Winter Session Storytimes

January 16-February 29

Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m.: Bilingual Storytime/ Cuentacuentos bilingüe 

Children of all ages and their caregivers are invited to enjoy songs, rhymes and stories in both English and Spanish. 
Niñas y niños de todas las edades están invitados a participar en cuentos y canciones en inglés y español. 

Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m.: Baby Storytime

Books, bounces, and songs together that build early literacy skills while you bond with baby, following that with a social, open playtime with special toys. Geared to babies birth to 24 months and their caregivers. Siblings always welcome.

Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.: Family Storytime

Let's talk, sing, read, write, and play together as we build early literacy skills while having fun! Geared to children aged 2-5 and their caregivers. Siblings always welcome

Can't make our in-person storytimes? Please check out our archived, captioned digital storytimes on YouTube. 

You are your child's first teacher, and your child will get more out of storytime if you take what we shared home with you and reintroduce it.

If you attend Baby Storytime, try doing the rhymes and bounces we shared at home.

If you attend Family Storytime, notice and point out the "letter of the day" wherever you see it. Ask your child to retell one of the stories we shared to a friend or family member who wasn't there. Play "I spy something that starts with [the letter of the day--or any letter; it's always a good game]."

These are quick and easy ways to boost your child's early literacy skills and the effects of storytime. Give them a try!

See below for favorite storytime rhymes and songs to listen, dance, and bounce to at home.

Try singing and moving to these storytime favorites at home! Singing and rhyming build children's listening skills and help them hear that words are made up of smaller sounds.

Further down, you'll find a video playlist of librarians performing songs and fingerplays in Spanish.

Family Storytime Favorites

Baby Storytime Favorites

If you need help finding the music CDs that contain these songs, just ask. If the library doesn't carry the CD you need, we can order it for you via interlibrary loan. Some musicians we recommend and play often: Laurie Berkner, Jim Gill, The Learning Groove (available through MNLink), Ralph's World, and the CD Songs for Wiggleworms. 

Storytimes other than Northfield Public Library's that you can access at any time.

*Storytime from Space features astronauts reading story books while floating around in orbit! 

*Tell Me a Story from the King County Library System offers TONS of action rhyme and fingerplay videos by librarians, so you can chant along and do the motions with them just like in in-person storytime! Rhymes and chants like these build children's ability to hear that words are made up of syllables, an important skill for learning to read. Below is one playlist; you'll find even more at the site.

*Storyline Online offers videos of celebrities reading picture books like The Kissing Hand, Harry the Dirty Dog, Strega Nona, and more. One reservation: rather than showing people reading books while facing the viewing audience, the videos are done as voice-overs in which the illustrations are "animated" slightly and the text does not appear--so children can't see the words and connect them to the story. Your child will hear the text of picture books, but the experience will be more like watching a slow-moving cartoon.