Week Calendar

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.

Event Details

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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!

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

Families can come to this program and learn how to play the harmonica from Central Iowa Blues Society member Malcolm Wells. Attendees will receive a free harmonica courtesy of the Central Iowa Blues Society while supplies last, so come early!

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

Event Details

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

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!

Rosie!

Join us to discuss the book Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Copies are available at the previous book discussion and the Information Desk thereafter (while supplies last).

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper headline the story of a young singer who finds fame with the aid of an established star, though age and alcoholism send the latter's career into a downward spiral.

Spend a few hours with other crafters and work on your knit, crochet, or needle craft projects. Please bring your own supplies and projects with you. Snacks, beverages, and pleasant company provided. No instruction is provided.

Join local musicians Chad Elliott and Heath Alan for a live performance to cap off our 2019 series Crossroads – A Journey with the Blues.

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.

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.

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.

It's time to break it and make it! Do you wonder how things are made? Join us for a monthly deconstruction lab where we take apart common objects, see what parts they contain, and create something new from the pieces.

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.

Stretchy, sticky, and MAGNETIC. Join us to make yet another recipe of slime. We think it may be the coolest one yet. Ages 8-18.

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.

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.

This month's activity is creating a circuit out of salt that glows. Science Wednesdays is a chance for kids ages six to twelve to explore different aspects of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

Meet other like-minded teens and learn from our Youth Librarian how you can help fulfill the library's mission while gaining resume-worthy skills. Interested? Those 12-18 are encouraged to attend to find out more. Registration is required.

Terrariums are small containers perfect for growing your own plants. Design your own terrarium to take home with you and see what grows! Ages 8-12.

Join the Science Center of Iowa for the second in a three-part camp series. In this class students will learn new coding skills to program robotics kits like Sphero and Hummingbird.

Create a beautiful suncatcher for your window! Fall-themed templates will be provided.

Come to the library and hang out with therapy dog Norm. He is a two year-old yellow lab who is excited to meet some new friends. Norm will be in the Children's Area from 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Learn how to use oil paints! Join painter Laura Travnicek as she leads a workshop on skin tone color mixing. All skill levels welcome. Materials will be provided. Registration required.

Join us for a discussion of bestselling books from a variety of genres. This month's book is Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.

Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with an all-ages meet-up to connect with LGBTQ folks and allies!

Looking for funding for your non-profit organization? The Foundation Directory Online provides access to a database of grantmakers and more, that can help you in your search. Join us for a basic introduction to this valuable resource.

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.

Come and enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and crafts in English and Spanish. Venga y disfrute cuentos, rimas, canciones, y manualidades en inglés y español.

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.

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

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

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