I will be the first one to admit that we did not take full advantage of this place for years and years!! Three years ago when we started homeschooling, one of the first things I did was go to the library. I had visions of us there learning together and my kids nurturing their love of reading. Egh. We made that first trip, got Allie a card and basically didn’t make it back for quite a while.

Now it is quite the opposite! Otis started taking the kids once a week (sometimes more) after dinner once I had left for work. Both kids have their own cards and check out books on their own. Allie has loved having access to the library and searching for her favorite books/series. Gary loves playing games on the computer and checking out books & dvd’s. 

We have used their resources to research book reports and science projects. We have taken all of our schoolbooks and had class at their tables to give ourselves a change of scenery! Our kids love to go to the library now!

We have had to lay down some rules. Like- Gary has to check out more books than movies. (They have quite an extensive Lego dvd’s collection). 😃 He came home once with one book and three movies. #typical

Libraries put out a calendar and offer all kinds of free classes and activities. Both of our kids have taken part in the summer reading program where they are rewarded according to how many pages they’ve read. They are also placed in weekly drawings! Allie has won a free fast food meal, free ice cream, a shirt, passes to a local water park, and a ticket to a baseball game!! All of that in just a few weeks! It has definitely been worth it for her!!! She has already logged over 500 pages and is going strong! Gary hasn’t won anything yet, but he has logged about 85 pages so far! 

The library is certainly something you should check out if you haven’t been in a while! When we start our school year up again, we plan to put Allie in some of their computer classes. You might be surprised at some of the things on their calendar- movie nights and Lego building! What kid doesn’t love that!! 

Next time your kids say they are bored, maybe it’s time to take them to the library. They will probably sit and look at books for a while trying to decide what to bring home. Before you know it, you’ve had a night out of the house,they’ve come home with something to do, and it involves books & not screens. Triple win!!