{"id":33158,"date":"2017-01-05T07:14:39","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T12:14:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=33158"},"modified":"2021-02-12T08:25:41","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T13:25:41","slug":"4-things-kids-can-check-library-arent-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/4-things-kids-can-check-library-arent-books\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Things Your Kids Can Check Out at the Library (That Aren’t Books!)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this week the girls and I made our weekly trip to the library. I don’t know about you, but I never gave much thought to libraries. I vaguely remember the one from my childhood. It was tucked inside the park my brother played baseball at. I remember it being rather small, dimly lit and (duh) full of books. I recall searching the shelves early on in my schooling, mostly for things about whale sharks or black holes, as those were my two go-to topics for every elementary research paper I did.<\/p>\n

As I got older and the internet got to be more of a thing (online Encyclopaedia Britannica anyone?!) I visited libraries less and less until I couldn’t remember the last time I had set foot in one. Not a fact I’m proud of, but a fact nonetheless.<\/p>\n

Fast forward a few years to when I had Hailey. Looking for ways to meet mom friends<\/a>, I randomly saw a flyer for storytime. Hoping at least one other mom would show up, I took my firstborn to our first storytime experience. I wandered in about 5 minutes early and the entire room was PACKED full. It was that day I realized I stumbled upon a mom’s best friend, the library<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Since then I’ve discovered all sorts of cool (FREE) things to take advantage of and in case you’re a new mom or just haven’t been to your library in a while, here are a few of my favorites that are worth checking out (quite literally).<\/p>\n

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The DVD Collection<\/strong><\/p>\n

What? Did she just say to go to the library to get movies? I did. I have been blown away by the thousands of movies available at our library. All the childhood classics, the most up-to-date releases, educational films, TV favorites and more. Before road trips, I go and pick out 4 or 5 to rent. It’s completely free and I can keep them for the duration of our trip. It’s such a better deal than Red Box, renting, or buying.<\/p>\n

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The Computers<\/strong><\/p>\n

If I’m being truthful, I don’t actually like how accessible the computers are, smack in the middle of all the books. That’s my personal beef though because my kids are drawn to them like a moth to flame. The computers are, however, set up with a large array of interactive and educational games featuring favorite childhood characters (like Dora, George and more). It’s also a nice opportunity to let kids get completely hands on without a parent (me) hovering over them to make sure they don’t accidentally delete anything.<\/p>\n

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The Books on CD<\/strong><\/p>\n

A hidden gold mine!! Our library has a decent collection (and after speaking with them I found out they hope to expand it soon) of books that come with CDs that children can “read” and follow along with themselves. Most CDs have page turn signals (something I always check for), making these great for the car or perfect for at home when you need a solo activity.<\/p>\n

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Music and Story CDs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another favorite section of mine, I always pick up 2-3 on each weekly visit. The girls’ favorites are definitely the Song & Story CDs.<\/a> We’ve listened to the same 7 song and story CDs more times than I can count. They also have a lot of nursery rhyme song options, which are great for toddlers and preschoolers, and even educational music that focuses on foreign languages, alphabet and spelling, or even math.<\/p>\n

If you’re thinking what kind of mom would make their children listen to songs about counting?<\/p>\n

This one right here.<\/p>\n

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Don’t knock it; the songs are actually quite catchy!<\/p>\n

As a mom looking for free things to do, the library offers so many great activities too. From doll houses and toys to play with right there, to kid-specific crafts, to puppet shows, to reading time with a therapy dog, and more (many libraries even offer free passes to local museums and zoos), the library is a gold mine for parents looking for fun, free activities for the kids.<\/p>\n

[Tweet “The library is more than just books; why every mom should plan a visit! #momlife”]<\/p>\n

Also, if a child can write his or her name, they can get a library card. Hailey (5) has one and I love the responsibility it is teaching her to keep up with her books and take good care of someone else’s property.<\/p>\n

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I’m reading over this thinking it sure sounds like it’s sponsored by the library. It’s not, haha<\/em>, but I do feel passionate about how much the library has given me. When I was a new mom to two, it was so helpful to have a place to take Hailey to play or listen to a story while I held Kaitlyn. I also met one of my good mom friends though a story time when Hailey was a baby. Oh yeah, and they have a ton of books for all ages too. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

Do you visit your library often?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is your favorite thing your library offers?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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