Nico & CJ Visit the Public Library!
Wow, it is definitely summer in New England! For many families, summer is a time full of visits to splash pads, pools and local public libraries- any place where families can go to cool off and enjoy some extra time together. As a toddler mom myself, I love visiting different public libraries around Connecticut to explore, play, learn and read with my daughter. Long gone are the days of the stereotypical mean librarian shushing children. These days, most public libraries have Children’s areas that welcome play, exploration, laughter and all of the regular kid noises that come along with play. Especially in the summer, public libraries have tons of programs for kids of all ages, and they have air conditioning too!
As a Children’s Librarian, I know the importance of collaborating with local community partners to offer great programs for families in our communities. Last November, my library was thrilled to host Feel Your Best Self for an incredible storytime and puppet-making workshop. Two of the amazing FYBS characters, Nico and CJ, even made guest appearances! Kids were so excited to high five Nico and CJ and to practice some strategies with these fun friends.
At this collaborative event, kids and families learned strategies for calming down, focusing on the Belly Breathing technique demonstrated in the book, Nico Tries Belly Breathing. Families also learned about how to access even more social-emotional learning through videos and free content on the FYBS website. After the storytime, families created their own puppets and practiced using those puppets to express different emotions or FYBS strategies. What an amazing program!
I was so glad to be able to offer this program to families in our community- all for free, of course! Many families approached me after the program to let me know how much they had learned and how they’d begun using the strategies learned in our collaborative workshop in their own lives. We can’t wait to partner with this amazing organization again in the future.
Next time you’re looking for a cool spot to play with your family, stop by your local library for FREE family fun, and while you’re there, ask if they have books from the Feel Your Best Self collection. We have the entire book collection here at the Mansfield Public Library and everyone is welcome here, so we hope to see you soon!
Emily Webson, Youth Services Librarian at the Mansfield Public Library (& toddler mom!)
