Children's Services 
Dr. Seuss’s Birthday Celebration with Pi Beta Phi
Saturday, March 3: 2:00 to 3:30
Children’s Activity Room
Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday with the members of Pi Beta Phi sorority. Activities will include reading and listening to Dr. Seuss stories, creating a book plate to take home, face painting, games, music, and a small snack. Target age: Kindergarten to grade 3. Since there will be several college students hosting this event, parents do not need to stay at the program, unless their children are younger than 6. (However, they must remain in the library.) Free. No registration.
Children’s Department News – February 2012
Preschool story times
Tuesday & Friday: 10:30 a.m.; Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.
Story times are for children ages 2 and older and their families or caregivers.
Location: Children’s Activity Room
January 31, February 2 & 3: New stories, including Alpha’s Bet and Blackout.
February 7, 9 & 10: Sleepy Bears & Sleep, Big Bear, Sleep. Craft: bears.
February 14, 16 & 17: Cookie stories and craft. On Tuesday, we will make a Valentine’s Day craft and read a Valentine’s Day story, too.
February 21, 23 & 24: Stories: The Snowy Day, by Komako Sakai, and Owl Moon.
February 28, March 1 & 2: Penguins by Liz Pichon & Turtle’s Penguin Day.
Please note: If you plan to bring a group or class to story time that contains 8 or more children, please call the library at least 3 days in advance of your visit and speak to one of the children’s department’s librarians. We want to have enough craft materials ready.
Programs for Babies & Toddlers
Lap Sit every Monday at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. in the children’s activity room, first floor. This program is for babies, toddlers, and their parents or caregivers. Make new friends while listening to simple stories and learning finger plays and songs.
***Special Programs for Children & their Families or Caregivers***
Valentine’s Day Crafts
Saturday, February 4: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Children’s Activity Room
Children of all ages and their families will have an opportunity to be creative and make cards and decorations for Valentine’s Day. Make one or two crafts, or stay longer and make as many as you like. No registration or fee. Children who are younger than 9 years old must have an adult with them.
WLHS Robotics Team Demonstration
Saturday, February 4: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Walnut & Elm Rooms
Westside Boiler Invasion Robotics Team # 461 from West Lafayette High School will present a robot-themed story time to introduce children to the subject of real world robotics. Children will also have an opportunity to control and drive robots and talk to the high school students about their experiences with robots. An adult must accompany children who are younger than 9 years old. Free. No registration.
Purdue Science Student Council Science Demonstrations:
“The Spectrum of Science: Experiments with Color”
Saturday, February 18: Children’s Activity Room; 1 to 2 p.m.
Children ages 4 to 11 and their families are invited to observe exciting science demonstrations about color. Have fun while learning all about colors and light! No registration required. Free.
Reading to the Cat and Dogs!
Saturday, February 25: 2 to 3 p.m.; Elm room
Registration required by Friday, February 24.
Therapy dogs and possibly a cat will be at the library to listen to children read to them. At the end of the reading session, there will be a short “meet and greet” opportunity for children who are not yet reading and their parents. Children may bring books from home or choose some at the library. This program is for children ages 4 and older. Free.
Panda Express Children’s Activity
Saturday, February 25: 3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Children’s Activity Room
Children will learn how to use chopsticks, watch a short movie about the Chinese New Year, and receive a small snack and activity pages to take home. This event is for children of all ages and their families. Registration will not be required. Free.
Reading to the Dogs & Cat
Caring Paws, a volunteer organization whose Pet Partner teams visit local organizations, will visit the the West Lafayette Public Library with their popular "Reading to the Dogs" program. This is an ongoing program. New dates will be announced as soon as they are set in the Ongoing Programs sections of our Children's website.
When people first hear about this program, their usual response is "Why would anyone want to read to a dog?" or "Do the dogs really listen?" The members of the Caring Paws group believe that dogs have a calming effect on most children and have helped children improve their read-a-loud skills.
Children may bring a favorite book from home or choose one at the library. While the children are reading, parents will have 15 minutes of free time to spend in the library.
All dogs are current on vaccinations and insured by the group. For more information about the dogs or the Caring Paws organization contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ongoing Children's Programs
Learn more about "Reading to the Dogs" - Saturday, January 28: 2 to 3 p.m.; Elm room & Walnut Rooms
Lapsit for babies & toddlers who are too young to sit quietly for the regular story time and their parents or other caregivers. Mondays at 10:30 am and 11:15 am in the Children's Program Room. Lead by Volunteer Amanda Barche Lindbergfrom Ivy Tech. This is a good opportunity for families to make new friends and have fun at the library.
Story time is held each Tuesday at 10:30 am, Thursday at 4:00 pm, and Friday at 10:30 am in the Children's Program Room. Come and listen to Miss Linda read stories and help children create a craft. Parents and caregivers are expected to attend with their children. Programs are designed for 2 to 5 year olds, but older children are welcome to attend.
Many other special programs are held throughout the year.
