How to Get the Most Out of Storytime!

We can't wait to see you at storytime! Our current storytime offerings include*:

Sundays- Family Storytime at Rinconada Library @ 11am**
Tuesdays- Family Storytime at Children’s Library @ 11am
Wednesdays- Little Ones Storytime at Children’s Library @ 10:30am
Thursdays- Bilingual Family Storytime at College Terrace Library @ 11am
Fridays- Family Storytime at Downtown Library @ 11am
Saturdays- Family Storytime at Mitchell Park Library @ 11am

*Please note that our storytimes take breaks in the month of August and for a month from approximately mid-December to mid-January each year. Check our events calendar for exact dates.

**This new storytime will begin February 1, 2026.

Pick the right storytime.

Time and day. Consider which day and time works best for you, taking into consideration your child’s naptimes and energy levels.
Target audience. Little Ones Storytime is targeted at children who have not yet turned two. It is mostly songs, rhymes, and fingerplays with 1-2 books. Family Storytime is targeted at all ages with typically 2-3 picture books and songs in between.
Language. Bilingual Family Storytime at the College Terrace Library is offered in Spanish. For other languages, please check out our blog post on Virtual Storytimes in Other Languages.

Participate!

Caregivers are encouraged to participate – kids will remain engaged when they see their adult is engaged. Children learn by watching their caregivers – mimicking their behavior and determining what is important as well. They also love doing things with their caregiver actively involved with them. So, sing, clap, stomp, hug, kiss, count, yell, and guess what will happen next!

Reserve this time.

Set the time aside from your other tasks – you can’t multitask socializing or interacting with others on your electronic devices and expect your child to be fully engaged. When you can come to in-person storytimes, be sure to linger afterward to socialize with other caregivers, as well as let the kids mingle.

Move!

Kids need to move and the many songs we do in storytime encourage that. If they need to move about while listening to a story, that’s okay too. On the other hand, if they are moving constantly, perhaps the storytime isn’t the right one for them – see first tip "Pick the Right Storytime."

Don’t force it!

Some days are just not going to work. You can always try again later. Feel free to step out if your child is disruptive and come back when they are ready. The librarian and your fellow participants will appreciate it and understand! If you’re at home, visit our Youtube channel to watch virtual storytimes, opens a new window.

Revisit the material from the storytime.

Place the books read during storytime on hold so you can check them out and read them at home with your child. Storytimes are a great way to learn about books you may not have tried before. When you do reread the book, think about how the librarian read it – perhaps pointing out ‘hidden’ things in the pictures or asking questions about what might happen next before you turn the page. This will help build curiosity about what is happening in the story. Try some of your librarian’s storytime favorites with these booklists:

Books Made for Storytime Magic, opens a new window from Señorita Juliana
Storytime Favorites for Toddlers, opens a new window from Miss Heidi

Sing!

Check out our YouTube channel, opens a new window for more songs. Repetition – of both stories and songs – works well for little kids to learn.

Use ideas from storytime in your daily life.

Sing the songs as you go about your day. Look for things related to the storytime’s theme and point them out to your children – or get them to find them and point them out to you!

Make storytime a habit.

Schedule it into your week whether in-person or virtually. Consistency will help your child understand storytime expectations and the repetition of material will build their early literacy skills.

We can’t wait to see you at storytime!

-The Palo Alto Youth Services Librarians