Did you know there’s something for every member of your family at the Library, by design?
That’s why when your child is not in school on Fridays, we offer Neighbourhood StoryTime in the morning, afternoon Boardgames, Lego Robotics and Vex Robotics programs.
We also have out-and-about weekly programs like our StoryWalk winding through the Mouats Park trail, which allows you a walk in nature while taking in a new story every week.
Add to that Afterschool Programs and Mother Goose – and you and your family have lots of things to do and ways to connect to the community around you. Grab a book and get some time to yourself while you’re at it! There’s something for everyone at the Library.
Weekly Drop-in Programs
Mother Goose
Thursdays @ 10AM -11AM
The Parent-Child Mother Goose Program is for parents, caregivers, and children birth to 6 years old to share in the pleasure and power of songs, rhymes and stories together. Join us in the Library Community Program Room at the Library every Thursday Morning for some fun social time, early learning, and child bonding! A Family Place & Salt Spring Library Partnership Program.
Neighbourhood Story Time
Fridays @ 11AM-11:30AM
Who are the People in your Neighbourhood? They’re the people reading children’s stories each week! From doctors, to retired teachers, to veterans, to school principals, to local celebrities, to firefighters, to arborists, to ECEs, to authors, to local business owners or representatives – we have quite a list of kind and community-engaged volunteers reading to our island’s youngest members. You never know who you will get to know in the community when you drop in for a Neighbourhood Story Time.
Children’s Board Games
Friday @1PM-4PM
Thanks to generous support and partnership with Foxes Board Game Shop, the Library is proud to offer new and updated boardgames for children of all ages on Friday afternoons. Families are welcome, children can play games independently too. Plus: Snacks! Thanks to Community Support from Country Grocers Sponsorship, treat your children to some snacks while you play the afternoon away!
Friday STEM Programs – Winter 2025
Registration Required – All Programs are free
Program dates: Jan 10, Jan 17, Jan 24, Jan 31, Feb 7, Feb 14, Feb 28, Mar 7
Lego Pathfinders
Ages 6, 7, 8
10:00AM-11:15AM
Learn what a robot is and how people use them in everyday life.
From self-driving cars to automatic coin sorters, we will discover the Robots and Mechanisms people use to make our lives simpler and sometimes more fun!
We use Lego SPIKE Essentials kits as the foundation of this program.
Lego Adventurers
Ages 9, 10, 11
11:30AM-1:00PM
Discover new places and the vehicles and robots we use to get there.
From deep sea submersibles to outer space rocket ships, we will learn about the incredible ways humas get to the hardest to reach places.
We use Lego SPIKE Prime kits as the foundation of this program.
Vex IQ Robotics
Ages 11, 12, 13
1:45PM-3:15PM
Vex IQ is your child’s introduction to REAL Robot building!
This program will introduce your child to coding, engineering & collaboration.
Innovative thinking, communication and teamwork lead to real-world problem solving and opportunities to build lifelong skills and friendships.
We use Vex IQ Robotics kits as the foundation of this program.
Planned Events, Pop-ups, Workshops
Stay tuned for more of these! There’s always something interesting around Halloween, and there’s usually author readings, documentaries, children’s entertainers, or film screenings.
Weekly Program: StoryWalk
In Partnership with the InterLink Library Federation, Salt Spring Island’s CRD, and with support from the Times New Colonist, we are pleased to offer a weekly StoryWalk Program. A new story goes up each week, every Friday.
What is a StoryWalk? A page-by-page stroll through a book. Starting at the park entrance on McPhillips, yellow signs posted with laminated pages allow walkers-and-readers to leisurely take in a book while having a lovely walk in nature. A wonderful combination of literacy, physical activity, forest immersion, and time with loved ones away from a screen, this is wonderful, healthy, FREE family activity any day of the week.