Virtual Pajama Time! Monday, July 25 at 7pm. Get ready for bed by listening to these stories and songs that will help you drift off to dreamland. Put on your pajamas, cuddle with a loved one and bring your favorite stuffed animal friend! For kids ages 3 and up.

Wake Up Sunshine Storytime: Tuesday, July 26 at 10:30am. Start your day with stories, songs and rhymes led by Newton Free Library children’s librarians. For children 0-4 and their caregivers.

Find us across the street from the Library on City Hall grounds: walk past the City Hall fountain and we'll be under the tree on the corner of City Hall Drive and Commonwealth Ave. Outdoor storytimes are weather permitting.  If the ground is wet or the weather doesn't cooperate, this storytime might be canceled

Dial a Story: Listen to a children’s librarian read you a story over the phone. Call 617-796-1415 to listen to a story anytime you like. A new story is recorded weekly. For kids of all ages.

Animal Tracks: Tuesday, July 26 at 4pm. Have you ever seen an animal track in the mud or in the snow? Join us to make an animal track of your own with air-dry clay! You can think of animals you've seen in your neighborhood, at the zoo or in a book. We will have some examples of tracks to take a look at, and then using your hands and some other tools, we will make tracks to take home. We will also talk about what you can learn about an animal from its footprint, and will have some books to look at as well. Registration (required) is only for kids ages 6-9.

Movers and Shakers: Wednesday, July 27 at 10:30am. Let's stretch! Let's move! Let's sing and dance! In this storytime we will read fun movement-based stories and then have lots of fun moving and dancing to some familiar rhymes and songs. Each class will begin with some light stretching, and end with a moment of mindfulness. For ages 2-4.

Find us across the street from the Library on City Hall grounds: walk past the City Hall fountain and we'll be under the tree on the corner of City Hall Drive and Commonwealth Ave. Outdoor storytimes are weather permitting. If the ground is wet or the weather doesn't cooperate, this storytime might be canceled.

Draw Along Creatures: Seahorses! Wednesday, July 27 at 4pm. Draw Along Creatures continues with a focus on seahorses! After creating a drawing of this animal from simple shapes, the artist instructor will show you how to create scenes from just your imagination. Space is limited. Registration (required) is only available for ages 7-10.

What If You Saw Bigfoot? Wednesday, July 27 at 6:30pm. What would you do if you saw Bigfoot? Join us for an adventure fiction writing program as we look at some stories of Bigfoot for inspiration. Then complete the writing prompt of what you would do if you spotted Bigfoot. Stories will be full of adventure or comedy as you write about your sighting! Registration (required) is only available for kids entering grades 3 through 5.

Read Beyond the Beaten Path Sunshine Storytime: Thursday, July 28 at 10:30am. Join us for our summer reading program, Read Beyond the Beaten Path, storytimes. Each will be based on the week's theme. This week's theme is Exploring the Great Outdoors. Start your day with stories, songs and rhymes led by Newton Free Library Children’s Librarians. For children 0-4 and their caregivers.

Find us across the street from the Library on City Hall grounds: walk past the City Hall fountain and we'll be under the tree on the corner of City Hall Drive and Commonwealth Ave. Outdoor storytimes are weather permitting. If the ground is wet or the weather doesn't cooperate, this storytime might be canceled.

Read Beyond the Beaten Path Stories and Activities: Thursday, July 28 at 4pm. Come explore with us! Join us for our summer reading program, Read Beyond the Beaten Path, story and activity time for kids ages 4 and 5. Each will be based on the week's theme. This week's theme is Exploring the Great Outdoors. 

Read Beyond the Beaten Path: Summer 2022 

Have a blast this summer by joining Read Beyond the Beaten Path with Newton Free Library from June 13 to August 31. Read books, have adventures, win prizes! Use Beanstack to keep track of your time spent reading alone or with parents, siblings or your friends. And check out all the fun adventures we've included this year. Children through rising 5th graders in the 2022-23 school year can win prizes.

Register on Beanstack, and you will be entered in a drawing to win a prize each week of summer reading (6/13-8/31) as long as you also log minutes; write a book review on Beanstack; complete an adventure; or attend a library program (and fill in the relevant adventure). 

You can find registration, summer programming and everything else summer at newtonfreelibrary.net/summer.

Hindi Bilingual Storytime: Monday, August 1 at 10:30am. A special bilingual storytime with stories, songs and movement in English and Hindi. For kids ages 0-4 and their adults.

Find us across the street from the Library on City Hall grounds: walk past the City Hall fountain and we'll be under the tree on the corner of City Hall Drive and Commonwealth Ave. Outdoor storytimes are weather permitting. If the ground is wet or the weather doesn't cooperate, this storytime might be canceled.

Irish Dance Performance: Tuesday, August 2 at 4pm. Come see The O’Shea Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance perform their reels and jigs! They have been teaching children ages 4 and up for over 65 years, and their dancers have won regional, national and world titles. The performance lasts 15-20 minutes, and then children from the audience will be invited to learn some steps! For kids ages 4 and up and their families.

Matt Heaton Family Singalong--Live at the Hyde Bandstand! Wednesday, August 3 at 10:30am. Bring the whole family to this fun outdoor concert! Matt Heaton brings an infectious energy to his singalongs. Peppered with well known classics and a few soon-to-be classics, and performed with panache on guitar & banjo, Matt makes music for parents and kids alike. This concert will take place at the Hyde Bandstand and Playground. Please register if you would like to receive a zoom link to the virtual performance in case of rain. This event is taking place on public grounds and does not require registration. For directions to the bandstand click here.

Your Friends' membership made this program possible. Join us! [email protected]. A big thank you to the Hyde Community Center for helping organize this event and working with us to use the space. Additional thanks to the Newton Parks, Recreation and Culture Department.

Introduction To ASL Via Storytime: Wednesday, August 3 at 4pm. Join Mosesian Center for the Arts ASL interpreter and teaching artist Arlene Velleman for a storytime featuring Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown. We will read the book, Arlene will interpret in ASL, and then she will teach participants the signs for some of the key words from the story. Arlene will also be available to answer questions.

Grand Reopening of the Renovated Children's Room! Thursday, August 4, all day. Please join us to celebrate our renovated and expanded children's room with festivities throughout the day. 

-All day - Scavenger Hunt to help you learn your way around the newly renovated space

-9:30am - Ribbon cutting 

-10:30am OR 11:15am - Read Beyond the Beaten Path Sunshine Storytime in our new program space!

-3-5pm - Face painting, balloon twisting, and cake and ice cream

-4:30pm - Read Beyond the Beaten Path stories and activities for kids ages 4-5 in the Third Floor Rear Arc

-7pm - Caravan Puppets presents Tales of Trails, a celebration of journeys in Druker Auditorium

Rock Painting For Ages 3-5: Friday, August 5 at 10:30am. Bring in a rock or two (or more) to paint! For easier painting, find rocks that are big and smooth.  

Rock Painting For ages 6-9: Friday, August 5 at 4pm. Bring in a rock or two (or more) to paint! For easier painting, find rocks that are big and smooth.