Libraries to host story time

Weekly storytimes will be held at every branch of the Sussex County Library System from the first full week in January through the last week of February.

Babies up to age two are invited to participate in Lapsits. As the name implies, each child sits with a parent or caregiver while both participate in silly songs, fingerplays, and call and response stories. This is followed by a brief period of free play to encourage early socialization.

“It’s pre-preschool for our youngest budding readers,” said Leigh Wilkinson, Coordinator of Youth Services for the SCLS. “Early exposure to picture books, relating pictures to words, following simple instructions while being distracted by your peers, these are all building blocks for school success.”

For children ages 3-5, Read & Play Storytimes offer more complex stories, shake-out-your-sillies type sing-alongs, and the chance to participate in a simple craft or free play.

“Every trip to the library is an opportunity for a child to step out of the home environment and discover something new,” said Wilkinson. “You never know what’s going to spark a child’s interest. Perhaps today’s most promising engineers were inspired by an early reading of The Little Engine That Could or Minnie and Moo Go to the Moon.”

Lapsits always start at 10 a.m., followed by Read & Play Storytimes at 11 a.m.