Children & Young People

Orbit Newsletter

To receive the Orbit Newsletter and information about children’s and young people’s programs to your inbox please subscribe by completing the form below.

Holiday Activities

Get crafty these summer holidays with a craft pack from the Library.

HOW: Order your craft pack online via Eventbrite. 
$12 per pack. Sales end Friday 22 January 2021 or while stocks last.

Check out great holiday activities at the library for children, teens and all the family.

READING TIPS 

Are you helping your child learn to read? Watch these quick tips for practical techniques and strategies to try at home here

Story Time

Find out more about Story Time programs resuming face to face at our library branches here.

Story Time Online

Join the team screen-to-screen for Story Time during term 1. Each Tuesday at 10.30am, we’ll be logging into Zoom to read, sing and craft together.

WHO: 2-5 year olds and their adult carer
WHEN: Every Tuesday 10.30am from 2 February to 31 March 2021 
WHERE: Online via Zoom
TICKETS: FREE - Limited numbers. Bookings essential

BOOK NOW

If you can’t make it to the online zoom sessions watch our short Story Time videos here

Little Seekers Sessions - suspended until further notice

Suitable for children aged 2-5 years old with social/sensory issues.
Enquiries and bookings contact the Library Inclusion Officer. Ph: 0418 664 879

PENRITH:      First Friday of every month, 10.30am-11.30am
TICKETS:      FREE – Limited places. Booking essential.

Baby Time

Find out more about Baby Time programs resuming face to face at our library branches here.

Join the team screen-to-screen for Baby Time to rhyme, sing and play together.

WHO: 0-2 year olds and their adult carer
WHEN: Every Monday 1.30-2pm from 1 February to 29 March 2021
WHERE: Online via Zoom
TICKETS: FREE - Limited numbers. Bookings essential
BOOK NOW

Toy Library 

The Toy Library will be open for borrowing sessions only. For the health and safety of staff and participants, we will not be offering Stay and Play sessions.

 All toys will be cleaned thoroughly before and after use.

Quick visits are encouraged. Please select your toys and check out to play with them at home. Check our online catalogue for the selection of toys available. 

Our toy library includes sturdy toys for under 8 yos and a range of family board games. There are baby toys, construction sets, puzzles, vehicles, food, animal and house play sets.Toy Library does not run during school holidays.

Find a session at a branch near you:

Penrith: Wednesday at 10am-12pm and Saturdays at 10am-12pm

St Marys: Tuesdays at 10am-12pm and Saturdays at 10am-12pm

St Clair: Thursdays at 10am-12pm and Saturdays at 10am-12pm

Toy Library Sessions will be monitored and supervised by Library staff

Toy library conditions of use:

• If you bring a child to a toy library session be sure to supervise and accompany them at all times.
• Toys in the cupboards are for browsing and borrowing. 
• Care for the toys and return them in a clean condition.
• Return damaged toys and parts as toys are repaired wherever possible.
• A replacement cost may be charged for lost toys when negligence results in damaged toys.
• The library is not liable for damage/injury resulting from borrowed toys.

Toy Library Outreach Service

We specialise in providing toys for children with disabilities and high support needs. Featuring switch-adapted, sensory and educational toys, children will delight in making them function through lighting up, playing sounds and movement. Through hands-on play, they can build valuable problem-solving, coordination, reasoning, numeracy, literacy and fine motor skills.

A specialised outreach service is available, with the Library Children’s Inclusion Officer providing one-on-one borrowing sessions by appointment either in person or online, with opportunities for extended loan periods.

Referrals are required to access this service.

For details on the referral process for the Toy Library Outreach Service This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call 0418 664 879. 

Fox Tales

‘Fox Tales’ was developed by the DIG Creative Maker Space Program, a creative and professional development program for Greater Western Sydney digital artists/designers within their first 5 years of professional practice. Penrith Library sponsored the 2nd DiG project which was completed in late 2018, to encourage teens to visit our library and use our collections: visit penrith.city/foxtales

Studiosity

Studiosity is an online service providing live homework and study help for years 3-12.

Go to Studiosity and log on from home with your Penrith City Library card. Membership is free for all students living in NSW. Studiosity provides one-to-one academic support in English, Maths, Science, assignment research, and study skills.

Tutors are online Sunday to Friday between 3pm and 10pm.

View the Library Catalogue

Ziptales

Ziptales offers you 500+ interactive stories with voiceovers, animations, games, quizzes and more to help make reading FUN! This is available for FREE within NSW for all children, parents and schools, either at your library, school or at home. All you need is a library card.

View Ziptales here.