all programs are free and open to everyone
Children’s Events | Tween Events
Children’s Events (Birth–Gr. 3)
Wiggle Worms Story Time (Ages 0-3)
Tuesdays, (ongoing), 9:30 AND 10:30 a.m. in the Program Room
Drop-in event, no registration required.
Due to space, please choose only 1 session to attend.
A play-based music and movement story time for children and their caregivers! This story time will take place every Tuesday morning. See website or Facebook/Instagram for last-minute cancellations.
Click here to see our Wiggle Worms Songbook for an example of what to expect at Wiggle Worms!
Stay & Play
Wednesdays, (ongoing), 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Drop-in event, no registration required.
Come to the library to play and meet new friends! Stay & Play is a pop-in social time for children and their caregivers. Come for a few minutes, or stay for a couple hours!
Story Time A – Z (Ages 3-5)
Fridays, September 29 – October, 10:00 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration encouraged, but not required.
A story and craft time for pre-school age children and their caregivers!
Each storytime will focus on a “Letter of the Week” and feature songs, books, and a craftthat supports early literacy, math, and fine and gross motor skills.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Play-Doh Day (Ages 2-4)
Thursday, September 28, 9:30 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Let’s celebrate all things PlayDoh! Come to the library, make some homemade play-doh, and visit different play-doh centers to experiment and explore with play-doh creations!
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
STEAM Saturdays: Coding with Lego WeDo (Ages 5-12)
Saturday, September 30, 10:00 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Enjoy a different STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Mathematics) project at the library select Saturdays.
This session we will explore basic coding with Lego WeDo robots. With LEGO WeDo 2.0 patrons can build and program basic robots. Geared towards younger patrons, this kit helps them learn basic design and programming. LEGO provides designs for 17 different types of robots with different abilities and patrons are encouraged to create their own designs as well.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Ghost Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, September 30, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Children’s Room
Drop-in, all day event.
There are ghosts at the library! Start the spooky season off right with a ghost hunt at the Essex Library. Ghosts will be hidden throughout the children’s room and it’s up to you to find them. Can you catch them all?
Preschool STEAM Lab (Ages 3-5)
Monday, October 2, 9:30 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Come explore the world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) with us through fun experiments and activities! This month, we will be focusing on all things blocks and building.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Pumpkin Painting and Scarecrow Decorating (Gr. K-6)
Tuesday, October 3, 4:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Help Essex Library create a scarecrow to decorate for the Halloween season! After our scarecrow is finished, paint a pumpkin to take home!
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Kids Create: Fairy Houses, Program Room (Gr. K-6)
Saturday, October 7, 10:00 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Get crafty with Essex Library’s newest arts & crafts program for kids ages 5-12.
In this session, children are invited use terracotta pots, paints, and other materials to decorate their own fairy house, a small structure for fairies and woodland creatures to live in.
These whimsical habitats are built by children, families, gardeners and nature lovers alike, and can bring a bit of magic and mystery to any family garden.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Percy Jackson Party (Gr. 3-8)
Tuesday, October 10, 4:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Celebrate Rick Riordan’s newest addition to the Percy Jackson series, The Chalice of the Gods!
We’ll compete in games fit for the gods, talk about our favorite parts of the Percy Jackson books, test our Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology knowledge, and even snack on some blue food like Percy and his mom!
We’ll end our party with a Greek Mythology scavenger hunt in the children’s section.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Louie Listens
Thursday, October 12, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Reserve your private 10-minute session to spend time with local, licensed therapy dog, Louie the Labrador! Open to kids, teens, and families!
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Spooky Family Trivia
Tuesday, October 17, 5:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Drop-in event, no registration required.
Join us for a fun family trivia night celebrating all things Halloween and spooky. Test your knowledge to see who knows the most about this popular holiday!
Future Artists (Ages 3-5)
Monday, October 23, 9:30 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Encourage your future artist to get creative as we explore different arts and crafts! This month kids will create their own witch/wizard hat!
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Tween Events (Gr. 4-8)
STEAM Saturdays: Coding with Lego WeDo (Ages 5-12)
Saturday, September 30, 10:00 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Enjoy a different STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Mathematics) project at the library select Saturdays.
This session we will explore basic coding with Lego WeDo robots. With LEGO WeDo 2.0 patrons can build and program basic robots. Geared towards younger patrons, this kit helps them learn basic design and programming. LEGO provides designs for 17 different types of robots with different abilities and patrons are encouraged to create their own designs as well.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Dungeons & Dragons Character Creation: Tween Session (Gr. 4-8)
Saturday, September 30, 12:00 p.m. in the Conference Room
Registration required.
Join us and play the world’s greatest role-playing game at one of the Essex Library’s Dungeons & Dragons sessions! Come create your own character and join the adventure where we will fight monsters and explore new lands. Both new and experienced players are welcome.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Ghost Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, September 30, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Children’s Room
Drop-in, all day event.
There are ghosts at the library! Start the spooky season off right with a ghost hunt at the Essex Library. Ghosts will be hidden throughout the children’s room and it’s up to you to find them. Can you catch them all?
Pumpkin Painting and Scarecrow Decorating (Gr. K-6)
Tuesday, October 3, 4:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Help Essex Library create a scarecrow to decorate for the Halloween season! After our scarecrow is finished, paint a pumpkin to take home!
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Kids Create: Fairy Houses, Program Room (Gr. K-6)
Saturday, October 7, 10:00 a.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Get crafty with Essex Library’s newest arts & crafts program for kids ages 5-12.
In this session, children are invited use terracotta pots, paints, and other materials to decorate their own fairy house, a small structure for fairies and woodland creatures to live in.
These whimsical habitats are built by children, families, gardeners and nature lovers alike, and can bring a bit of magic and mystery to any family garden.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Percy Jackson Party (Gr. 3-8)
Tuesday, October 10, 4:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Celebrate Rick Riordan’s newest addition to the Percy Jackson series, The Chalice of the Gods!
We’ll compete in games fit for the gods, talk about our favorite parts of the Percy Jackson books, test our Percy Jackson and Greek Mythology knowledge, and even snack on some blue food like Percy and his mom!
We’ll end our party with a Greek Mythology scavenger hunt in the children’s section.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Louie Listens
Thursday, October 12, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Registration required.
Reserve your private 10-minute session to spend time with local, licensed therapy dog, Louie the Labrador! Open to kids, teens, and families!
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Spooky Family Trivia
Tuesday, October 17, 5:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Drop-in event, no registration required.
Join us for a fun family trivia night celebrating all things Halloween and spooky. Test your knowledge to see who knows the most about this popular holiday!
Dungeons & Dragons: Tween Session (Gr. 4-8)
Saturday, October 21, 12:00 p.m. in the Conference Room
Registration required.
Join us and play the world’s greatest role-playing game at one of the Essex Library’s Dungeons & Dragons sessions! Come create your own character and join the adventure where we will fight monsters and explore new lands. Both new and experienced players are welcome.
Sign up at (860) 767-1560 or e-mail staff.essexlib@gmail.com
Fantasy Card Games Club (Gr. 4-8)
Monday, October 23, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. in the Program Room
Drop-in event, no registration required.
Join us for an afternoon of fantasy card games, like Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokémon. Both new and experienced players are welcome!
Sign-up for Monthly email Newsletters
Like Us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram
Follow Us on Twitter
Subscribe to Our YouTube Channel