Upcoming Events for Kids 5 & Under
Join us for stories, songs, and fun. Most appropriate for kids ages 5 years old and younger and an adult companion. The same theme repeats throughout the week.
Join us for stories, songs, and fun. Most appropriate for kids ages 5 years old and younger and an adult companion. The same theme repeats throughout the week.
Join us for a playdate where parents and caregivers can get together to talk about childcare over coffee and tea while their children play, fostering new friendships for kids and their caregivers.
This month’s special guest is SANTA!
Join us for stories, songs, and fun. Most appropriate for kids ages 5 years old and younger and an adult companion. The same theme repeats throughout the week.
Join us for stories, songs, and fun. Most appropriate for kids ages 5 years old and younger and an adult companion. The same theme repeats throughout the wee
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a self-paced program for children from birth until they begin kindergarten. This program promotes creation of reading habits and caregiver-child bonding through shared reading.
Research shows that shared reading between caregivers and children is vital to the development of important early literacy skills that contribute to Kindergarten readiness. And it's a great opportunity to bond with your child! Whether your child is 4 days old or 4 years old, it is never too early or too late to start reading together everyday!
How It Works:
- Starting August 28, 2023, you can register online through our website or the Beanstrack Tracker app.
- Come to the Library to check out books to read or read books from home.
- Log your progress online with Beanstack. Count any book read (or re-read!) during storytime, at daycare or preschool, or at home!
- Your child will earn a prize for each milestone.
Milestones
- Registration: A Storytime Kit in a tote bag including a booklet of rhymes, a recommended booklist, a scarf, and a shaker egg
- 250 Books: A new book and a book nameplate
- 500 Books: Two finger puppets
- 750 Books: A card game to play together
- 1,000 Books: A stuffed animal reading buddy and a 1,000 Books medal, and recognition on our social media channels
Program Funding
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is provided in memory of Shelley Bishop. Shelley volunteered countless hours to the Library through the Friends of the Library as a volunteer and board member. Her excitement for reading and learning was contagious. The Shelley Bishop Memorial Fund through the Community Foundation for Western Iowa serves as a lasting financial supporter of this program for years to come. If you are interested in donating directly to this fund, please click here.
Additional funding is provided by the Friends of the Council Bluffs Public Library and the Council Bluffs Public Library Foundation.
