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Children’s Programs

Ongoing Children's Programs

April Poetry Contest 2024

Submit your original works of poetry for a chance to win!

Theme: Growth

Categories: Adult (ages 18+),  Senior (Gr. 11-12), Intermediate (Gr. 7-10), Junior (Gr 4-6) and Primary (K-Gr.3)

Prizes per category: 1st place $50, 2nd place $35, 3rd place $20

Contest ends April 30th. Submissions accepted in person at all library branches or online.

Click here for full contest rules, the entry form and to submit your poem. 

Baby StoryTime

Baby StoryTime is an exciting program designed exclusively for babies 0-24 months who are are accompanied by a participating parent or caregiver. Enjoy songs, stories,  activities and more while bonding and socializing. Baby StoryTime sessions are 30-45 minutes each.

Registration for Winter 2024 Baby Storytime sessions begins Monday, December 5th:

Caledonia: Fridays @ 10:15 a.m.

Dunnville: Mondays @ 11:00 a.m.

Jarvis: Fridays @ 10:15 a.m.

Pre-registration is preferred. Please call ahead to check space availability.

The cost for each child is $1.00 per week or $10.00 for the entire session.

Tales for Twos

Tales for Twos is an exciting program designed exclusively for two year olds who are are accompanied by a participating parent or caregiver. Enjoy songs, stories, fingerplays and more while bonding and socializing. Usually, we offer Fall, Winter and Spring StoryTime sessions at all six library branches for two year olds accompanied by a parent or caregiver. All sessions are 30 minutes each.

Pre-registration is preferred. Please call ahead to check space availability.

Registration for Winter  2024 Tales for Twos begins Monday, December 4th.

Caledonia: Fridays @ 11:15 a.m.

Cayuga:  Fridays @ 10:15 a.m.

Dunnville: Wednesdays @ 11:00 a.m.

Hagersville: Thursdays @ 10:30 a.m.

Jarvis: Fridays @ 2:00 p.m.

Selkirk: Tuesdays @ 10:15 a.m.

The cost for each child is $1.00 per week or $10.00 for the entire session.

StoryTime

StoryTime 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. Usually, we offer Fall, Winter and Spring StoryTime sessions at all six library branches for ages 3 to 5.

Pre-registration is preferred. Please call ahead to check space availability.

The cost for each child is $1.00 per week or $10.00 for the entire session.

Registration for Winter 2024 Storytime begins Monday, December 4th:

Caledonia: 2 sessions – Wednesdays @ 10:30 a.m. and Thursdays @ 2:00 p.m.

Cayuga:  Fridays @ 11:00 a.m.

Dunnville: Fridays @ 11:00 a.m.

Hagersville: Wednesdays @ 10:30 a.m.

Jarvis: Fridays @ 11:00 a.m.

Selkirk: Tuesdays @ 11:00 a.m.

Check out some of our video StoryTimes on our YouTube channel by clicking here!

Paws to Read

The Haldimand County Public Library, 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.

Registered children come to the library each week at a pre-scheduled time and read to a certified team of dog and handler. Children are encouraged to pick a book or books they enjoy or they think the dog will enjoy and will spend their 15-minute session reading to the specially-trained dog. Paws to Read dogs provide undivided attention to the children who read aloud, increasing a child’s confidence and boosting self-esteem in those who struggle to read aloud. Sessions run over four weeks and are 15-minutes in length, each week. Sessions must be at the same time each week and pre-Registration is required.

Important Registration Information

  • Registration begins now and is extremely limited.
  • Please call the library branch at which you wish to participate at 289-674-0400 to register, or come to the library to register in-person.
  • Program runs for 4 weeks
  • Each time slot is 15 minutes in length
  • Children must bring or chose a library book(s) to read BEFORE their session begins to make the most of their scheduled time.
  • Please arrive at the library branch before your child’s scheduled time so your child can start their session on time. Extra time will not be provided if a child arrives to the library late.

Red Cross Babysitting Course 2024

Haldimand County youth aged 11 to 17 can now register for Red Cross Babysitting Course at the Caledonia, Cayuga, Dunnville, Hagersville, Selkirk and Jarvis library branches.

The Red Ross Babysitting Course will run over 5 days or 2 days depending on the format. Participants will be required to attend all sessions at the branch and demonstrate a responsible and mature attitude in order to receive their certificate of completion.

The cost of the course is $40 per person and registration must be completed in person at the library branch. The maximum number of participants in each course is 12, ensuring student safety and success.

 

Registration for the March Break babysitting courses will open on February 1st; sessions offered are as follows:

Cayuga Library Branch – Monday March 11th and Tuesday March 12th , 10:30pm-2:00pm

Dunnville Library Branch – Thursday March 14th and Friday March 15th , 10:30pm-2:00pm

 

Registrations for summer babysitting courses begin Wednesday, May 1st (not before!); sessions offered are as follows:

Caledonia Library Branch – Thursday July 11th and Friday July 12th, 10:30am-2:00pm

Selkirk Library Branch – Tuesday July 16th and Wednesday July 17th, 10:30am-2:00pm

Hagersville Library Branch – Monday July 22nd and Tuesday July 23rd, 10:30am-2:00pm

Jarvis Library Branch – Monday August 12th and Tuesday August 13th, 10:30am- 2:00pm

Dunnville Library Branch – Thursday August 15th and Friday August 16th , 10:30pm-2:00pm

Cayuga Library Branch – Monday August 19th and Tuesday August 20th 10:30am – 2:00 pm

Caledonia Library Branch – Tuesday August 27th and Wednesday August 28th, 10:30am-2:00pm

For further information please contact your local library branch at 289-674-0400

Kids who love to build and make will love LEGO club! All branch LEGO sessions are drop-in – no registration is required. Age restrictions vary. Contact your local branch for details.

LEGO Club Fall 2023 schedule:

Caledonia: Thursdays @ 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Cayuga: Saturdays @ 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Dunnville: Fridays @ 3:30p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (only if there is school that day)

Hagersville: Wednesdays @ 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Jarvis: Thursdays @ 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (only if there is school that day)

Selkirk: Saturdays @ 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Ukulele Club

Want to learn to play an instrument? Now is your chance! The Ukulele Club is open to all ages and levels of experience. All that we require is a wiliness to learn. Weekly classes are offered in Dunnville.

Experienced players: Wednesdays @ 2p.m.

Adult beginners: Wednesdays @ 3p.m.

After-school beginners (all ages): Wednesdays @ 4p.m.

Registration is required. Don’t have your own ukulele? Borrow one of ours!

Contact the Dunnville Branch at 289-674-0400 ext. 3 for more information and to register.

Take & Make Crafts

Your library has fun and easy Take and Make Crafts for kids, including easy to follow instructions and supplies. Pickup a kit for free at your local library and take it home to create. Some fun past Take & Makes for kids have included: Leprechaun finger puppets, colourful paper quilling and make your own sensory shaker.

During September through June, each branch will have two different Take and Makes for you to enjoy – one that coincides with that months Diversity Theme and the other that is seasonal, holiday specific or just for fun!

Check your local branch for this months new Take and Make Craft for kids!

Dungeons and Dragons for Beginners!

Youth ages 14 to 17 are invited to learn how to play the popular role playing game Dungeons and Dragons this summer.

Players will be taught everything they need to know and be lead through an adventure deep into the Lost Mines of Phandelver as they are guided through the “Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Starter Kit”.

No experience is necessary!

This is a FREE program hosted at the Dunnville Public Library the last Wednesday of every month.

Registration is Required! Spots are extremely limited.

Watch Local Week 2023

Thanks to everyone who participated in our Third Annual Watch Local Week, April 16-22, a free event featuring the best in locally-produced film.

24-Hour Youth Film Challenge : Congratulations to all the young filmmakers who participated in our first-ever filmmaking event.  Enjoy their innovative creations by watching all five short films on the library’s YouTube Channel, Watch Local Week Playlist.

 Activities

The Internet has thousands of sites with amazing ideas for keeping your children occupied and learning. We want to highlight seven sites that we found particularly fun and engaging:

Road Trip from Home: Virtual Field Trips

Virtual School Day  Over 100 free live K-12 classes all day long, brought to you by Varsity Tutors.

Virtual Summer Camps Free half-day summer camps with enrichment-based classes in subjects like foreign language, chess, theatre, coding, and even Minecraft! Offered by Varsity Tutors.

TVO Kids

CBC Kids

Curio : (Educational programs, documentaries, audio and archival material from the CBC)

Scholastic

National Geographic Kids

PBS Kids

Discovery Puzzlemaker

Virtual Museum Tours (includes many Canadian Museums you can tour from home!)

LIVE Toronto Zoo

Calgary Zoo

Vancouver Aquarium

20 Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Farm Tours

Discovery Education Virtual Field Trips 

Experience Curiosity on Mars

Crafts

Looking for some innovative, one-of-a-kind craft ideas using things you already have around the house?  Make the most of old tin cans, cardboard boxes, paper and glue:

Kids Craft Room

We Are Teachers Earth Day Crafts

Colouring Pages

Put your crayons to the test and take advantage of this time-tested activity. One, Two, Green!

Crayola

Super Coloring!

eBooks

Find hundreds of children’s ebook titles on OverDrive (Libby) and CloudLibrary, the Library’s ebook lending services.  OverDrive also offers many digital audiobooks for children and teens.

AudioBooks

OverDrive Audiobooks (also called Libby) aren’t just for adults – there are hundreds of children’s titles available too!

Music Downloads and Streaming

Freegal offers thousands of song tracks by your child’s favourite artists, all available for free downloading or streaming.

The Library has programs for all ages! Check out our Adult Programs.

Donating to The Library

Haldimand County Public Library is a registered non-profit charity. You can make a difference in the community by making a financial donation to the Library. Donation assist us to expanding collections as well as improving our programs and services.

Donations can be made in person by cash or cheque. Please inform staff if you would like the donation to go towards a specific branch, collection or service. Tax receipts are available upon request.

Donations can also be made online by visiting https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/haldimand-county-public-library-board/. If you would like your donation to go towards a specific branch, collection or service please specify in the “Send a message to this charity” field. Tax receipts are automatically generated by canadahelps.org.

If you have any questions about making a donation, including leaving a legacy, please email us at library@haldimandcounty.on.ca. Thank-you to all of our generous donors!