Last month, I stumbled on a new event for the Artsplorers calendar of events – a monthly family day at the State Library of New South Wales. At least a couple of the readers here let me know they were excited about first guest, author Jacqueline Harvey, and they’d gone and had a great day with their families. With these recommendations, I decided that we had to give it a try this month. At $6.25 for a family ticket, I thought it was a pretty safe bet.
Each month has a different theme, and March’s was “Stories From Around the World.” The family day runs 11a.m. – 2p.m., and I was happy that we arrived a few minutes before 11 because it was a full day. First up was a talk and story session with the absolutely charming author Susanne Gervay, who shared the art and story of her children’s book “Elephants Have Wings.” The kids had a comfy rug to sit on, while there were plenty of chairs for the adults. Gervay was a natural with the kids, keeping them completely engaged for 45 minutes.
Following this session, we were all invited to join a family tour of the State Library. Full disclosure, we jumped off the tour half way through when, shall we say, the morning’s hot weather hydration caught up with Miss 5. But, the part we were there for was excellent, full of fun facts, and fast moving enough for little attention spans.
Leaving the tour early left us with some time before the second storytelling session to start in on some of the craft projects available. There were at least six different activities, inspired by the world story theme, and there were plenty of staff members around to help explain each one and help us get going (that was most appreciated, as I had my crafting hands full with baby sister).
At 12:30 we were invited to attend a second story session. This one was performed by members of the Spellbound Storytime project, an initiative of Information and Cultural Exchange in Western Sydney. Storytellers from India and Sri Lanka performed stories and songs from their homes. They were charming and lively.
For the final hour, the kids could return to the craft tables. Miss 5 wanted to do every one, as well as peruse some of the books that were in a comfortable little book corner. The whole staff was so friendly, making the rounds to encourage the kids and compliment their work. They’d clearly put some thought and effort into having plenty of materials and workspace for the kids to have a great time creating.
Family days at the State Library take place from 11 – 2 on the last Sunday of the month. Based on this day, I’d recommend it for ages around 4 – 8. Next month’s theme is Shakespeare for Shorties. More information and bookings via the State Library’s website.