Best Library Programs For Kids In Minnesota

Every parent knows the wonderful resource for kids at your local library. Where else can kids peruse and pick out any of the thousands of delightfully colorful and stimulating books. Most local branches start early in a child's life with readers providing with multi-sensory intellectual stimulation. Learn about many more popular programs hosted at your local Minnesota library.

Maker Breaks
St. Paul Public Library
90 W 4th St.
St Paul, MN 55102
(651) 266-7000
www.sppl.org

"Overall, we are moving toward more interest-driven, hands-on, 'maker' activities," says Youth Services Coordinator Marika Staloch. "We are also promoting more persistent programming, especially for teens, because we realize the importance of youth developing relationships with caring adults." Parents of youth aged 8 to 12 may wish to check the SPPL calendar for programs this upcoming winter, spring or summer school break. Kids will create things with items as diverse as circuit boards and duct tape. They will be exposed to 3D pens, Minecraft paper characters, shrinky dinks, Woolbuddies, Legos, Finch robots and MaKey MaKey controllers. Other classes will have kids create LED greeting cards and green screen photographs.

Staloch suggests several other great SPPL programs for kids. Createch provides a creative tinkering space for St. Paul teens now meeting weekly at Arlington Hills Community Center, Sun Ray Library, Rondo Library, Rice Street Library and Highland Park Library. All school-age kids in St. Paul are encouraged to read and vote for their favorite Minnesota Youth Reading Awards books in the on going I Read! I Vote! kid-driven program. Read Brave offers ownership of a personalized autographed thought-provoking young adult novel distributed in early January, followed by opportunity for dialogue with the author in late February.

Related: St. Paul Summer Learning Program Keeps Kids Busy

Act Out For Kids
Hennepin County Library
12601 Ridgedale Drive
Minnetonka, MN 55305
(612) 543-8800
www.hclib.org

Guthrie Theater teaching artists help kids learn about the performing arts. Storymaking Workshops utilize simple acting games encouraging youth to create imaginative fairy tales. Parents can find Storymaking Workshops at the Richfield Library and the Brooklyn Park Library. Storytelling Workshops encourage youth to work together, acting out all the characters in the retelling of a story. Check out the calendar for Storytelling at Webber Park Community Building, Roosevelt Library, Edina Library, Ridgedale Library and Rogers Library.

HCL's Communication Manager, Erica Skinner, suggests looking into two other great kid programs at your local library. Global Folk invites entire families to "learn about world music and culture through live performance and discussion" and Paint It Green teaches science concepts to kids of kindergarten through sixth grade with environmentally-friendly art projects.

STEAM Programs
Dakota County Library
1340 Wescott Road
Eagan, MN 55123
(651) 450-2900
www.co.dakota.mn.us

In addition to the traditional story, time programs offered for the zero-to-six age group, the Dakota County Library has programs for older kids and for teens offered in all of its ten branches. This fall features many great programs on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) topics like light and kaleidoscopes for ages 8 to 12 presented by staff from The Works Museum, Bubble Science for ages 3 to 5, STEAM Fest for ages 6 to 12, and Teen Maker Day for youth ages 10 to 16.

"We invite youth to explore STEAM topics in hands-on and exciting ways," says Julia Carlis, youth programming/outreach librarian. She cautions parents that some programs have limited spots and do require registration. Others are open to whoever is there. Registration requirements are noted on the event calendar, which also provides a link to program registration.

Collectors' Corner Neighborhood Trading Post
Highland Park Branch
Saint Paul Public Library
1974 Ford Parkway
St Paul, MN 55116
(651) 695-3700
www.smm.org

The Collectors' Corner Neighborhood Trading Post is a volunteer-run satellite location of the Science Museum of Minnesota's Collectors' Corner, which invites visitors to bring in natural objects they have found such as rocks, shells and fossils. Participants are awarded points based on what they know about the object that they can bank or use to trade for another object in the collection.

Pre-School Reading Program
Le Sueur Public Library
118 Ferry St.
Le Sueur, MN 56058
(507) 665-2662
www.lesueurlibrary.tdslib.org

WCCO viewers selected Le Sueur Public Library's reading program as the best in the state. One of many reasons is the enthusiasm Librarian Dianne Pinney has been instilling by reading to preschoolers for the last 34 years. The fruits of her labor are evident, as the citizens of Le Sueur check out and read a disproportionately large number books for the size of the community.

Related: WCCO Viewers' Choice For MN's Best Library

Robin Johnson was born in Annandale, Minn. and graduated from Richfield High School and then the University of Minnesota where he studied Political Science, Business and Industrial Relations. A writer for Examiner.com, he also consults with a variety of organizations and individuals helping them develop and grow. His work can be found at Examiner.com.