Childrens Services
CNRL aims to increase literacy in our communities children, with our trained staff running regular events in libraries and online, and outreach programs for all ages.
Babies (Birth - 12 months)
Our popular Baby Book Time sessions are back in the library and online!
Baby Book Time is a four week program in the library specifically designed for parents and their babies aged 12 months and under. The program provides parents with both an opportunity to share the love of reading with their baby and practical ideas to develop early language and literacy skills through stories, rhymes, songs and music.
Bookings are not required - see our Childrens Events.
Preschool (1 - 5 years)
Our popular Story Time sessions are back in the library and online!
Story Time offers singing, reading and craft experiences for toddler and preschool aged children. Story Time sessions are a fun way to help prepare your child for reading at school.
Bookings are not required - see our Childrens Events.
Learning Through Play (3 - 5 years)
Have fun exploring early language and maths activities with your children at home. Race your cars as you learn about ordinal numbers and add simple listening and phonological awareness activities to story times.
See the full playlist of Learning Through Play videos - new videos are uploaded each week!Learning Through Play Reference Material.
Preschool Art with Tamworth Regional Gallery
Preschool Art workshops at Tamworth Regional Gallery are held before Tamworth City Library's Story Time - and offer children the opportunity to paint with the Gallery Education Officer. Preschool Art is a fun inclusive workshop where you don't have to worry about the mess!
See the full playlist of Preschool Art videos (also featured in our Story Time playlist).
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
Follow Tamworth Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Parent Ambassador Emily Press and her baby Orlando's journey together, charting their first year receiving books from the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!
"My name is Emily Press. I am a teacher librarian in Tamworth, I've also been a primary school teacher for 10 years. At home I have 3 little boys under the age of seven. In this time, I have seen the power early reading has on children's ability to learn about their world and to be ready to take in crucial literacy skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) once they start school.
When I was given the opportunity to enrol my youngest son in the DPIL, I was so excited about the possibilities this will bring to not only him, but this entire generation of babies born in Tamworth.
As parents, we are often told 'read every day to your children' but this doesn't have to be extra work or pressure added to our already busy lives. Reading at home does not have to be glamorous. Children don't care either way. Sometimes I put on funny voices, get really excited and read 5 books in one sitting, other times my son loses interest after 1 minute. And all of this is okay. What I have learnt is, when the books are on offer, my baby will decide how each reading session looks.
I hope as parents we can empower & support each other in the pursuit of reading daily to our children - there are no rules! Let the books do the hard work. The magic happens when this becomes a normal part of daily life - slowly, over the years, your children will amaze you!"