendance can assist children with becoming successful readers and learners.  In addition, helping their ability to listen, sit still and be independent from their parents is an asset.  Colours, letters, shapes, and a larger vocabulary through hearing stories in books, singing songs and doing fingerplays, will all strengthen crucial skills that they need to succeed in school! Fingerplays and stretching songs build strength and coordination in kids. The socializing aspect of storytimes is great for both the children and their parents. It prepares the children for entering school by significantly decreasing social and separation anxiety.  Another positive result, for the family, especially fathers, is that these library programs are one of the few occasions where they can meet other parents and chat afterwards. Many long-term friendships have blossomed from these programs! 

So, why don’t you check out some of the wonderful programs for children at your local library? Series of programs will be starting in September. If you have a beautiful bundle of joy between a newborn to eighteen months, Babytime is the program for you! Featuring songs and fingerplays, Babytimes can be found in Kelowna, Mission, Peachland, Rutland and Westbank branches. For slightly older children between eighteen months to 3 years, we offer Toddlertime, with stories, flannelboards, puppets and lots more at Kelowna, Mission and Rutland Branches.  Preschoolers (ages 3-5) will love our thirty minute storytimes incorporating all of these elements, at Kelowna, Lake Country, Mission, Oyama, Peachland, Rutland and Westbank. Our largest library, Kelowna Branch also has a successful school-aged program called Lego Builder beginning on September 26 with registration required.

Check the ORL website at:  www.orl.bc.ca for specific days and times at the branch nearest you!

Help prepare your preschoolers for school by joining us and enriching their lives!

 

by Linda Youmans, Youth Collections / System Librarian for Okanagan Regional Library