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.

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.

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

Join us for our Friends of the North Side Library meeting from 10 AM-11 AM. New members welcome.

Kids and Families! Visit the Art Cart at South from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM in the Elementary Area! We'll have different art projects that are self-led to choose from to make and take! For youth ages 3 and up.

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

Come to the library and hang out with therapy dog Shanti. Shanti is a licensed therapy dog who is excited to meet some new friends. He will be in the Children's Area from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

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.

Get ready to ROAR at the East Side Library during our Dinovember celebration. Go on a dinosaur hunt, dig for fossils, make and take a craft, and hear some stories and songs all about your favorite prehistoric creatures.

Children are encouraged to read with Caper, the therapy dog, at South! Caper is a friendly Pembroke Welsh Corgi who loves to hear stories! Walk in and choose a book to read to Caper in the Children's Area! For youth ages 3-12.

Special guests from the Greater Des Moines Garden Club will show us how to decorate an artificial holiday wreath to take home. All supplies are provided, but you are welcome to bring items from home, too. Come join us for some creative fun.

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!

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.

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.

Join us every Tuesday as we play Minecraft, Roblox, and more. Ages 8-12. 

Come to our monthly Pokémon Club! Bring your Pokémon playing cards and Nintendo DS to battle other Pokémon fans. Ages 8-18.

November is Native American Heritage Month, so come and hear CultureALL Ambassador Timothy Perkins present about the Native American experience.  

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.

Learn about our solar system and create your own rocket. Ages 8-12.  

Dinosaurs are on the loose! All the cages are open and the island is on lockdown - and you're trapped in the park with T-Rex and the Velociraptors! Do you have what it takes to escape?

Learn the basics of watercolor painting and decorate stamped cards with some fun designs.

Join the Science Center of Iowa for the third in a three-part camp series.

Acompáñennos para aprender a crear artesanías hechas de tapones de vino (corchos)! Crean llaveros, barquitos, portatarjetas, y otras decoraciones. Mientras duren reservas. Niños menores de 12 años deben ser acompañados por un adulto.

Join us at North Side to create a design with perler beads. Then, we'll iron your creation to make it permanent for you to take home!

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

Take your ukulele skills to the next level with instructor Natalie Steenson.

Please join us for a public information meeting with the City of Des Moines with a focus on property taxes, storm water projects, and local option sales tax. 

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

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.

We will discuss News of the World by Paulette Jiles. Copies of the book will be available at the Information Desk while supplies last. No registration required.

Learn how easy it is to make a beautiful paper wreath to highlight your seasonal decor. We will be using scissors and hot glue to form wreaths with a variety of textures and colors that mimic nature.

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 us at South Side for an informative session present by ACLU on the rights of immigrants in the United States.

Please join us for a public information meeting with the City of Des Moines with a focus on property taxes, storm water projects, and local option sales tax.