The weekly program is designed for children aged three to five years as a fun way to help children to develop vital skills to become better readers. 

It runs every Monday during school term from 10:00am until 11:00am and usually includes two stories, some songs and an organised craft.

“The kids definitely like making the masks,” library officer, Cathy Devereux said.

A similar program is run at the other libraries in the region with Preschool Storytime at Manning Valley Libraries and Turtle Time at Great Lakes libraries. 

MidCoast Libraries have been providing a range of free literacy programs for children aged from 0 to 5 years old, for many years. These fun-filled programs are designed to help our tiniest residents develop a love for reading before they head off to kindergarten. They also encourage parents and carers to share the experience with their little ones. 

‘Tiny Turtles’ at Forster and Tea Gardens libraries and ‘Giggle Wriggle Read’ at Taree, Wingham and Hallidays Point libraries, are programs for babies aged from 0 to 3 years that are full of action rhymes, toys, books, dancing and singing. Not only do these programs provide great social interaction for parents and their babies, but they’re also great for each child’s concentration and recognition skills as they discover new sounds, words and pictures.

MidCoast Council’s manager of libraries, Chris Jones, invites local families to come along and join the fun. “Our programs are free, inclusive and provide huge benefits for both the children and their parents, carers and grandparents,” said Chris.

Contact your local library to find out more.