The Youth Services Department serves babies through tweens, as well as their parents, caregivers and educators, with many different and interesting events & literacy-based programs, as well as with our collection of books and other materials, our tablets, the summer reading and other reading programs, art and sensory programs, assistance with reference materials, and internet searching for homework and school projects. We partner with local schools and other organizations for in-school story times, art classes, environmental stewardship classes, story time reading at the zoo, and more!
Please check our website and our FB page for upcoming programs and information. We also put out a monthly newsletter with programming information and newly acquired materials and other news that can be viewed by clicking on the newsletter link on our homepage.
Programs
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
Welcome to the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program! This free program encourages you to read 1,000 books with your child before he or she enters school.
One of the best ways to encourage learning is to spend time sharing books every day. Reading together helps develop a love of reading in children, a bond between parent and child, as well as important pre-reading skills that provide a solid foundation for future school success.
It’s easy to get started:
- Pick up a reading kit at the Bridgeton Public Library which includes suggested books, a log, and instructions about the program in both English and Spanish.
- Read to your child or children.
- Write the titles in your reading log. If you read more than once you can record it each time. Books read to your child at library story time, at daycare or by others also count!
- When you finish 50 books, bring your reading log to the library, collect a prize, and pick up your next reading log.
- Repeat until you have read 1000 books!
- For every 50 books read your child will receive a sticker and a prize from our prize box.
- For every 100 books read your child will receive a free book!
- After reading 1,000 books, your child will receive a book and a certificate, and get an amazing jumpstart on success in school!
- Take every chance you have to read with your children! By reading just three stories a day, you and your child will have read over 1,000 books in one year! If you read 4 books a week, you will have read 1,000 books in five years.
For more information, visit www.1000booksbeforekindergarten.org
Our annual Summer Reading program: Summer reading is key to maintaining your child’s good reading habits all through the year. It’s very easy to participate. Our Youth Service Librarian sets up a simple way for you or your child to log the books and minutes read. For every 5 hours spent reading, your child can come to the library to pick out a prize and take out more books to read. Each summer reading program has a theme, for example, 2024’s theme was Adventure Begins at Your Library. We source performers and have programs centered on the theme to encourage literacy and the love of reading, especially in the summer when kids are out of school. At the end of the Summer Reading program we have a special program and pizza party to celebrate the readers and their caregivers and award prizes, books and certificates for the readers.
Zoobrary- A partnership with the Cohanzick Zoo: This longstanding program is very popular with kids and their caregivers. Each month we alternate locations between the Bridgeton Library and the Cohanzick Zoo. Keeper Alison Bohn and our Youth Services Director Adaria Armstrong read animal-themed stories to the kids. Then we get to meet and greet some of the zoo’s Animal Ambassadors. It’s a great way to introduce kids and their caregivers to the books, services and programs we have available at the library. It’s also a great way to learn about the animals themselves. And who doesn’t love meeting the amazing wildlife who lives at the Cohanzick Zoo?
Appel Farm Arts Lab at the Bridgeton Library: We are in partnership with Apple Farms Arts Lab and the very creative and talented teacher, Olivia Smith. We offer two marvelous programs throughout the year centered on art, sensory, movement, creativity, imagination and literacy. These engaging programs, Together Time specifically designed for kids aged 12 months to Kindergarten and Experiential Arts Lab for kids in 1-4 Grades are free and open to all. This program has been made possible by a very generous grant from the Pappas Family Foundation.
We also have regular weekly programs
Story Time Saturdays with Ms. Adaria-10:30-11:15am; Stories, movements, music, and crafting.
Story Time with Ms. Andrea Wednesday & Fridays 4:30-5:00 pm
Legos/Board Games/Crafting: Wednesdays 3:30-4:30. We have Lego sets, connector sets, and board games, puzzles and crafting materials.
We welcome any and all suggestions for new children’s programs, books, and other materials you would like to see available here at the Bridgeton Library. Please send any questions, requests and/or info to adariaar@bridgetonlibrary.org
