Dear parents and guardians, 

We miss you dearly in the branches. While we’ve seen many of you online at our weekly virtual storytimes, our programming rooms miss you and your little ones. However, don’t fret! We are still thinking about you and we decided to offer you a gift! While waiting for the return of in-branch programming, you will now be able to bring home our songs, rhymes and activities to create your very own analog Storytime! 

Next time you go in your favourite branch, keep your eyes peeled for the new thematic bundles of 5 books, tied together by string. This exciting 'Take home Storytime' initiative’s goal is to offer ideas and resources for you to recreate a Storytime session in your own living room, by yourself and to empower families to read, sing, play, talk, and write together without waiting for the next video or Zoom session. All these activities help your pre-literate child get ready for reading – learn more about the pre-literacy activities here. 

In addition to the books, the kits will also include a double-sided sheet promoting two bilingual activities to improve early literacy skills and/or numeracy skills (such as linking a letter to an image, finding and linking words that rhyme, counting an element in an image, etc.). These activity sheets will be yours to keep if you borrow a Take Home Storytime bundle. 

Finally, the 'Take home Storytime' will also include a double-sided page focusing on early literacy skills that will offer ideas of songs, rhymes, fingerplay, story stretchers, songs and options for activities (craft, active games, outdoor exploration, etc.) to do at home.  

If you have any questions about the kits, please do not hesitate to ask us during your next visit. We hope to hear all about your personalized Family Storytimes at home, organized by the best teacher a child can have... you!  

We hope to see you soon! Until then, have fun singing!