1000 Books Before Kindergarten

Read just one book a day to build a foundation for lifelong success. Prizes awarded for every 100 books! | Children

All Library Locations
Began January 2022, ongoing

All it takes is sharing one book a day with your child to build a foundation for lifelong success. Start your child’s book journey today! The goal is to have read 1,000 books before your precious one starts kindergarten.

If you read just 1 book a day, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think. So, let’s get started!

How to Participate

Read with your child. Studies have shown that reading with your child provides a great opportunity for bonding. Reading together is fun and will create life-long memories for the both of you.

Keep track of the number of books you read with your child. Ask your librarian for a paper log to start on your reading journey.

You may choose instead to log your books online using Beanstack. Visit our Beanstack website or download the app to log your books digitally. You can view Beanstack instructions here or ask a librarian on how to use it.

After each 100 books you read, visit your local Springfield City Library branch to collect your free book prize. After 1000 books, come in and get a tote bag!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can participate in this program?
– Any child from birth until they enter kindergarten.

How long does the program take?
– The program will take anywhere from a few months to a few years. The program is self-paced and will depend on how often you read together.

Can we repeat books?
– Yes!

How many of my children can participate?
– All of them (provided they have not started kindergarten). Make it even more fun and read as a family!

Crafternoons

Join us for some de-stressing arts and crafts! | Indian Orchard | Children & Teens

Wednesday Crafternoons

Indian Orchard Branch
Wednesdays June 21 – August 30 | 4:00-6:00 PM | Ages 5+

Join us as we do a different craft every week, on Wednesday afternoons. Tissue paper painting, watercolor painting, finger painting, and floral bookmarks are some of the crafts we will be exploring. If you can’t make it we will have take and make bags, depending on the craft.

Sixteen Acres Community Quilt

Images from the Sixteen Acres branch Community Quilt, created September 2023.

This September, patrons at the Sixteen Acres branch contributed to a community quilting project! Here’s what we posted:

Help us build a Community Quilt to be displayed in the  Sixteen Acres Branch Library. Each quilt square you decorate will be added to the quilt and displayed on the wall. Draw pictures, write poems or a paragraph, now is your chance to leave your mark. You can sign your name, or decorate one anonymously.

Need help figuring out what to do on your square? Try pondering these questions – What makes Sixteen Acres special? Why do you love the library? Have any wisdom to pass on?

And here are some photos of the beautiful quilt squares the library received!

Sew Fun! Drop-In

Drop in and learn the basics of sewing while working on various projects throughout the series. | East Forest Park | All Ages

East Forest Park Branch
Thursdays | 2:00-5:00 PM | All Ages

Are you interested in learning how to sew, or maybe just want to brush up your skills? Drop-in for our bi-weekly studio session. From sewing a button or hemming pants, to following a pattern to construct a garment using a sewing machine, our sewing volunteer can help you get started!

Sessions are open to participants of all ages and skill levels.

Makerspace Collaboratory Drop-In

There will be a variety of projects and experiments to get you and your family started exploring and creating! | East Forest Park | All Ages

East Forest Park Branch – Makerspace
Mondays & Tuesdays | 2:00 – 4:30 PM | All Ages

From traditional crafts to digital tinkering, the East Forest Park Makerspace is your place to create, invent, and learn. Each week we will have a drop-in project or two based on a theme.

Want to learn more? Contact the East Forest Park Branch Library at (413) 263-6836.

Code Builders 2.0

Build the skills you need to create animations, games, apps, and more using fun online tutorials! | East Forest Park | All Ages

East Forest Park Branch
Wednesdays | 3:30-4:30 PM | All Ages

Welcome to Code Builders 2.0 – our all ages, drop-in club where you can explore robotics, coding languages (like Scratch and Python), and even 3D design & printing!

This club is open to aspiring coders of all ages.

Several of our resources use video clips for instruction – you may want to bring a pair of headphones. You are also welcome to bring your own laptop or tablet.