Week Calendar

“Mother Goose on the Loose”, is a 30-minute nursery rhyme program for newborns to three-year-olds. The class helps to strengthen babies' and toddler's foundation for literacy with rhymes, rhythm, repetition, story, and movement.

Do you need a calm place to play? Then come to the Forest Avenue Calming Room for a sensory interactive experience! This is an unsupervised, drop-in program for youth.

Children ages three to five can come and enjoy stories, rhymes, songs, and more, followed by a craft.

Play, Grow, Learn! is an opportunity for you to use the Imagination Station to explore early literacy tips and books, play with others, and develop early literacy skills using Forest Avenue Library's space and toys.

Join us for rhymes, bounces, a story, and a short playtime. For caregivers and babies from newborns up to eighteen months.

“Mother Goose on the Loose”, is a 30-minute nursery rhyme program for newborns to three-year-olds. The class helps to strengthen babies' and toddler's foundation for literacy with rhymes, rhythm, repetition, story, and movement.

“Mother Goose on the Loose”, is a 30-minute nursery rhyme program for newborns to three-year-olds. The class helps to strengthen babies' and toddler's foundation for literacy with rhymes, rhythm, repetition, story, and movement.

Toddlers and caregivers can enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, occasional crafts and a little playtime with Miss Janee. For toddlers ages 18 months - 3 years.

Do you need a calm place to play? Then come to the Forest Avenue Calming Room for a sensory interactive experience! This is an unsupervised, drop-in program for youth.

Join us weekly for rhymes, songs, bounces, stories, and a little playtime. For caregivers and babies ages 0 - 18 months.

Toddlers and their caregivers can enjoy stories, rhymes, fingerplays, and songs, followed by a craft. Ages 18 months-3 years. Meeting Room

Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs, movement, and more!

Toddlers and their caregivers can enjoy stories, rhymes, fingerplays, and songs, followed by a craft. Ages 18 months-3 years. Meeting Room

Join Miss Janee for stories, rhymes, songs, movement, and occasional crafts/activities that build literacy and kindergarten-readiness skills. Ages three to five.

Join us for stories, songs, and movement that build literacy and school-readiness skills. Ages 3-6.

Play, Grow, Learn! is an opportunity for you to use the Imagination Station to explore early literacy tips and books, play with others, and develop early literacy skills using Forest Avenue Library's space and toys.

Join us for stories, songs, fingerplays and movement that build literacy skills for ages three to six years old.

On Thursdays, children and their caregivers can enjoy stories, rhymes, fingerplays, and songs together, followed by a period of free play or drawing.

Put on your boogie shoes and twirl into the Central Library for a toddler and preschool dance party! Play games, do a craft and play with beach balls under the lights of a disco ball!

Learn and explore the exciting world of electricity with the South Side Library and the Science Center of Iowa! Experience hair-raising fun with several science experiments with a Science Center educator in this wonderful program for families.

Kids! Celebrate Pete the Cat at South with a scavenger hunt! Drop in and search the library for Pete and his groovy friends from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and win a prize. For youth ages 3 and up.

The LEGO bricks will be available in the Children's Area, so bring your imagination and get ready to build.

Come to the library to hang out with therapy dog Annie. Annie is a two-year-old golden retriever and licensed therapy dog. Annie will be in the Children's Area from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Join us at the East Side Library for open play and more! Meet families with other young children, check out our awesome picture books, and engage in the five simple steps to success - Read, Write, Sing, Play, and Talk!

Bring the family to the South Side Library to play and build with LEGOS in the Children's Area from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.! For youth ages 5-12. This is an unsupervised, drop-in program. Parent or guardian must be present with children.

Build and create with Legos in the children’s area! All ages.

Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and crafts in English and Spanish.

Pete the Cat will join us for a special program with songs, rhymes, and some groovy stories! After the program, children will have a chance to meet him and take pictures.

Do you want to practice your English skills? Looking to meet new people in your community? Join community members and English language learners alike at Forest Avenue Library and enjoy light refreshments and sparkling conversation!

Stop by the children's area at Central Library to explore, create, and play! This is an unstaffed program where activities are self-led. Parent/Guardian must be present with child, and supplies are limited.

Visit us at the North Side Library every Monday to learn some computer basics. Create an email account, build a simple resume, and learn about the library catalog.

Stop by the meeting room for a drop-in craft after school today!

Visit us every Thursday afternoon to receive guidance in searching for jobs. We will use Google Tools to help you create an email account, build a simple resume, and apply for jobs.

Eleven year old Akeelah loves exploring the dictionary and spelling difficult words.

Love Raina Telgemeier, superheroes, manga, graphic novels, and cartoons? Ready to let your artist flag fly? Then come to Comics Creators! We'll provide the paper and pens, you provide the creativity! This is an unsupervised, drop-in program.

Eating healthy and cooking skills go hand in hand. Kids will have the opportunity to prepare and taste healthy foods while learning about healthy eating and physical activity along with food and kitchen safety.

Join us on the last Friday of each month to read to an Animal Rescue League TheraPet!

Read a story, explore and create with art and STEM activities! Bring your imagination and join us in the children's area. Ages 3-8.

Minecraft Club has just leveled up! Now in addition to Minecraft, you can use our tablets to play Roblox and other great games. Ages 8-12.

Are you looking for a place to trade your Pokémon cards? Come to this monthly program and bring any cards you want to trade. This event is open to children ages 7-18 years.

Littlebits are small magnetic pieces that snap together to create a circuit. The circuits can power a car, drive a robot, and more! Ages 8-12.

Join the Science Center of Iowa for the first in a three-part camp series. In this class students will learn basic coding concepts while working together to create and test apps. Ages 10-14.

Pete the Cat will join us for a special program with songs, rhymes, and some groovy stories! After the program, children will have a chance to meet him and take pictures.

Join us to create these magical, colorful, and sparkly works of art!

Join a painting party inspired by the Color Field art style from the 1960's. Prepare your geometric composition on a 16" x 20" canvas using painter's tape, then with acrylic paints, make it come alive with color.

Kids and families! Have you met Ruby the red panda yet? Ruby is a very special red panda and she loves to read!

Come and enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and crafts in English and Spanish. Venga y disfrute cuentos, rimas, canciones, y manualidades en inglés y español. Ages 18 months-8 years.

Known for reducing cooking times, Instant Pots and Air Fryers are popular cooking gadgets. Health Coach and Cooking Instructor Dani Lin will demonstrate making nutritious and delicious meals with each.

Are you a mighty girl*? Ready to become a mighty woman, but have questions? Then come to Forest Avenue Library, meet community experts, and get your questions answered in this five-session series! Know your body, know yourself, get empowered.

The whole family can come to the library for stories, rhymes and songs. Children's Area

Bring the entire family together early in the evening for stories, songs and occasional crafts. It's a great way for busy parents to relax and listen to stories with their children. You can even wear your jammies!

Join David Thoreson for an in-depth look at the science of climate change on the Arctic.

Families can enjoy stories, rhymes, and songs together on Wednesday nights. It's a great way for busy families to relax and listen to stories together.

Join our special guest speaker from the Des Moines Police Department as they discusses everything you need to know about running safety for women.

Enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and crafts in English and Spanish.