I think we all tend to get a little stir crazy during the winter months when it’s too cold to play outside, and there aren’t many outdoor events to attend. One fun and free way to get out of the house is to take your kids to story time at your local library.

The Florissant Valley Branch Library has a story time on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m. The program is geared for children ages 0 to 2, and the librarian hosting the event is very accommodating to young children without long attention spans.

In addition to reading books, the children are encouraged to sing and dance to music, color, make a craft and play with puzzles and balls.

The story times typically have a theme, usually based on the upcoming holiday or current season, so it’s also a festive family activity. For older children (ages 2 to 6), the Jamestown Bluffs branch also has story time on Tuesday mornings at 10 a.m.

Going to the library for bi-weekly story time also provides a great opportunity to check out some new books and spice up your child’s bedtime route. Even at 2, my son likes to help pick out books, and it is fun to read different stories that I might not have chosen for him. It was through some of my son’s selections that I discovered that the Step 1 books for children learning to read are actually perfect for his current interest level and attention span.

Getting your children interested in reading is something that will help them throughout the years to come. Listening to stories will help prepare them for school and enable them to learn about new things they aren’t exposed to in their everyday lives.