Children’s Programs
ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS ARE ALWAYS FREE!
1,000 Books Bonanza
Stop by the Children’s Room to sign up for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, and get a free canvas bag to kickstart your 1,000 book journey. Any child who has not yet started Kindergarten can participate. Reading together helps children develop a love of reading, introduces them to new vocabulary, and teaches them important early literacy skills that will help them when they enter school.
Music City Strings 2025-2026
New London Community Orchestra is offering a new session of free violin lessons for children in grades 4-9. Instruments will be provided at no charge, and children may take their violin home to practice. Lessons are in small groups with professional teachers. Masks are required. Violin lessons are an excellent experiential enrichments activity that’s been shown to increase educational attainment. Fill out the form below to register:
https://form.jotform.com/61886278899180
October 2025
Take Home Craft Kits
Available All Month – First Come First Serve
Creepy Carrots: Based on the titular picture book by Aaron Reynolds. A crunchy craft for younger children
Paper Plate Jack-O-Lanterns: Pumpkin carving, without all the guts! A spooky craft for all ages.
Night and Day Agamograph: Crazy how the sky changes between day and night! An astrological craft for older children.
Batty Bookmarks: This spooky buddy will help you keep your place! A cute craft for all ages.
Interactive Movie Kits
Available All Month – First Come First Serve
Interactive Movie Kits are fun for the whole family! Kits include a list of prompts for your family to do throughout the movie plus props and crafts! Each kit comes with enough supplies for 4 people. DVD’s are available to check out on a first come first serve basis, but kits can be taken with or without the movie if you use a streaming service or have the movie at home.
October Lineup:
The Haunted Mansion: A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.
Toy Story: A cowboy doll is profoundly jealous when a new spaceman action figure supplants him as the top toy in a boy’s bedroom. When circumstances separate them from their owner, the duo have to put aside their differences to return to him.
Make it Mondays: Perler Beads
Mondays 3pm – 5pm
For September and October Make-It Mondays, join us each week to build with Perler Beads! Make coasters, keychains, your favorite characters, and more! Your imagination is the limit!
Creative Writing Club for Kids
Mondays October 6th & 27th 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Are you interested in writing? Join us for Creative Writing for Kids! We’ll be playing word games and working with writing prompts twice a month to help develop creative writing skills.
This workshop is geared for kids in 3rd grade and up, but strong and ambitious writers are encouraged to stop by! No registration required.
All-Ages Story Time
Wednesdays 10:30am – 11:30am
All ages story time and playgroup! Enjoy stories, songs, and a chance to play!
Best for children ages 4 and under. No registration required!
Art Class with Miss Dana
Thursdays 5pm – 6pm
Do you love creating art? Try coming to the library on Thursday evenings to take an art class with Miss Dana! Each week, we’ll be working on a new project, so be sure to swing by! No registration required.
Baby + Me Playgroup
Fridays 10:30am – 11:30am
Join us for a story time and play group! Baby + Me is designed for babies to socialize and for caregivers to meet each other! We will do a short lap story and then turn on the music and take out the toys for time to socialize. A great opportunity for new parents to meet and babies to play!
Children’s Board Game Club
Saturdays 12:30pm – 3pm
Do you love playing board games? Join us every Saturday for Board Game Club in the Children’s Room! In addition to chess, we will be including board games like Sorry, Battleship, Trouble, and more! This space can be for both children and their families. All skill levels are welcome!
Art Class: Hispanic Heritage Art Spotlight
September 18th – October 9th 5pm – 6pm
Do you love creating art? Try coming to the library on Thursday evenings to take an art class with Miss Dana! For Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), we’ll be working on a new project inspired by a Hispanic artist, so be sure to swing by! No registration required.
9/18: Amelia Peláez del Casal
9/25: Belkis Ayón
10/2: Joaquín Sorolla
10/9: Remedios Varo
Space Week!
September 29th – October 4th
All week, we’ll be having space-themed activities and crafts leading up to International Observe the Moon Night on October 4th! Swing by for some astronomical fun and to look at our super awesome display!
Out of this World!
October 2nd 4pm – 5pm
Look up and what do you see? Come learn about some of the objects in our sky with a focus on the Sun, Moon, Stars and Constellations with Niantic Children’s Museum! Children will also experiment with how blocking sunlight creates shadows and how the Sun’s position in relation to an object, changes its shadow size.
This program is recommended for children in PreK – 1st grade, but all are welcome to join!
Saturday Morning Storytime
October 4th 11:30am – 12pm
Join us for another round of Saturday Morning Storytime with Miss Meghan!
Paper Pumpkin Patch Collage
October 6th – October 11th
Participate in our community art project this week and create your own paper pumpkin to add to our pumpkin patch!
Bilingual Storytime
October 11th 11:30am – 12pm
Join us for another Bilingual Storytime with Miss Dana!
Smart Cookies
October 14th 10am – 5pm
We’re all smart cookies! Swing by and make your own Smart Cookie, based on the book by Jory John.
Storytime with Traveler the NLPD Wellness Dog!
October 15th 10:30am – 11:30am
Join us to have a special storytime with Traveler and Officer Christina! You can pet Traveler while listening to great stories and learning about the New London Police Department!
Ghost Family Portraits
Monday, October 20th 10am – 5pm
From old Looney Toons specials to Harry Potter or the Addams family – the spooky delight of gallery walls filled with family trees of phantoms hangs in the shadowy corners of our collective consciousness. Swing by the Children’s Room to make your own ghostly family portrait!
Celebrate Diwali
October 20th – October 25
Celebrate Diwali with the Children’s Room! Stop by to see our displays, learn about Diwali, and make your own paper lanterns!
Children’s Book Club: Peter Pan by James Barrie
Monday October 2oth 5pm – 6pm
Do you love reading and talking about books? Join the Children’s Book Club! We meet every 3rd Tuesday of the month during the school year from 5pm – 6pm.
This month, we’ll be reading Peter Pan by James Barrie! Books are geared for grades 3-5, but strong readers are encouraged to join! Copies of the monthly book, snacks, and crafts provided.
Red, Yellow Blue! Storytime with Lyman Allyn Museum
Wednesday October 22nd 10:30am-11:30am
Join us at a special storytime with Lyman Allyn Museum! Children will start by reading a colorful story to review the basics of primary and secondary colors. After, children will enjoy paint by mixing as they create a beautifully painted canvas. This program is geared towards children ages 3-5, but all are welcome!
Registration is required:
Red, Yellow, Blue! Storytime with Lyman Allyn Museum – LibCal – The Public Library of New London
Halloweek Spooktacular!
October 27th – October 31st
Join us for the Halloweek Spooktacular! Every day, we will be having a new activity leading up to Trick-or-Treating in the library on Halloween! Costumes are highly encouraged!
10/27: Spooky Stressballs
10/28: Monster Puppets
10/29: Witch Hats
10/30: Costume Masks
10/31: Trick-or-Treat Bags
Meet the Animals!
October 29th 4pm – 5pm
Learn about ecosystems, habitats, food webs and many other aspects of the natural world in a way that is exciting with Niantic Children’s Museum! Program will include live animals, and a fun Halloween theme!
Trick or Treating at PLNL!
October 31st 2pm – 5pm
Trick or treat! Smell my feet! Give me something good to eat! Swing by on your candy route to stop at all the departments in the library and get some more treats! We’ll be in costume! Will you?
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November 2025
Take Home Craft Kits
Available All Month – First Come First Serve
Thankful Turkeys: Create your own Turkey with colorful materials provided! A craft fit for children 3 and up!
Cornucopia: Make your own cornucopia by using various materials as your fruits and veggies to create a beautiful masterpiece! A craft fit for all ages!
Fabric Pumpkins: Put together a collage of colors to make your very own pumpkin! This is a craft suitable for all ages!
Dixie Cup Squirrels: Don’t hibernate just yet! Help create a squirrel that’s in need of finding a place to hide for the winter! This craft is suitable for children ages 3 and up!
Interactive Movie Kits
Available All Month – First Come First Serve
Interactive Movie Kits are fun for the whole family! Kits include a list of prompts for your family to do throughout the movie plus props and crafts! Each kit comes with enough supplies for 4 people. DVD’s are available to check out on a first come first serve basis, but kits can be taken with or without the movie if you use a streaming service or have the movie at home.
November Lineup:
Free Birds: Two Turkeys, Reggie and Jake, travel through time to the first Thanksgiving to try and stop the turkeys from being eaten! They meet new friends as well as several famous historical figures! This movie portrays the importance of teamwork and leadership throughout this heartwarming humorous film.
Turkey Hollow: This movie is based off of Jim Henson’s unpublished story that was recreated into a feature film and mastery of puppetry. A family who faced some hardships, travel with their dad for Thanksgiving to their aunt’s farm. Both children learn about the legend of the “Howling Hoodoo” that have been haunting the woods for centuries! This only leads their boredom and curiosity further trying to capture the legendary Hoodoo. The film promotes new family bonds created through adventure, exploration, and the power of love.
Make it Mondays: Friendship bracelets
Mondays 3pm – 5pm
For November Make-It Mondays, join us each week to create a beautifully crafted bracelet made by you to share with your friends or family members as we celebrate this month with giving, kindness, and thankfulness!
Children’s Graphic Novel Book Club
Monday Nights once a month at 5pm-6pm.
Saturdays once a month at 3pm-4pm
First meeting will be held on Monday, November 10th at 5pm-6pm and Saturday, November 15th at 3pm-4pm
Do you like reading but don’t know where to begin? Come join us for a Graphic Novel Book Club for kids!
This book club is geared for kids in 3rd grade and up, but all readers are encouraged to join! No registration required.
All-Ages Story Time
Wednesdays 10:30am – 11:30am
All ages story time and playgroup! Enjoy stories, songs, and a chance to play!
Best for children ages 4 and under. No registration required!
Art Class with Miss Dana
Thursdays 5pm – 6pm
Do you love creating art? Try coming to the library on Thursday evenings to take an art class with Miss Dana! Each week, we’ll be working on a new project, so be sure to swing by! No registration required.
Baby + Me Playgroup
Fridays 10:30am – 11:30am
Join us for a story time and play group! Baby + Me is designed for babies to socialize and for caregivers to meet each other! We will do a short lap story and then turn on the music and take out the toys for time to socialize. A great opportunity for new parents to meet and babies to play!
Children’s Board Game Club
Saturdays 12:30pm – 3pm
Do you love playing board games? Join us every Saturday for Board Game Club in the Children’s Room! In addition to chess, we will be including board games like Sorry, Battleship, Trouble, and more! This space can be for both children and their families. All skill levels are welcome!
Art Class: Native American Heritage Art Spotlight
November 6th – November 20th at 5pm – 6pm
Do you love creating art? Try coming to the library on Thursday evenings to take an art class with Miss Dana! National Native American Heritage Month for November. We will be working on a new project inspired by a Hispanic artist, so be sure to swing by! No registration required.
11/6: Shonto Begay
11/13: Emmi Whitehorse
11/ 20: Oscar Howe
Poppi’s Planet
Saturday, November 1st 11:30am-12:30pm
Poppi’s back for another storytime! Get transported to Poppi’s Planet! An interactive performance lesson with music, dance and puppetry! Get ready to celebrate what it means to be our unique selves! A social-emotional performance art adventure! Big feelings, emotions and lessons to be resilient! Leaving with new tools of mindfulness, and joy in our hearts!
With over half a million YouTube subscribers, Poppi is bringing her sunshine in a library near you! Looking for more? Check her page out: https://www.youtube.com/@poppisplanet6740
This program is recommended for ages 0-8! But ALL ages are welcome to join in on the fun!
Saturday Morning Dia de los Muertos Craft
November 1st – All Day!
Join us in celebrating the Mexican Culture by decorating and making sugar skulls with Miss. Dana.
Dino’s 2 You Traveling Museum
Monday, November 3rd 4pm-5pm
Join us for a complete interactive Dinosaur Museum Visit! It’s science, books, and of course dinosaurs!
The Fossil Touch Experience and Digital Microscopes
First stop, kids will meet Mr. Mark and see and touch real triceratops bone and horn fossils, duckbill hadrosaur bone, dinosaur stomach stones, a spinosaurus tooth, plus great book examples to reference! Plus, you’ll experience the wow of seeing fossils magnified under digital microscopes. Best for young explorers 5 and up but ALL ages are welcome to join in the quest.
Cross-Stitch Bookmarks
Tuesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 13 – All Day!
Did you ever want to learn how to cross-stitch? We’re here to help! Stop by the Children’s Room to make your very own Cross-Stitch Bookmark! It’s a fun activity that everyone can enjoy!
Tellebration with CT Storytelling Maritza
Wednesday, November 5th at 10:30am – 11:30am
Join us for a special Bilingual Storytime with Maritza!
Tellabration! is an international celebration of story. Libraries, historical societies, churches, book stores, museums and community organizations have found Tellabration! to be an exciting and enriching addition to their program offerings. In collaboration with the Connecticut Storytelling Center, each Tellabration! can be customized to appeal to an organization’s specific mission and audience.
This program is geared towards ALL ages!
Cooking for kids with Food for Your Soul
Wednesday, November 5th and Tuesday November 18th – 4pm-5pm
Registration is required! Come cook up something amazing and join us in the Community Room!
This program is best for children ages 3-10! Please indicate any food allergies upon registration and bring a hat & apron to class. Registration is required for each individual day.
Wednesday, November 5th Registration: Cooking for Kids! – LibCal – The Public Library of New London
Thursday, November 18th Registration: Cooking for Kids! – LibCal – The Public Library of New London
Family Palette Night with Lyman Allyn
Wednesday, November 12th – 4pm-5pm
Community Room.
Come wind down after work and school with us and Lyman Allyn Museum for a Family Palette Night! Follow along with an artist and paint your own masterpiece to bring home! Refreshments will be provided. This program is open to children, teens, and adult family members.
Registration required. Please submit registration for each person if registering for more than one person.
Register here: Family Palette Night with Lyman Allyn Museum – LibCal – The Public Library of New London
Children’s Book Club: Matilda by Roald Dahl
Monday, November 17th 5pm – 6pm
Do you love reading and talking about books? Join the Children’s Book Club! We meet every 3rd Tuesday of the month during the school year from 5pm – 6pm.
This month, we’ll be reading Matilda by Roald Dahl! Books are geared for grades 3-5, but strong readers are encouraged to join! Copies of the monthly book, snacks, and crafts provided.
Reach4the Sky! Southeastern CT Robotics
Monday, November 17 and Thursday, November 20th – 4pm-5pm
Community Room
Interested in Robotics? Come to the Community Room for this hands-on interactive program geared for children ages 5-12! Families and Teens are also welcome to join!
Storytime with Local Author Leslee Flanagan
Wednesday, November 19th- 10:30am-11:30am
Check out her website and view her books! Learn more about her and her volunteer work with Mystic Aquarium!
Scratch art for Kids
Wednesday, November 19 – All Day
Let’s get crafty! We are having an All-day craft of scratch art! This is great for children of all ages.
Community Thankful Project
Monday, November 24 – Saturday, November 29th – All Day!
What are you thankful for? We are thankful for the library! During the week of Thanksgiving, we will be making a community project! Come to the Children’s Room and write down things you are Thankful for and add them to our Turkey Board!
Children’s Room
860-447-1411 ext. 103
Head of Children’s Services
Children’s Librarian
Meghan Soucier
msoucier@plnl.org
860-447-1411 ext. 104
Children’s Librarian Assistant
Dana Santillana
dsantillana@plnl.org