Children’s Programs at Haldimand County Public Library support early literacy, childhood development and fun!
Registration is required. Contact your local branch for detailed program information and to register.
Children’s Programs
Exciting and educational opportunities for children at your local Library branch!
Baby StoryTime, Tales for Twos & StoryTime Registration
Children’s program registration for Fall/Winter opens at all branches on Tuesday, September 17.
Click the program type below for information on days of the week and times at your local branch.
Visit your local branch to register for Children’s programs.
Ongoing Children's Programs
Baby StoryTime
Ages: Newborns to 24 months with a parent or caregiver
Per-session Fee: $6
Individual Baby Storytime Fee: $1
Join our new program featuring stories, songs and a whole lot of fun! Register now!
Dunnville Branch: Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Caledonia Branch: Fridays, 11a.m. to 11:45a.m.
Pre-registration is required – space is limited. Contact the Dunnville or Caledonia Branches for session details.
Tales for Twos
Ages: Exclusively for two-year-olds with a parent or caregiver
Per-session Fee: $6
Individual Tales for Twos Fee: $1
Tales for Twos is a six-week program designed exclusively for two-year-olds accompanied by a parent or caregiver. Sessions consist of short stories, songs, rhymes, finger plays and a whole lot of fun!
NEW Cayuga Branch: Fridays, 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Caledonia Branch: Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Dunnville Branch: Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Hagersville Branch: Fridays, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Jarvis Branch: Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Selkirk Branch: Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Pre-registration is required – space is limited. Call your local branch for more information at (289) 674-0400.
StoryTime
Ages: 3-5 years
Per-session Fee: $10
Individual Storytime Fee: $1
StoryTime at the Haldimand County Public Library is a fun mix of reading, crafts, songs and meeting new friends. Participating in early literacy activities is one of the best ways to prepare your child for school. We offer Fall, Winter and Spring StoryTime sessions at all six library branches.
Caledonia Branch: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. & Thursdays 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Cayuga Branch: Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Dunnville Branch: Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Hagersville Branch: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
Jarvis Branch: Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Selkirk Branch: Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Pre-registration is required – space is limited. Call your local branch for more information at (289) 674-0400.
LEGO Clubs
Ages: Vary by location, details below
Fee: Free
Bring your imagination and create something special! LEGO pieces are provided by the Library thanks to sponsorship by Friends of the Dunnville Library and Friends of the Jarvis Library. Free to participate, just drop by!
Caledonia Branch: Ages 3 and up. Wednesdays as scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Upcoming sessions: the first Wednesday of the month September through June. (The 2nd Wednesday of the month in January.)
Cayuga Branch: Ages 3 and up. Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
Dunnville Branch: Ages 6 and up. Fridays after school from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (September through June). LEGO Club is held every Friday except snow days and PD Days (no school – no LEGO Club!)
Jarvis Branch: Ages 3 and up. Tuesdays 3:30p.m. to 4:30p.m.
Selkirk Branch: Ages 3 and up. Thursdays 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Paws to Read
Fee: Free
The Haldimand County Public Library – Caledonia Branch in partnership with Therapeutic Paws of Canada, is offering an exciting literacy program designed to help children who would benefit from extra practice with their reading. This free session will be offered weekly for a total of six weeks and one of three certified teams will be at the Library to read with children on each date.
Children read to the dog and are encouraged to pick books they think the dog would like to hear! Paws to Read dogs provide undivided attention to the children as the children read aloud. Studies have shown that reading to dogs encourages confidence and boosts self-esteem in children who struggle to read aloud in class, thereby boosting literacy skills.
Please call the Caledonia Library at 289-674-0400 for more information on upcoming sessions.
Dunnville Public Library 
317 Chestnut Street
Saturday, August 31, 2019.
Starts at 2p.m.
Enjoy music by the Haldimand Ukulele Group & others.
All types of musicians welcome.
Bring a lawn chair.
You don’t need to play an instrument to join in!
Pop-Up Library 
Haldimand County Public Library is out and about! Look under our big blue tent for fun, free activities all summer long!
Where we will be this summer:
Tuesdays – Dunnville Farmers’ Market – 9a.m. to 12p.m.
Wednesdays – Caledonia Pool/Splashpad – 11a.m. to 2p.m.
Thursdays – Hagersville Pool/Splashpag – 11a.m. to 2p.m.
What we will be up to:
July 9-11 – Seed planting
July 16-18 – Design your own superhero
July 23-25 – Making: Paper airplanes
July 30-Aug 1 – No Pop-Ups this week. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
Aug 6-8 – No Pop-Ups this week
Aug 13-15 – Making: LEGO
Aug 20-22 – Nature scavenger hunt
Aug 27-29 – Ukulele
Stop in and join the fun!
Red Cross Babysitting Course
Ages: Youth 11 – 15
Course Fee: $40
Youth aged 11 to 15 years are invited to take the Library’s Red Cross Babysitting Course! Gain the confidence to make smart decisions in any babysitting situation. Learn how to supervise babies, toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children and handle common injuries and emergencies. Impress your parents, build your resume and earn extra money by being a responsible, reliable babysitter!
Our courses are taught by a Red Cross certified Babysitting Course facilitator who is Ontario College of Teachers certified.
Participants must attend both days of the course, participate and demonstrate skills while displaying a responsible and mature attitude to receive their certificate of completion.
Fall 2019 Dates & Locations:
HCPL – Selkirk Branch
34 Main St. W., Selkirk
Part 1: Saturday, October 19, 2019. 9:30a.m. to 2p.m.
Part 2: Sunday, October 20, 2019. 1p.m. to 4p.m
HCPL – Hagersville Branch
13 Alma St. N., Hagersville
Part 1: Friday, November 15, 2019. 4p.m. to 7p.m.
Part 2: Saturday, November 16, 2019. 9:30a.m. to 2p.m.
Pre-registration is required at the Library branch hosting the course. For more information please contact:
Lindsay Thomas
Community Outreach Coordinator
(905) 318-5932 ext. 6118 lstephens@haldimandcounty.on.ca
New! Lecture en Francais – Reading in French
Ages: Grades 1-3
Fee: FREE!
Children in Grades 1-3 can improve their French reading skills by practising with bilingual reading buddy, Madame Mioc.
Caledonia Branch: Upcoming Sessions TBA
Please note: This program is offered on a drop in basis in maximum 15 minute sessions. Children are encouraged to bring a French language book, or books to read.
Pre-registration is required – space is limited. Contact the Caledonia Branch at (289)674-0400 for more information.
Ukulele Club
Ages: 7 – 99 years
Fee: Free
Learn to play the ukulele! Join our program now running Wednesdays at the Dunnville Branch beginning Wednesday, September 18, 2019.
Experienced players from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., adult beginners from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. or after school class from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Bring your own ukulele or practice on one of ours. Please let us know in advance if you need to borrow an instrument.
Registration is required – call or visit the library to register.
EarlyON Drop In Play & Learn
Presented by the EarlyOn Child and Family Centre at the Selkirk Branch
Join EarlyON Staff for blocks, playdough, art, circle time and new friends!
Fall date and time TBA.