You can join a play session at your local library. These are designed to help babies, toddlers and young children develop an early love of language and reading.

Toddler Time

Toddler Time is a fun and interactive drop in session where parents and carers can share a mix of stories, rhymes and songs with their children. Sessions may also include a creative activity related to reading. Toddler Time is aimed at children under 5 years old, but all children are welcome to attend. 

You can drop in to a Toddler Time session at:

• Boscombe Library on Fridays from 10am to 10:30am
• Bournemouth Library on Fridays from 10am to 10:30am
• Charminster Library on Tuesdays from 2pm to 2:30pm
• Ensbury Park Library on Tuesdays from 10:30am to 11:30am (term time only)
• Highcliffe Library on Fridays from 11am to 11:30am
• Kinson Library on Thursdays from 10:30am to 11:am
• Parkstone Library on Tuesdays from 11am to midday
• Pokesdown and Southbourne Library on Tuesdays from 2:15pm to 2:45pm
• Poole Library on Thursdays from 9:45am to 10:15am
• West Howe Library on Thursdays from 10:30am to 11am
• Westbourne Library on Fridays from 10am to 10:30am
• Winton Library on Thursdays from 2:15pm to 2:45pm

Wriggle and Rhyme

Wriggle and Rhyme is a free 30 minute interactive session for babies, toddlers under 2 years old and their parents or carers, with lots of noisy fun and instruments to shake and rattle.

Sessions are based around sharing nursery rhymes, action songs, musical instruments and board books. Singing rhymes with your baby can help with their speech development.

Wriggle and Rhyme takes place at many of our libraries. Check the Wriggle and Rhyme timetable for more information.

Story Time Tribe

Christchurch Library is offering Story Time Tribe, a story and craft activity for children over 2 years old. This activity must be booked in advance. It takes place on Tuesdays from 10:15am to 10:45am.

Stay and Play

Some of our libraries have Stay and Play sessions where children can play with toys borrowed from our local toy libraries or donated by members of the community.

Group play helps children learn to communicate and share, which helps their social development. The sessions also provide an opportunity for parents and carers to meet and chat.

There is no need to attend the whole session so you can just drop in at any time that suits you. The sessions are aimed at children under 5 years old, but all are welcome.

You can join a Stay and Play session at:

• Castlepoint Library, Thursdays from 10am to 11am
• Springbourne Library, Tuesdays from 10:30am to midday
• Boscombe Library, Wednesdays from 10am to midday
• Kinson Library on Thursdays from 11am to 11:30am
• Pokesdown and Southbourne Library, the second Saturday of the month from 9:30am to 1pm