Children's Programs

View our Winter Program Calendar

View our Spring Program Calendar

Library Story Time - Tuesdays at 10:15am

Join Ms. Jenn every Tuesday morning for our preschool story time, complete with stories, songs, crafts, early literacy activities, and fun for everyone!

When: Tuesdays at 10:15am
Who: 18 months - 4 years
Registration: Drop in/No Registration

Baby Bop - Fridays at 10:15am

GPL has a weekly story time just for babies! Bring your little one for lap bounces and songs, sensory play, early literacy fun, and activities for fine and gross motor development! Please note that while this program is intended for babies under 18 months of age, older siblings and toddlers are welcome to tag along!

When: Fridays at 10:15am
Who: 0-18 months (older siblings are also welcome)
Registration: Drop in/No Registration

Tween Book Club

Hey Tweens! Join GPL's Tween Book Club! Each month we will tackle a great new genre in the format that works best for you – book, eBook, audiobook, or graphic novel! Come to monthly meetings for snacks, activities, and swag to enrich your reading experience. You’ll meet up with peers, discuss your book, do fun crafts, and play awesome games!

April:  Playing with Poetry

When: Last Wednesday of Every Month at 6pm
Who: Ages 8-12
Registration: One Time Registration Required

Register Here

Kids' Club - April

Calling all kids! Join our weekly, after-school kids' club jam-packed with fun activities, crafts, games, and of course, reading! Register each month for a new theme.

April: Art Attack!  New fantastical, whimsy-filled art projects every week!  From Epic Easter Eggs to Earth Day Delights, we will become expert artists at April's Kids' Club!

When: Wednesdays in April from 4-5pm. Join us right after school for an activity before the program starts at 4pm 
Who: Ages 6-12
Registration: Monthly Required 

Register Here

Teen Leadership Council (TLC) - Starting Tuesday, April 11th from 3:30-4:30

Calling all teens!  Give yourselves and your community a little TLC with our new Teen Leadership Council.  Meet once a month to hang with friends, enjoy some delicious food, and plan programs for yourself, your peers, and the community, all while getting volunteer hours!  No experience required!

When:  Second Tuesday of the month, starting Tuesday, April 11th at 3:30pm
Who:  Ages 12-18
Registration:  Not Required/Drop In

Did you participate in a program? Tell us what you liked, any suggestions or other comments.

 
Online Programs
 Baby Bop
Baby Bop Episode 1
Baby Bop Episode 2
Baby Bop Episode 3
Baby Bop Episode 4
 Music 4 Minis 
Music 4 Minis: Week 1
Music 4 Minis: Week 2
Music 4 Minis: Week 3
Music 4 Minis: Week 4
Music 4 Minis: Week 5
Music 4 Minis: Week 6
Music 4 Minis: Week 7
Music 4 Minis: Week 8
 Junior Engineers
Junior Engineers: Marshmallow Challenge
Junior Engineers: Crazy Catapult Challenge
Junior Engineers: Marble Run
Junior Engineers: Boats That Float Challenge
Junior Engineers: Rube Goldberg Machines
 Sing & Sign
Sing & Sign - Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Sing & Sign - The Itsy Bitsy Spider
Sing & Sign - Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed
Sing & Sign - Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Sing & Sign - Rain, Rain, Go Away
Sing & Sign - The Farmer in the Dell
Sing & Sign - Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes
Sing & Sign - If You're Happy and You Know it
Sing & Sign - Baby Shark
 Thinkers & Tinkers Lab - Home Edition
Thinkers & Tinkers - Slime
Thinkers & Tinkers - Structures
Thinkers & Tinkers - Lego Math Talk
Thinkers & Tinkers - Paper Sculpture Masks
Thinkers & Tinkers - Photography
Thinkers & Tinkers - Musical Instruments
Thinkers & Tinkers - Plants
Thinkers & Tinkers - Engineering Design Process
Thinkers & Tinkers - Math Games
Thinkers & Tinkers - Insects, Arachnids, and Scientific Illustration
Thinkers & Tinkers - Coding Basics
Thinkers & Tinkers - Sign Language Songs

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

1000 Books Before Kindergarten (1BBK) is a free literacy program for newborns, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The goal? Read 1000 books with your little one before they start Kindergarten. Take GPL's 1000 Books pledge—and we'll be your cheerleaders along the way. 1BBK can help your little one develop a love of reading, provides you with opportunities to bond, and helps your child develop the early literacy skills they need for success later in life.

Track your progress with a 1000 Books poster (you can pick up a copy at the Library), or use the stay-at-home version that you can print and colour yourself. Download our letter-size poster with 100 leaves per page in the links below to get started.  Remember, you can repeat books as many times as you want, and virtual story times and audiobooks count, too. When you've finished all 1000 books, download and print the certificate below to celebrate! 

 

Why participate in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten?
Because your child’s learning starts at birth! Did you know:
  • By age 3, a child’s brain has reached 80 percent of its adult volume.
  • The brain develops most rapidly during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.
  • A toddler’s brain creates up to two million new connections every second.
  • Early experiences and interactions are key factors in a child’s brain development. According to the Canadian Pediatric Society, “early exposure to language—whether through books, words, or songs—can help prevent problems and promote health." (Canadian Paediatric Society, 2016)
  • A child’s ability to learn language skills is greatest before the age of 6.
  • Early literacy skills have a lifelong impact on educational, social, and occupational successes.
  • Being read to during early childhood is a predictor of school readiness & success.

(1000 Books Foundation, 2017)

Research shows that shared reading is the single most important activity you can do with your child(ren) to help them get ready to read (Ghoting, S. & Martin-Diaz, P., 2013). 1BBK offers you an intentional way to incorporate shared reading experiences into everyday life.

Shared reading is so important because it helps your child:

  • Develop a habit of reading.
  • Create positive reading experiences (which allows them to experience the joy of reading. When reading is a joyful experience, children become lifelong readers!)
  • Develop confidence.
  • Experience warm and nurturing interactions with adults they care about.
  • Bond with their family (shared reading experiences can be a whole family affair—with parents, caregivers, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, pets, stuffed animals, etc.)
 How 1BBK Works?
Three easy steps:

1. Pick up a 1000 Books Before Kindergarten tracker or print at home below.
Use the tracker to keep track of the books you read together—the number will grow as your child grows. All children in your family from birth to just before Kindergarten can get a tracker.

2. Read and track (& repeat)
Every time you read a book with your child, colour in a leaf, snowflake or flower on your tracker. Repeat, repeat, repeat (until you’ve reached 1000 books)!

3. Celebrate!
Once you’re reached 1000 books, celebrate that achievement!

The Math

Does reading 1000 books before your child reaches kindergarten sound intimidating? You can easily reach this milestone by establishing a daily reading habit. How fast you reach it is up to you. You can read one book or multiple books each day—it’s up to you.

  • 3 books a day for 1 year = 1,095 books
  • 1 book a day for 3 years = 1,095 books
 Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I sign up?

Drop by the Library to pick up the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten tracker. You and your child can start participating as soon as they are born all the way up until they enter Kindergarten. Tip: Display your tracker somewhere in your home that is highly visibly and where everyone in your family can see it. Once you have your tracker, choose a few books and start reading them with your child.

Q: Do we have to keep track of the titles of each book we read?

You can keep a list of the title and author of the books you read if you want but it is not required. There is also a free 1000 Books Before Kindergarten app you can download to track your titles, if you wish.

Q: Can we count books that we have read more than once?

Yes, absolutely. If you have read Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 5 times—even if you've read it in the past—count that as 5 books.

Q: Is there a required reading list?

Your child and you choose which books to read… any book in any language counts. If you’re looking for suggestions, ask staff for recommendations next time you’re at the library or check out our catalogue to see what's new. 

Q: What if my child is already in school?

1BBK is designed specifically for children who are not yet in school, but if you'd like to use the tracker to record how many books your older child(ren) are reading feel free, you can absolutely set a goal with them to read 1000 books (or more).

Q: Can we count books that have been read to my child by someone else (for example, a librarian, babysitter, sibling, etc.)?

Any book that has been read to your child counts.

Q: My child likes to move and won’t sit for an entire story. Does it still count?

Yes! Children need to move and explore the world around them—it’s how they learn. Young children have varying attention spans and sometimes certain books just don’t capture their attention. You can keep reading while they move or simply count it as read even if you have not finished the entire book. Tip: Try reading interactive books or books that require the reader to participate.

Q: What else can I do (at the library) to help my child get ready for reading?

In addition to reading books daily with your child, you can (see Related Links below):

  • Read, Write, Talk, Sing, Play at home every day
  • Play with your child in our children’s area
  • Attend a library story time (currently virtual on our social media)
  • Attend our other programs for young children (currently virtual on our social media)

Q: Do you have any tips on how to read books with my child or what type of books to choose?

Here are some of the things you can do with books, borrowed from Mind in the Making by Ellan Galinsky (2010).

With infants and toddlers:

  • Choose books that young children can’t harm when they put them in their mouths
  • Encourage your baby to explore books: touching, opening, turning pages, chewing books all count!
  • Talk about the pictures
  • Choose books that have rhymes, repetition, and catchy refrains
  • Create routines for family story time (such as at bedtime)

With preschoolers:

  • Use books as conversation starters (i.e., ask your child what they think the characters might be feeling or thinking)
  • Ask what and why questions – they are wonderful prompts for discussion
  • Encourage your child to ask questions about the stories
  • Choose stories whose themes interest or resonate with your child (i.e., they have an interest in dinosaurs, or they are nervous to try something new)
  • Choose books that have rhymes, repetition, and catchy refrains. If there is a rhyme in the book, ask your child if they can think of other words that sound like that word (for example, hat, mat, sat, bat, cat, etc.)

With all children:

  • Know that reading with your child is what matters!

Printables

Printable 1000 Books Tracker - 11" x 17" (Colour)

Printable 100 Book Tracker - 8 1/2" x 11" (Colour)

Printable 100 Book Tracker - 8 1/2" x 11" (Black and White)

Fillable Picture Tracker - 8 1/2" x 11" (Colour) 

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