I’m delighted to share 10 rewarding reasons to take kids to the public library. As a result of there being so many benefits my husband Coltin and I love taking our girls there! Sometimes we check out around twenty books in a single trip, and to our delight our daughters Hailee & Trina zip through most of them in no time at all.

An adventure awaits at the public library

While at the library I so enjoy seeing my children’s joy! Their little faces light up as they explore. They feel like they are shopping! Enjoying the freedom to check out (almost) anything their hearts desire brings them great excitement. They stroll through the aisles and carefully pull whatever sparks interest from the shelves. Often times they plop onto the floor to explore the bottom shelves, or skim through the pages of something they picked out. I love watching them carry a handful of books to a nearby table. Once they begin flipping through the pages they find so much they want to share about. So many pictures, stories, jokes, and at times questions. It’s as if they’re on an adventure, and they want to take me along.

Before leaving, we usually stop by the “Children’s Corner,” where they play shop-keeper at the pretend marketplace and kindly converse with the other kids.

Feelings of freedom and responsibility

After about an hour we make our way to check out, and the girls feel so grown up as they use the scanner and carefully make sure they get the barcode on every item to beep. Once we make it to the car they pull books from the bags and continue with their exploring. If we’re leaving the library in the evening, I make the short drive home with my dome light on or I give my girls a small flashlight to use while they read in the backseat.

A trip to the public library has so many benefits

One of the rewarding reasons I make these trips to the library is that l always feel accomplished and encouraged. To both Coltin and I’s surprise, Hailee has now read more books than we were able to keep up with counting, and Trina’s interest in books continues to grow. Regular trips to the library have been great for our family. We have truly gained so much from these trips and for this reason I had to write and tell you about it just in case you have not yet utilized this very valuable resource in your community. I hope every parent knows the value of a library card.

10 rewarding reasons to take advantage of the library a free and excellent resource that is readily available in most communities!

10 Rewarding reasons to take your kids to the public library

1. It’s a free family field-trip that encourages kids to regularly spend time in books 
2. You raise up readers, and readers become leaders  
3. The library is a good place to meet people, and make new friends
4. Make great memories with your children  
5. There are reading programs, and incentives to read. The Columbus Ohio library offers a “Summer Reading Challenge” that rewards our time spent reading with free passes to local attractions & coupons to restaurants
6. Even a quick trip can serve as a healthy break from screen time  
7. The library is a perfect place to have fun on rainy days, or during the winter months
8. They often offer organized events such as plays, holiday crafts, or homework help workshops 
9. You can easily have books readily available to read to, and with your kids 
10. Save money. Books are expensive, and they are quickly outgrown, whereas the library is FREE, and it provides us with the ability to always offer new and exciting books to our children! 

* If you live in central Ohio take a look at the Library website for a calendar of events, and information on fun reading programs for your kids. https://www.columbuslibrary.org

Hoping you take you are inspired by these rewarding reasons to head to the Library,  

Mandee Rohn