Put the tablet away, the library is where it's at this summer. With the sun shining bright in January, State Library Victoria is inviting families to its Swanston Street forecourt for the free Library on the Lawn: Kids Festival. Made for keeping little ones' literacy on track during the summer break, this stacked event also features numerous on-site activities to level up their engagement. Presented across two three-day sessions — Tuesday, January 6–Thursday, January 8 and Tuesday, January 13–Thursday, January 15 — each day is crammed with kid-friendly fun. Think bubble dance parties, storytime sessions and parachute play. Plus, bean bags, sensory boxes, soft toys, jumbo puzzles and games add even more exciting elements to their encounter. At the same time, kids can score take-home craft showbags while families are welcome to roam the Library's reading rooms on a scavenger hunt. Meanwhile, the second set of dates also features the Under the Love Umbrella installation, where illustrations from popular children's books by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys take over the Pauline Gandel Children's Quarter. With studies showing that kids who don't practice enough reading over the holiday break sometimes struggle when back in the classroom, State Library Victoria is doing its bit for young literary explorers this summer with this kids-focused edition of Library on the Lawn. Home to over 4000 books for children aged up to 12 years old, Australia's oldest public library is a kid-friendly haven for budding bookworms.
