Regular library activities for children
Our libraries provide fun sessions run by experienced and trained staff for parents, carers and their children, with regular rhymetimes, storytimes and clubs for older children including coding, art club and much more!
The libraries also have plenty of other one-off events, talks, workshops and more, both in the Library and on Zoom.
Activities in our libraries
Rhyme Time
Thursdays 10–10.30am
Ages 0-5.
Sing favourite action songs and nursery rhymes then enjoy a free play session. Rhyme Time is a great opportunity for children to experience stories, rhymes and music with their parents or carers in a relaxed atmosphere.
Stay and Play
Thursdays 10.30–11.30am
Ages 0-5.
Children can play with Artizan Library's wide range of toys and socialise with other children. As well as being a great way for little ones to develop their social skills and form first friendships, the sessions are also a great way to meet other parents too.
Calm Colouring
Wednesdays 3-5pm
Come along and relax with some mindful colouring. This is a free event and you do not need to book in advance.
Pick and Play Puzzles
Mondays 3-6.30pm
Ages 0-11.
Come pick and play! Drop in and choose a puzzle or two to solve. Free!
Bookstart Rhyme Time
Mondays 10.45-11.15am
Fridays 10.45-11.15am
Saturdays 10.45-11.15am
Ages 0-5
Get your child’s literacy off to a flying start by coming along to one of our popular Rhyme Time sessions.
Sing songs and nursery rhymes, listen to stories, then stay and play with our toys!
Bookstart Story Time
Mondays 4-4.30pm
Ages 3+
Grab a seat and listen to an assorted hand-picked collection of wacky, weird and wonderful stories.
Fairy tales to modern classics and everything in between.
Toy Time
Wednesdays 12-2pm
Ages 0-5
Come and play with our fun and exciting selection of toys in a happy and relaxed atmosphere!
Thursday Games Club
Thursdays 5.30-7pm
All ages welcome.
Choose from our wide selection of games and have some fun! Chess, Connect 4, Guess Who?, Snakes & Ladders, Draughts, Nine Men's Morris, Scrabble and loads more! All materials provided.
Monster Art Clubs
Fridays 4-5pm
Saturdays 2-3.30pm
All ages welcome.
Unleash your creativity and join us for an afternoon of artistic and colouring excitement! All materials provided.
Rhyme Times
Tuesdays 10.30-11.30am
Wednesdays 10.30-11.30am
Ages 0-5
Singing and multi-sensory fun! Toys, a story and singing from us. Please join us for this very popular activity.
Calm Colouring
Mondays 3-5pm
Come along and relax with some mindful colouring. This is a free event and you do not need to book in advance.
Pick and Play Puzzles
Tuesdays 2-6pm
Come along to Shoe Lane Library and get puzzling! Free to attend, no booking necessary. Ages 0-9.
Messy Play
Last Thursday of the month 10.30-11.30am
Ages 0-5
Messy and creative pay for the under 5s. Please wear old clothes and bring a change of clothes. Great fun!
Please note the Read to Succeed scheme is temporarily suspended, but expressions of interest are still welcomed - please contact Barbican Children's Library.
Would your child benefit from some extra help with their reading?
Could you spare an hour a week to help a child improve their literacy skills?
The Read to Succeed scheme, run by Artizan Street and Barbican Children's Library, offers children aged five to 14 years the opportunity to improve their literacy skills and develop a love of reading for life by pairing a child with a volunteer reading partner.
If you can spare an hour a week to help a child develop their reading skills by giving one to one support and encouragement with the aid of full training, or you would like your child to improve their reading, contact Barbican Children's Library.
Donations
If you would like to sponsor our programmes for adults and children, please consider making a donation to our libraries. 100% of all monies received from donations comes to the Barbican and Community Libraries service.
Social media and Eventbrite
Many of our activities are also accessible via our social media platforms and you can also find many of our events listed on Eventbrite - follow the links below:
Barbican Library Eventbrite
Shoe Lane Eventbrite
Artizan Street Library Eventbrite