• By April Mittelstaedt
• Posted Monday, April 27, 2020

Storytime at Home

Greetings friends and neighbors!

How are you feeling today? I know I'm going a little stir crazy. One thing I really miss is seeing all my friends for Storytime and Music and Movement while the library programs are suspended. I know my friends miss being able to come to the library and see their friends, too, so I have an idea on how to create a Storytime feeling while maintaining our social distance.

Step 1: Find a place to sit

Much like a perfect picnic, the perfect storytime also has to have the perfect location. When I'm in the library, I like to sit in front of the big picture window in the kids section. At my house, I build a big pillow fort in the middle of my living room and get very cozy with some tea and blankets.

Step 2: Find a story

There are a lot of different ways to find a story online right now. Whether it's Storyline Online, Storytime from Space, or a loved one who can read you a story over video, a good story is a good story. You can find books to read while staying safe at home through our digital library. (We also have more activities you can do from home on our Virtual Children's Library page.)

Step 3: Invite your friends

Okay, okay, don't actually invite them over, but see if they can set up a video chat or a phone call so you can listen to the story together! This is a case where the more, the merrier. If none of your people-friends are available, it's time to break out the animal friends. Pets, stuffed animals, that spider that you know lives in your living room, invite them all.

Step 4: Time for the story

You've done it! This might feel a little different than a normal storytime at the library, but that's ok. A lot of things feel different these days and the important thing is to remember we're not alone. Even if we can't visit with our friends in person, there are many ways to stay connected with friends and family in these tough times. Invite a friend you haven't heard from in a while, or the friend you hear from every day. Every chance we get to talk to each other and spend time together while maintaining our safe social distance is a chance to grow our friendships stronger than ever.

Webstory HTML by April Mittelstaedt.