Miss Shelley shares books, activities, videos, and resources to help children on the path to reading.
Browse the latest activities for early learners

44 things to do with your little ones this summer
There is so much to do and explore during the summer! Together with the Collaboration for Early Childhood, we’ve put together a collection of activities and free, fun, local community …

Normalizing autistic acceptance: Videos & books for early learners & caregivers
Happy Autism Acceptance Month! In the past, we’ve shared information about: Celebrating autism pride. Neuro-affirming resources for autistic people and their caregivers. Why many autistic people prefer to celebrate autistic …

33 things to do with little ones this spring
Longer, lighter days this season make it easier to fit more into each and every one. Your public library, in partnership with the Collaboration for Early Childhood, has put together …

Early Bird Learning videos: A virtual tutorial for babies, toddlers & preschoolers
Did you know that children’s staff have created more than 400 early learning videos since March 2020?! You can watch them all in a YouTube playlist and find them organized …

BingePass gives you 7 days of unlimited streaming
With hoopla’s new BingePass and your Oak Park library card, you can get unlimited streaming for seven days with a single borrow! Let’s get started… How do I use hoopla’s …

35 things to do with little ones this fall
Fall family fun is in full swing here in Oak Park! Explore free activities—curated by your public library and the Collaboration for Early Childhood—specially designed for families with young children …

Sharing scary & not-so-scary stories: Videos & books for early learners
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris The sun is setting earlier, and nights are lasting longer. This is the time of year when our “Chills and Thrills” bin of picture books …

New year, new transitions! Videos & books for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Welcome to the -ber months: September, October, November, and December! Most people celebrate the start of a new year in January. Not me. I graduated …

Kids summer reading: Kids as young as 2 can join the fun!
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Most people look at summer as a time to relax and have fun. For Children’s Services Librarians, it’s our busy season! We’ve spent the past …

Autism acceptance & pride: Videos & activities for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian Happy Autism Acceptance Month! To understand why we’re celebrating… Let’s start at the beginning: What is autism & why acceptance? There are two brain types: …

9 ways to encourage spontaneous, meaningful language
Library staff love to talk about the importance of language and play for kids: It helps them explore their world, learn about themselves and the people around them, get ready …

Be kind to yourself: Videos & resources for grownups & early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian We often come back to the topic of emotions and social-emotional learning with our kids. Sometimes it may feel like we’re repeating ourselves! But we …

Celebrating AAC, ADHD & Down Syndrome Awareness Months: Activities for early learners & support for caregivers
October is a big month! Many kids are excited for Halloween, of course. We finally enter an autumn that will last a while; that’s usually pretty great. Sometimes we even …

‘Won’t you be my neighbor?’ Videos & activities for early learners
“You’ve made this day a special day, by just your being you. There’s no person in the whole world like you, and I like you just the way you are.” …

Talking about emotions: Activities for early learners
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris It’s never too early to talk about emotions with children, even babies and toddlers. The end of summer and start of new autumn routines is …

Disability Pride Month: Activities for early learners & caregivers
July is Disability Pride Month! It’s been celebrated since 1990, when President HW Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, though many non-disabled people have not …

Visiting the Main Library Children’s Services: A virtual tutorial for kids & families
By Children’s Librarian Shelley Harris Sometimes kids and adults get nervous about visiting a new place for the first time. We get it! It can be useful to know what to …

Happy Autism Acceptance Month! Videos & activities for early learners & caregivers
April can be a challenging month for many autistic people. Many organizations that aren’t run with or by autistic leaders have campaigns about “lighting it up blue”—furthering stereotypes that autism …

Make practicing early literacy skills a habit: Videos & activities for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian How are you doing? We’re a quarter of the way through the year. It’s a little warmer, a little sunnier. Sometimes things feel a little …

Share sounds: Videos & books for early learners
By Shelley Harris, Children’s Librarian The grasshopper chirpeth, the lamb bleateth, the owl hooteth. Animal sounds are found in so many books and songs for children, including the first-known picture …