Introducing children to books and other resources at an early age can have a big impact on their development. No child is too young to join the library so make sure your little one has their own card.
At all of our libraries, you will find a wealth of picture books which they will love. We even have board books especially designed for little hands to hold.
All Essex libraries have books to support parents and carers dealing with those challenging issues associated with bringing up children. Discover more about how we support parents on our parent information page
Breastfeeding Welcome
All Essex libraries support the Breastfeeding Welcome scheme promoted by Virgin Care, and carry a certificate showing our commitment to supporting breastfeeding mothers. Find information to help support breastfeeding when out and about at the Virgin Care website.
Baby and Toddler Rhymetimes
Baby and toddler sessions run in all Essex libraries and offer a great opportunity for you and your child to share rhymes, have fun together and join in with other families. To find your nearest session, search for events in your local library.
Some libraries have volunteering opportunities to help with baby and toddler times.
BookTrust storytimes
Come and vote for BookTrust Storytime’s best storybook!
You can take part in the national poll, running from November 2022 to the end of March 2023. At the end we'll find out, from a shortlist of six, which is the nation's favourite storybook - and which is the favourite storybook here in Essex.
Libraries will be running special storytimes where you can come along and enjoy the brilliant stories and be part of this exciting event.
Vote at your local library at the end of the storytime session and make sure your favourite book wins! You can also take part in the Essex vote online.
Moshi App
Download the app and login to access 30 days of Moshi stories that help your kids sleep, entertain them with healthy screen time and support their emotional learning.
Bookstart
You should receive the Bookstart Baby pack from the Registrar when registering a baby's birth. If you prefer you can request the pack from your local library.
Visit the Bookstart website to find out more about the Bookstart project and take part in lots of fun activities.
Online Rhymetimes
Enjoy the Rhymetime experience from home with some of our library stars sharing rhymes and songs in our regular Online Rhymetimes, or if you are in a hurry check out our rapid rhymes.
Online Story Times
We all love sharing stories whatever age we are and it’s never too early to start. Reading together is so much fun and it’s good for us too!
Visit our Story Times Youtube playlist and enjoy sharing a story with us!
10 Library Things to do for babies and toddlers
Looking for ideas for things to do with your pre-school child? We’ve put together a checklist of 10 Library Things to do – have a look today and see how many you can check off.
Family reading activities
Ideas to extend the fun of your child's favourite story and recommended reads that include ideas for outside activities.