Kids

We offer storytimes and afterschool programs during the school year as well as our annual Summer Reading Program. Click on your local PCPL location below to learn more about what's happening at a library near you!

Handprint Flower Bouquets (Presentation)

Current programs and events
- Summer Reading KICKOFF! May 29^th at 11:00am. Get ready for our annual Summer Reading Program! This year’s theme is Unearth a Story and we are kicking it off with a party on the lawn! Enjoy music, snacks, games and most importantly, get signed up for the challenge!
Outreach
- Contact Alyssa, the Brosville/Cascade Youth Services Specialist, at 434-685-1285 to request an outreach visit to your daycare or school.

Special Events
- Dino Walk - Friday, May 15, 3:30 pm
  The Chatham Dino Walk is coming up!
  We have a Summer Reading 2026 kick-off event planned for Friday, May 15th, at the Chatham Library at 3:30pm, and we would love to have as many different dinosaurs as possible! We are inviting children and adults alike to dress up as dinosaurs for a “Dino Walk” from the library to Main Street, around the block, and back.
  Please join your friends and neighbors in this fun kick-off to the summer!
Current programs and events
- Tot Time – Wednesdays, 10:30 – 11:00 am
  Toddler storytime includes songs, rhymes, and activities that will get you moving! The books we read will be interactive and engaging. If your little one has graduated from crawling to confident walking, toddler storytime is for you!
- Little U – Thursdays, 10:30-11:00 am
  Preschool storytime will focus on more complicated rhymes that play on this age group’s developing sense of humor, and spend more time reading sillier and lengthier stories!
- May the 4th – Monday, May 4, 10am-2pm
  Chatham Library invites you to celebrate Star Wars on Monday May 4th! Join us for crafts, have some snacks, take selfies at our superhero selfie station, and enjoy a morning of sup-themed activities. Costumes are encouraged! All ages.
- Friday Paws – Friday, May 22, 3:00-4:30 pm
  On the fourth Friday each month, children are invited to practice their reading skills by sharing a book with a furry friend. Reading to therapy dogs can help improve kids' confidence in their reading abilities as well as help with emotional and social skills. Drop-in between 3:00 to 4:30 pm to give your child an opportunity to practice their reading skills one-on-one with a trained therapy dog.
Outreach
Contact Allison, the Chatham Youth Services Specialist, at 434-432-3271 to request an outreach visit to your daycare or school.

Kids & Family
- Craftastic (ages 5-12) Tuesdays at 10:30 am
  - June 2 – Sand Art Necklace
  - June 9 – Mini Canvas Art Session
  - June 16 – Dino Suncatchers
  - June 23 – Rainbow Dino
  - June 30 – Animal Scratch Masks
- LEGO
  Wednesday, June 3 at 3:00-4:00 pm and 6:00-7:00 pm
  LEGO Challenge is an interactive multi-literacy program that integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.) concepts aimed at developing innovation, imagination, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. School age children are introduced to the building
  blocks of one or more S.T.E.A.M learning concepts through exploratory hands-on activities in a fun and educational environment. School age children integrate engineering concepts and their imagination with hands-on building challenges with LEGO bricks.
- Take & Make Father’s Day Cards – Available June 8-18 while supplies last
- Pre-K Skill Builders – Monday, June 8 and 22 at 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
  An interactive, play-based session designed for children aged 3-5 and caregivers to foster kindergarten readiness.These programs focus on early literacy, math, and social skills through activities with thematic play stations.
- Family Story Time – Wednesday, June 10 at 11:00 am
  A time of stories and songs for all ages.
- Pasta Paleontology (ages 5-12) Wednesday, June 10 at 3:00 – 4:00 pm
  A STEAM-based craft and educational event where children learn about dinosaurs and fossilization by constructing their own dinosaur skeletons using various shapes of dried pasta.
- Mini Canvas Art Contest begins Monday, June 8 and the last day to return Mini Canvas Art Paintings is Friday, June 18
  Our mini canvas art contest is a community engagement program where patrons receive a free, small canvas (3x3) to create a masterpiece. Patrons are given choice to take home a canvas to paint or attend one of our mini canvas painting sessions.
- Public Voting for Mini Canvas Art begins Monday, June 22 and ends Friday, July 10
  Stop in to the Gretna Branch Library to vote for your favorite mini art canvas. One vote per person.
- Mini Canvas Art Session (all ages Thursday, June 11 at 5:00 – 7:00 pm
  Stop in to the library to create your mini canvas art using our supplies
- Mini Canvas Art Session (all ages) Friday, June 12 at 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
  Stop in to the library to create your mini canvas art using our supplies
- Indoor Movie: Ice Age 3 Monday, June 15 at 11:00 am
  Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) follows Sid the Sloth, who falls into a hidden underground world after adopting three abandoned dinosaur eggs. Manny, Ellie, and the herd go on a rescue mission, aided by a crazed weasel named Buck, while dealing with impending parenthood and a dangerous, massive albino Baryonyx named Rudy.
- Bingo for Books
  Tuesdays, June 16 at 4:30 pm
  Patrons of all ages are welcome to join us for an afternoon of Bingo. Win a game, pick a book as your prize!
- Cookie Archeology (ages 5-12) Wednesday, June 17 at 3:00 – 4:00pm
  A hands-on, STEAM-focused activity for kids that simulates an archaeological dig using chocolate chip cookies and toothpicks
- Outdoor Movie: Zootopia 2 8:30 pm
  Zootopia 2 (2025) is a Disney animated buddy-cop sequel where Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde investigate a complex, high-level conspiracy involving the forced displacement of reptiles. The pair goes undercover in new, vibrant city areas, facing a mysterious snake character named Gary De'Snake while exploring themes of identity and the secret, forgotten reptile population of Zootopia.

Outreach
- Contact Cammie, the Gretna Youth Services Specialist, at 434-290-3223 to request an outreach visit to your daycare or school.

Current programs and events
- Movie Mondays, Mondays, 10:30 AM
  Watch a movie in our Meeting Room with popcorn, as supplies last.
  June1: The Good Dinosaur
  June 8: The Land Before Time
  June 15: Dinosaur
  June 22: Ice Age
  June 29: Ice Age 2
- Family Storytime, Wednesdays OR Thursday at 10:30 AM, Recommended Ages 0-7
  Storytime for families, followed by a craft or activity. Choose ONE session each week. No registration required, but it will be first come, first serve.
- Kid Craft Fridays, Fridays at 11 AM, Ages 6-11, Registration Required
  June 5: Sunprint Photos. Create art using cyanotype paper.
  June 12: Pet rocks. Paint a cool pet rock to keep or give to a friend.
  June 26: 3-D Wooden Dinos. Paint a wooden dinosaur and then put it together.
- “Cave” Paintings, Tuesday, June 2, 10 AM-Noon
  Draw cave-like paintings on our sidewalk using paint made from chalk. Weather permitting.
- Book BINGO, Saturday, June 6, 11 AM, All Ages
  Play BINGO to win books! No registration is required.
- Little Archaeologist, Saturday, June 13, 11 AM, Ages 6+, Registration Required
  Dig into one of our outdoor flower beds to see what treasures you can find! Weather permitting.
- Retro Art: Spirograph, Wednesday, June 24, 4 PM, All Ages
  Take a trip down memory lane with spirograph art!
- Glacial Archaeology, Tuesday, June 23, 10 AM, Ages 6+, Registration Required
  Uncover unique gems or stones in this chilling adventure.
- Recycled Crafts: RECYCLOSAURUS, Saturday, June 27, 11 AM, Ages 6 to Adult
  Meets one Saturday each month to take something old and create something new! This month you can bring recyclable items and use the provided items as well to build a dinosaur of your own design. Younger children will need adult supervision. Registration required.
- DIY Travel Game, Monday, June 29, 3 PM, Ages 6, Registration Required
  In honor of our upcoming 250^th Anniversary, we will learn about some of the games played throughout our country’s history and make a travel-sized version of a popular game called “Shut the Door.”
Outreach
- - Contact Sharon, the Mt. Hermon Youth Services Specialist, at 434-835-0326 to request an outreach visit to your daycare or school.

Online Resources

Access Video: Just for Kids -- Enjoy TV shows like Arthur, Sesame Street, Odd Squad, SciGirls, and much more, including: read-along storybooks and learning videos to explore topics like reading, writing, math, arts and science.

Gale in Context Elementary -- Gale In Context: Elementary meets the research needs of students in Kindergarten through grade 5, with age-appropriate content from magazines, newspapers, and reference materials, covering current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, and more.

Homework HelpNow -- Connect LIVE with a certified tutor, seven days a week between 2 and 11 pm, for assistance with assignments and research, including math, reading, writing, science, social studies, and more! Submit your papers to a tutor in the Writing Lab for constructive feedback or take practice exams and create your own flashcards to prepare for tests. Tutoring is available in English and Spanish.

See all Pittsylvania Online Resources

Kids

Online Resources

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