Play at the Library

When most parents think about the library, they think only about the books – either the ones that they check out for themselves or the books that they read to their children before bedtime every night. Many people don’t think of the library as a place to play. Liberal Memorial Library has been a Family Place Library for almost a year now, and we are starting to get the reputation as the place to go to play. Family Place Library is a program that brings the community together. It gives parents a place to learn about parenting and children the place to play. The library always has toys out aimed at children from birth to five years of age. The toys are free for all families in the community to come and use in the library at any time.

While many parents (myself included) are nervous about their children hitting the milestones on time and want to try and educate their children, research has shown that one of the most important things that a parent can do is to play with their child. Put away those flashcards and baby learning DVDs and just play. It may seem strange at first, but your child is actually learning a lot.

When a child plays with an adult, they learn new vocabulary and literacy skills. When playing with toy dinosaurs, you probably didn’t even think about it but you just taught your child the words armor, carnivore and scales. When having a tea party, making a menu together will reinforce the idea that words have meanings. When a child plays with a parent or other children, they learn team work, sharing and other social skills that they won’t get in a classroom setting or through flashcards. Pretend play gives children a place to imagine a different world and experience different roles. Parents might feel strange at first putting a strainer on their head and pretending that they are an alien from outer space, but it gets easier and your child will guide you through the scene.

Play also promotes good health, which is important when a child starts learning in the traditional way. Times have changed and children are spending less time outside and more time in front of a screen. Experts recommend at least an hour a day of physical activities for kids. While going to the park every day is ok at first, after a while both parents and children will be bored of the same old same old. Try sharing some of the games that you played in your childhood. When others in your neighborhood see you out having fun, they will join in and you will probably have enough kids to form teams.

Play is important. Some even go so far as to say that the job of a child is to play. The next time that you walk into the library and see (or hear) kids playing in the library, just remember that they are actually doing their jobs and learning.

If you still need help finding fun at the library, sign up for the next parent/child workshop, where parents and children spend an hour a week playing together for five weeks. The next one will be held in early spring. We are starting a separate Family Place Library Facebook page, so parents of young children can learn about this excellent program and keep in touch with each other. Story time and special programming are a way to have fun and are open to all. Story times incorporate music and art activities, which are another form of play. For more information or to get a schedule, stop by the library or email me at childrens@lmlibrary.org.