Storytime – Winter 2023 – 2024
December 19 – February 24
View the Winter Storytime Schedule!
500 by Five
Help your child read 500 books by age five! Reading with your child helps them get read for school, increase their vocabulary, improve logical thinking, and more. See more information about 500 by Five and get started!
Earn an Honorary MLS!
We’re offering an opportunity for aspiring librarians to learn more about what we do and earn an honorary MLS (Mini Library Science) certificate! See more information and schedule an appointment!
Virtual Storytime and Activities
Watch virtual storytimes, get ideas for playtime with your little one, and more!
If you need special accommodations for any Library event or program, please submit our Accommodations Request form as soon as possible. It all starts with a little paint, trust, and pixie dust! Elementary and tween ages are invited to decorate a house fit for a fairy friend! You bring the magic, we bring the paint! Register with your email address to ensure plenty of supplies are available for each participant. It's gaming day! Join us as we hang out and play various Nintendo Switch games such as Overcooked 2, Classic Sonic, and more! Snacks and drinks will be provided. This event is for ages 12-18 ONLY. RAIN OR SHINE Explore the fascinating world of pollinators and beautiful Maryland native plants, while learning to recognize invasive “look-a-like” plant species. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Join Esther Bonney and Sam Rutherford, co-founders of Nurture Natives, along with Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay founders Marlene and Bill Smith, for an inspiring and educational family event. Native plants promote diverse and healthy habitat in your yard and are essential to supporting beneficial insects, birds, and small mammals. With wise choices, you can beautify your home and help build a healthier environment. After the presentation, there will be pollinator crafts and activities, igniting a passion for conservation among all ages. You don't want to miss out on this inspiring presentation and workshop! Founded in 2022, Nurture Natives is a youth-led nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering youth through environmental initiatives, with a focus on protecting native species and enhancing biodiversity. Youth-driven action can have a huge impact. Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes is a national nonprofit with over 100 chapters across 33 states. As a local chapter, Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay promotes environmentally sound landscaping practices to preserve biodiversity, connecting people and native plants for a healthy planet. It's Youth Art Month at the library! Come view artwork done by SMCPS students during the month of March. Enter to win a free raffle. We'll have mini art kits to take home while supplies last. Our friends from SPICE Studio will teach a stroller fitness class, followed by a storytime presented by the library, and a craft provided by SPICE! SPICE Studio will provide a 30-min workout incorporating power walking, jogging, and/or running with functional interval training to help you build endurance, strength, and core. Caregivers are led through movements that train their bodies for mom (or dad, or other caregiver) life. Suitable for all levels of fitness, no matter where you are in your fitness journey. Babies are there with you the entire time and entertained with whatever it takes to help you get in your workout for the day. Q: What do I need to bring? Q: What should I wear? What should my baby wear? Q: Do I need a jogging stroller? Q: What time should I arrive? Q: Can my child get out of the stroller and walk with me? Q: What if it rains or if the weather is inclement? Do you love art? We do too! Drop-in to create some artbominations with us.
Join us and other artists for some artistic antics! We'll be practicing different art techniques such as perspective and lighting! We will have different prompts and activities to promote creativity. However, if you've got a vision in mind, we won't stop you! Registration required to ensure we have enough supplies! This program is for ages 8-18. All skill levels are welcome. Tackle challenging STEAM activities while laughing, learning and discovering the joy in every scientific twist and turn. Ages 5-15 are invited to join us for different STEAM activities appropriate to their skills and interests. Tackle them all, or master one, you get to choose! Teens and tweens are invited to come vibe with us for weekly-themed hangouts! Games, art, music and more in store. No registration required! Stay a little or awhile. Snacks, activities, and good vibes provided. Tween session (Ages 8-12): 3-4 PM Teen session (Ages 13-18): 4-5 PM Week 1: DIY Project Week 2: Games Week 3: Anime Week 4: Cozy Reading/Homework Club Writing can be a lonely hobby, so why not attend the writing club to connect with other writers your age? Join us for our bi-monthly writing club, intended for teens! During the club meetings, you'll be able to share your writing, meet new writers, learn about new genres, and have your writing critiqued by your peers! The club will be held virtually every 1st Thursday of the month. For ages 12-18 Teens and tweens are invited to come vibe with us for weekly-themed hangouts! Games, art, music and more in store. No registration required! Stay a little or awhile. Snacks, activities, and good vibes provided. Tween session (Ages 8-12): 3-4 PM Teen session (Ages 13-18): 4-5 PM Week 1: DIY Project Week 2: Games Week 3: Anime Week 4: Cozy Reading/Homework Club Join us for learning-based crafts, games, and activities as we play our way to developing valuable school readiness skills such as fine motor control, following directions, and group participation. Activities are designed with preschoolers in mind and vary week to week. No registration required. Teens and tweens are invited to come vibe with us for weekly-themed hangouts! Games, art, music and more in store. No registration required! Stay a little or awhile. Snacks, activities, and good vibes provided. Tween session (Ages 8-12): 3-4 PM Teen session (Ages 13-18): 4-5 PM Week 1: DIY Project Week 2: Games Week 3: Anime Week 4: Cozy Reading/Homework Club Writing can be a lonely hobby, so why not attend the writing club to connect with other writers your age? Join us for our bi-monthly writing club, intended for teens! During the club meetings, you'll be able to share your writing, meet new writers, learn about new genres, and have your writing critiqued by your peers! The club will be held virtually every 1st Thursday of the month. For ages 12-18 Enjoy an evening with Southern Maryland Astronomical Society (SMAS) as they teach us about the Moon and (weather permitting) we observe the Moon and Jupiter. To celebrate the very bright Moon due to a Full Moon occurring on Monday, March 25, 2024, SMAS will guide us in two Moon related hands-on activities! For more information about Citizen Science, please go to the library’s Citizen Science event page. "Citizen science advances are diverse: ecology, astronomy, medicine, computer science, statistics, psychology, genetics, engineering and many more. The massive collaborations that can occur through citizen science allow investigations at continental and global scales and across decades—leading to discoveries that a single scientist could never achieve on their own." - Scistarter.org Molly Moore, President of the Southern Maryland Audubon Society, will teach you how to attract more birds and pollinators to your yard, patio, or deck without spending a fortune. Whether you have a big garden or an apartment window box, get tips on providing native plants, water sources, and shelter that birds need to thrive. And we’ll show you how to make your windows and surroundings safer for the birds you attract. Weather permitting, we will move outside to identify birds visiting the Library grounds. Please dress appropriately. Bring binoculars if you have them, but we will also have loaners. The Southern Maryland Audubon Society's helpful webpages. Gray Catbird photo by Steven Biegler Eastern Bluebird photo by Glenda Simmons For more information about Citizen Science, please go to the library’s Citizen Science event page. It's Bingo for kids! Toddlers and Preschoolers will have a blast learning while playing Bingo. You might even win a prize! The bingo boards feature a variety of animals or foods, some that they may know, like cows or corn, and some they may not know, like sloths or coconuts! Please register each child who will be participating. It's Bingo for kids! Lower-Upper Elementary aged children will have a blast learning while playing Bingo. You might even win a prize! The bingo boards have either the letters of the alphabet or traditional numbers, and kids will have a chance to learn about pattern recognition through gameplay! Please register each child who will be participating. Join us for learning-based crafts, games, and activities as we play our way to developing valuable school readiness skills such as fine motor control, following directions, and group participation. Activities are designed with preschoolers in mind and vary week to week. No registration required. Drop in for open-ended St. Patrick's Day themed crafting fun. Try one of our sample crafts, or create your own design! All materials provided. Teens and tweens are invited to come vibe with us for weekly-themed hangouts! Games, art, music and more in store. No registration required! Stay a little or awhile. Snacks, activities, and good vibes provided. Tween session (Ages 8-12): 3-4 PM Teen session (Ages 13-18): 4-5 PM Week 1: DIY Project Week 2: Games Week 3: Anime Week 4: Cozy Reading/Homework Club
Paint a Fairy House!
Gaming in the Library: Nintendo Switch Drop-In
Gardening for Biodiversity : Connecting People and Native Plants for A Healthy Planet
Youth Art Month Gallery Reception
Stroller Squad Fitness Storytime
A: Your stroller, your little(s), a yoga mat for core work, water for you and your baby, a towel if you get sweaty. Sunscreen, bug spray, and hats are also recommended.
A: Dress in athletic attire and running shoes. Also dress for the weather and in layers that you can remove as the workout progresses. Please also dress your baby for the weather – blankets, hats, etc.
A: Jogging strollers are not required. Most walking, jogging, or running will be on sidewalks or roads. Make sure your stroller is sturdy and also has a working brake as strollers will be parked at stations.
A: Try to arrive a few minutes before class begins to give you time to set up your stroller and get your baby settled. Warm-up will begin right at 9:30am.
A: For safety reasons, all babies and children must be buckled into their strollers from warm-up to cool down. This also allows YOU to focus on your workout. While some kiddos may fuss and cry at first, we promise they will adjust and we are there to help you every step of the way with whatever it takes to keep them entertained to allow you to focus on you.
A: Depending on the level of the rain at class-time, we will have an indoor option available.Doodle Drop-In
STEAMing Through Spring!: Back by popular demand!
Tween-Teen Thursday
Teen Writing Club
Tween-Teen Thursday
Purposeful Play: Serious Fun for Preschoolers
Tween-Teen Thursday
Teen Writing Club
Southern Maryland Astronomical Society presents The Moon: Citizen Science
There will be a 3-D Moon Phase Modeling Demonstration and different Moon Phase Flip Charts for attendees to use on a rotating basis. With the large telescopes provided by Southern Maryland Astronomical Society (SMAS), Outdoor Observing will follow. Please dress appropriately.
If we postpone Friday night, we will meet tomorrow on Saturday, March 23 at the same time.
Find more Astronomy & space Citizen Science projects on SciStarter!
St. Mary’s County Library makes every effort to make events and programs accessible and inclusive. If you need special accommodations for any Library event or program, please submit our Accommodations Request form as soon as possible.How to Create Your Own Bird B&B: Citizen Science
Bingo for Kids (Toddler-Preschool)
Bingo for Kids (Lower-Upper Elementary)
Purposeful Play: Serious Fun for Preschoolers
Kids Crafternoon
Tween-Teen Thursday
Please note that library staff may be taking photos of any or all events to use for future library publications. Event participants’ photos may be used without notification or compensation. If you do not feel comfortable having your photo taken, please inform library staff when you arrive to an event.