NORTHWOOD, Iowa — Everyone is welcome at the Northwood Public Library’s children’s story time, which kicks off its winter 2011 session this Friday.

“You don’t need to call ahead; you don’t need an appointment,” said library director Connie Kenison. “We have a lot of fun, and the kids get a lot out of it.”

For more than 20 years, the Northwood Public Library has been hosting children’s story times. The event has evolved into a six-week session each season, and follows the themes of spring, summer, fall and winter. The event is geared toward preschoolers, with kids as young as 6 months attending, but all children are invited.

“In the winter sometimes we’ll bring in snow, and in the fall we’ll bring in corn,” Kenison said. “Of course, the children love when we bring in Santa Claus.”

While reading is a major part of the event, children’s activities, playtime and snacks help hold the attention of the youngsters. Each story hour begins with an activity, which may range from crafts or coloring to playing with Legos or blocks.

Kenison said sometimes the activities follow the theme of the day. One example is when they bring the play kitchen out, enjoy a story about cooking and then let the kids decorate cookies.

Animals and action are probably the most popular themes for the children, especially the boys.

After about half an hour, the children and adults file into the back room to enjoy one or two books.

Once the books are completed, the children may enjoy learning lessons with finger books or the flannel board.

Then they return to the children’s room to enjoy light snacks, such as crackers and juice. Sometimes, on special occasions, children may even get a special treat, like a cookie.

After the event has wrapped, children and their caregivers are welcome to stay and play in the children’s area, a sunny corner of the library with Clifford the Big Red Dog and Curious George posters on the wall. The area is not only full of children’s books, but also toddler toys and a train table.

As the event is about more than reading, so are the lessons the children take home.

“Hopefully this gets them interested in books, but it’s also about the interactions with the kids,” Kenison said. “The kids learn to share and play with others.”

She said it’s a time for mothers and day care providers to talk and interact, giving each other feedback, too.

The only real challenge, Kenison said, is that they have the same group of children and their caregivers who attend each week and rarely see new faces at the event. She wishes more people would attend.

In addition to the seasonal children’s story time, the Northwood Public Library recently added wireless Internet, so now people can bring in their own laptops to use the Internet, free of charge. A computer lab is also available for public use.

The library also hosts a summer reading program for preschoolers through sixth graders each summer with movies on Friday afternoons.

If you go
What: children’s story time
When: 10 to 11 a.m. each Friday from Jan. 21 through Feb. 25
Where: children’s room at the Northwood Public Library, located at 906 S. First Ave., Northwood
Who: The program is geared toward preschool-aged children, but all are welcome.
Note: If there is no school on an event date due to weather, there will be no story time that day.