Wiltshire Council libraries will be celebrating National Bookstart Week (5-11 June) with special rhyme times and other activities, to encourage families to have fun reading together, anywhere and anytime.
The theme of this year’s National Bookstart Week is Let’s Explore Outdoors. Children who attend any of the events and visit libraries can pick up a free mini copy of the picture book Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall.
National Bookstart Week is an annual celebration of BookTrust’s flagship reading programme, Bookstart, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Bookstart gives every child in England and Wales a free reading pack in the first year of their life and again when they are three years old. The library service manages Bookstart in Wiltshire and works with health and early years professionals to distribute the free packs.
Wiltshire Bookstart co-ordinator, Sarah Hillier, said: “Bookstart is a wonderful programme, each year in Wiltshire we gift over 4,000 packs to babies at their health checks and over 5,000 to 3 year olds through their pre-school or nursery. Feedback from parents, carers and professionals tells us how much they value these packs and how it can really encourage parents and carers who might not otherwise consider reading or sharing books with their very young children.”
Diana Gerald, chief executive of BookTrust said: “It is important for parents and carers to find the time to read with their children, sharing the adventures that books can offer. Shared reading and encouraging reading for enjoyment from a young age can help children on their reading journeys and inspire a lifelong love of reading. Quite simply, those children who read for pleasure are more likely to be happier, healthier and do better in life than those who don’t.”
Regular rhyme times and other activities during National Bookstart Week are listed below, all are free, some may need to be booked.
If families are unable to make it along to their local event they can join in the fun at home, with plenty of bunny-themed arts and crafts and games, all on the Bookstart website at www.bookstart.org.uk
Special Bookstart Week activities:
Bradford on Avon library
Thursday 8 June, 10.30-11.15 – (weather permitting) an outdoors rhyme time on for both babies and toddlers
Friday 9 June, 10.30-11 – story time in the library.
Chippenham library
Wednesday 7 June – “Explore Outside” We Sing Wednesday
10 – 10.30 Baby rhyme time
11 – 11.30 Toddler time
Join us for rhyme and songs in the garden behind the library (weather permitting).
Corsham library
Friday 9 June 9.30-10.30 – Every Bunny Dance story and craft session followed by regular rhyme time session
Malmesbury
Hop into Malmesbury Library on Weds 7 June & celebrate with our special guest the Bookstart Bear!
10:30-11:00am – “Let’s Explore Outdoor” themed story, rhyme and activity session for pre-school age children.
Salisbury
Tuesday 6 June, 10.30 – 10.50 – Rhyme time for babies/11.15 – 11.35 – Action Time for toddlers. Wake up your sleeping bunnies for two special sessions celebrating National Bookstart Week 2017
Thursday 8 June, 11 – 11.45 – Bookstart Bear Club Story Explorers: “Everybunny Dance” story and craft session for Under 5s, followed by songs on the green (weather permitting)
Trowbridge library
Thursday 8 June – Teddy Bear’s Picnic, plus ‘go on a Bear Hunt for Bookstart Bear’. Will include stories, colouring, singing and healthy snacks.
