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.

Join us for a special visitor from the Animal Rescue League's Therapets program today at 9:30 AM! Between 9:00 AM-10:00 AM, the East Side Library invites families and children with special needs to borrow materials and enjoy the library.

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.

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.

Leaves are falling. Temps are dropping! Time to bundle up with a good book or movie! Stop by the South Side Library to shop our Fall Book and Media Sale and stock up on good reads and films for the winter.

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.

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.

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

Leaves are falling. Temps are dropping! Time to bundle up with a good book or movie! Stop by the South Side Library to shop our Fall Book and Media Sale and stock up on good reads and films for the winter.

Join us for stories, songs, and movement to practice the 5 simple steps of pre-literacy: reading, singing, talking, writing and playing!

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!

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.

Begin the process of applying for college! Receive free help from trained volunteers who will help you fill out the FAFSA form which is required to determine eligibility for financial aid.

Kids and families! Drop in at South from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM for our Kid's Craft Day! This week, kids can decorate, color and take home a 3-D paper pumpkin! For youth ages 3 and up. This is a drop-in, unsupervised program.

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

Celebremos El Dia del Cocinero con cuentos, rhymes, songs and crafts in English and Spanish. 

¡Vamos a hacer sombreros de cocineros y guacamole! Te esperamos. 

Come to the library for a special sneak preview of the Des Moines Community Playhouse production of Freaky Friday. Enjoy the performance and register to win free tickets to the play!

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.

The pumpkin harvest is here and there are so many things about this squash that we love. Join us stories galore about pumpkins, decorate your own mini-pumpkin and get ready to investigate the gooey insides of a great big pumpkin.

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!

LULAC organization coming to Forest Ave Library to help with voting registration in Spanish/English. Bilingual voting reegistration event. 

We will be discussing This Is How It Always Is, by Laurie Frankel. Copies of the book may be picked up at the library.

Stop by your favorite ocean themed library to make a Halloween narwhal craft.

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.

Do you get anxious when your cellphone dies or you forget it at home? Do you find yourself looking at a screen while spending time with your friends or family?

Johnny Depp, Emily Watson, and Helena Bonham Carter give voice to characters dead and undead in Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride.

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.

From zombies to clowns, freak out your friends with your own scary facepaint at one of two D.I.Y. sessions. We will practice techniques and learn about different paints. Designs will differ by age group and space is limited. Ages 5-12.

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

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.

Kids and teens! Learn to make something new during our Try It Out Tuesday events at South! This month, participants can learn the techniques of hand lettering and fake calligraphy! Use our markers, pens, papers and supplies to create!

Paint some chilling glow-art to take home and enjoy snacks in our black-light crypt! Ages 8-18. Registration required.

Use STEM skills to find solutions to real-life problems faced throughout the world, like oil spills and water shortages.

Join us from 4:30-5:45 PM for the monthly meeting of the Friends of the Forest Avenue Library.

Join us for a fun bilingual program that is inspired by Yoga, and informed by science. We will focus on basic Yoga poses, as well as yoga-inspired movement and stillness to support your child’s early learning.

Come make a difference at the Central Library while meeting other teens interested in helping their community! Work together to help prepare youth activities, assist with programs and more to bulk up your résumé. Ages 12-18. No Walk-ins.

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.

From zombies to clowns, freak out your friends with your own scary facepaint at one of two D.I.Y. sessions. We will practice techniques and learn about different paints. Designs will differ by age group and space is limited. Ages 8-18.

Come paint pumpkins with us at the North Side Library! While supplies last.

At this free, family-friendly Hour of Code event, we welcome all individuals, ages eight and above, to receive an introductory experience to coding and computer science in a safe, supportive environment.

Come and enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and crafts in English and Spanish.

Venga y disfrute cuentos, rimas, canciones, y manualidades en inglés y español.

The whole family can come to the library for stories, rhymes and songs.

Ready for some mad science? Listen to some STEM stories and create your own (safe) eruptions and explosions. It's a great way for busy parents to relax and make some hands-on fun while enjoying books!

Grain Bowls are all the rage in bistros and cafes around the country.

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.

¡Celebremos El Dia del Arquitecto! Ven a construir casas de paletas con nosotros (build popsicle houses).  

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