Youth Services Programs

The Youth Services department is committed to providing engaging and educational programs and activities for children of all ages and their families. Below you will find our current and upcoming programs. Enjoy videos of our past virtual programs on OLPL’s YouTube channel HERE

WEEK OF APRIL 2

Messy Art
Ages 3-5 with a caregiver
Sunday, Apr. 2, 10:30-11:15 a.m.
Come for the fun, and leave the cleanup to us! Dress for a mess. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Spring StoryWalk
All Ages
Register for Spring StoryWalk beginning Saturday, Apr. 1. Event day is Monday, Apr. 10, 10-11 a.m.
Join us at Lake Shore Park, 9610 E. Shore Drive, for Saturday by Oge Mora. We’ll read it together and enjoy activities provided by the Oak Lawn Park District. Additional copies of the book will be available to check out in the Youth Services Department. Register at cal.olpl.org 10 days before the date of the program.

Lightyear Interactive Movie Kit
Ages 4+
Monday, Apr. 3, All Day
The kits will include props, snacks and other fun family-friendly activities to keep everyone engaged with the movie. Activities were designed for ages 4 and up. One kit per family, while supplies last. Available starting Monday, April 3.

Lapsit Storytime
Ages 6-24 months with caregiver
Tuesday, Apr. 4, 9:30-9:50 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement supporting literacy development and learning in young children. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Preschool Storytime
Ages 3-5
Tuesday, Apr. 4, 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement supporting literacy development and learning in young children. To promote independence, we encourage children to attend without caregivers. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Toddler Storytime
Ages 2-3 Years with caregiver
Wednesday, Apr. 5, 9:30-10 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement supporting literacy development and learning in young children. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Craft & Chill
Ages 11-14
Wednesday, Apr. 5, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Drop by the library to do a craft or just hang out! All middle-schoolers welcome! We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Messy Art
Ages 2-3 with a caregiver
Sunday, Apr. 2, 9:30-10:15 a.m.
Come for the fun, and leave the cleanup to us! Dress for a mess. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Kid Inventors
Friday, Apr. 7
Ages 5-7 / 10-11 a.m.
Ages 8-10 / 2-3 p.m.
Participants will read about inventors and then use Little Bits circuitry kits to make inventions of their own. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

WEEK OF APRIL 9

Spring StoryWalk
All Ages
Monday, Apr. 10, 10-11 a.m.
Join us at Lake Shore Park, 9610 E. Shore Drive, for Saturday by Oge Mora. We’ll read it together and enjoy activities provided by the Oak Lawn Park District. Additional copies of the book will be available to check out in the Youth Services Department. Register at cal.olpl.org 10 days before the date of the program.

Lapsit Storytime
Ages 6-24 months with caregiver
Tuesday, Apr. 11, 9:30-9:50 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement supporting literacy development and learning in young children. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Preschool Storytime
Ages 3-5
Tuesday, Apr. 11, 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement supporting literacy development and learning in young children. To promote independence, we encourage children to attend without caregivers. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Toddler Storytime
Ages 2-3 Years with caregiver
Wednesday, Apr. 12, 9:30-10 a.m.
Stories, songs, and movement supporting literacy development and learning in young children. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Parachute Play
Ages 1-3 with a caregiver
Date:
Thursday, Apr. 13, 9:30-10 a.m.
Join us for toddler music and movement time! We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Day of the Crayons
Ages 3-5
Date:
Friday, Apr. 14, 10-10:30 a.m.
This colorful storytime features a rainbow of stories about crayons and art, and includes time for creative play. We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Money Masters: Financial Literacy for Kids
Ages 5-10
Date:
Saturday, April 15, 11 a.m.-noon
April is Financial Literacy Month, and it’s never too early to start learning about the importance of saving and understanding money! The Oak Lawn Bank and Trust joins us to teach kids all about money, how we use it and how we save it! We will distribute admission tickets at the Youth Services Desk 30 minutes before the start of the program.

Resources for Parents

Parenting Collection

Learn more about how to tackle all of the joys and challenges of raising your child. Our parenting books and videos will help you through your child’s stages of development, special challenges and tricky conversations. We support early literacy development in pre-readers with special services and programs for them.

Programs

Our Youth Services programmers offer events for babies up through middle school, including storytimes, crafts and interactive programs. Many programs are freely available by drop-in or video, while others require registration to ensure participation. View upcoming programs.

eNewsletter

Sign up for our bi-monthly Youth Services eNewsletter! You will receive email notifications of all our programs, events and resources, have the ability to register early, and keep your activity schedule current. Sign up here.

Home Learning Resources

We have an extensive list of great home resources for home schoolers and learning at home! View the resources.

Wonderbooks

Developing readers will enjoy these print books with built-in audio players that allow them to listen along as they read.

Storywalk in the Park

Take a stroll through Lake Shore Park at 9610 East Shore Drive – just a few blocks from the Library — where you can read our latest Storywalk selection. As part of a partnership with the Oak Lawn Park District, the Library selects a picture book each season that you can read as you walk along the trail.

Services for PreK-8 Teachers & Schools

Assignment Alert

Tell us about your class assignments ahead of time — we’ll prepare the resources for your students.

Assignment Alert Form

Request Books

Need multiple books for your class? Let us know and we’ll gather them for easy pickup.

Request Books Form

Request a Program

Requests are fulfilled based upon staff availability, so plenty of advance notice is recommended. Please note that program requests are on hold during the COVID pandemic.

We provide a variety of programming for schools:

Library tours
Resource training
School visits
Storytimes
Student art & project displays

To inquire about requesting a program, email youthservices@olpl.org

Click here to see more great Youth Services Programs!

Resources for Educators

Find articles to support your teaching through our selection of databases.

A full list of the library’s databases may be found here.

EBSCOHost Professional Development Collection

ERIC (Education Resource Information Center)

Explora Educator’s Edition

Students K-8

Learning Resources

Click each logo to access the database.

ABDO Zoom

ABDO Zoom offers beginning research tools and databases for beginning readers.

BRAINFUSE

Brainfuse offers live tutoring, plus online homework help and test prep.

PROQUEST CULTUREGRAMS

ProQuest CultureGrams is the leading primary source reference for concise, reliable, and up-to-date cultural information on the countries of the world.

EXPLORA PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Explora Primary Schools helps you find articles on school subjects for elementary students.

HISTORY REFERENCE CENTER

Explore U.S. and world history articles at History Reference Center.

LITERARY REFERENCE CENTER

Learn more about authors and their writing at Literary Reference Center.

LOTE4KIDS

Lote4Kids allows children to enjoy the magic of books in World Languages from the comfort of home.

MANGO LANGUAGES

Learn a new language at Mango Languages.

MISS HUMBLEBEE’S ACADEMY

Miss Humblebee’s Academy is an award-winning, online and offline curriculum that prepares children ages 3 to 6 for kindergarten proficiency. Remote access code: oak73791

POINTS OF VIEW

Learn about topical and controversial issues at Points of View.

WORLD AT WAR

To help understand conflict and society.

For more resources, including local newspapers, see our full list of databases.