Here at Nashville Public Library, we have so many FREE events for children and families year round, but summer is an especially fun-filled few months. Among the children's events in our calendar, we have our Summer Reading Challenge, ballet performances and story times, magic shows, science demonstrations, foam parties, Zooventures from Nashville Zoo, special puppet shows, and more!
Read, complete activities, and earn prizes! No library card required. Visit the SRC Landing Page for more details.
Let's get this summer started with a party at Amqui Station! Food trucks, outdoor play, music, and a 6:00 PM performance by the one and only Opryland Magician, Rodney Kelley! Children who sign up for summer reading at the event will take home a free book! This event is free and open to the public. Perfect for families. I, myself, will be there celebrating and representing Bringing Books to Life!
Nashville Public Library and the Donelson community are creating a neighborhood space for joy, learning, creativity, and community building with the new Donelson branch. Festivities include a Puppet Truck performance, Story Time with Nashville Symphony, a dance performance from Nashville Irish Step Dancers, and more! Check out the landing page for the celebration here to RSVP and see the official schedule of events!
Marionettes, rod puppetry, shadow animation, and an ever-changing set tell the story of country music as it relates to Nashville's transformation into Music City USA. Experience nearly one hundred puppets, ranging from the Staple Singers to Johnny Cash to Taylor Swift. String City: Nashville's Tradition of Music and Puppetry is a co-production by the Nashville Public Library and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. String City was created and is presented by the Nashville Public Library's Wishing Chair Productions.
Live out your free book fair fantasy! Come by the library's Teen Room for free books, bookmarks, buttons, pencils, erasers, and more! For all ages.
Join us for a very special story time with a teaching artist from Rejoice School of Ballet! The featured book A Story for Small Bear will be followed by movement to classical music. The program lasts 30 minutes and is for ages 3-5.
Join a Nashville Ballet Teaching Artist for this fairytale classic! Hear the story of how the Lilac Fairy reverses evil fairy's curse on a beautiful young princess doomed to sleep until love's kiss breaks the spell. Children will dance their way through this fun tale and learn how the ballet has become a cherished performance through its enchanting music and movement.
Join us and our friends from Nashville Ballet as we dance our Friday morning away! Best for ages 2-5 years.
Join us for a dance-filled story time celebrating the art of Irish Dance! The Scott Ellis School of Irish Dance promotes the Irish culture and focuses on the dance and the music. They are a very family-oriented bunch who like to have lots of fun! Come dance with us!
A musical romp of sights and sounds. The fun-filled sweetness of humor and adventure every heart longs for. A childlike wonder of the celebration of reading. Puppets, guitars, the sun, the moon, the stars. The Theater! The Circus! A joyous resurgence! Every Friday & Saturday in June & July, except for the last weekend in June & first weekend in July.
Little ones learn about the vibrant Latino culture through stories, music and movement. Rachel Rodriguez is a singer, songwriter, mother, and teaching artist. Her presentations are bilingual and extremely interactive. Children listen to a story, sing, dance, AND learn Spanish!
In this thrilling show, young scientists will embark on a STEM adventure! Kids will explode right into a mission that reveals challenges of defying gravity and electrifying obstacles, all while exploring science principles to navigate an escape. This adventure includes the powerful forces of physics, stunning reactions of chemistry, and much much more. Great for all ages and group sizes!
Team Mission: Write block-based or JavaScript code to program a small robot through a series of basic to complex obstacles. Students will code, test, observe, assess, and repeat as they work through the scientific process with their robot challenges. Recommended for ages 8-12, but all are welcome.
Mr. Bond's Science Guys' mission is to make science fun, cool and easy for kids! With over 20 years of experience in Tennessee and beyond, our mission is still to get kids excited about science! No matter what the circumstances, we will find a way to bring exciting and educational programs to kids.
Join Nashville Magician Rodney Kelley for a show that is a little bit comedy, a little bit magic, and a whole lot of fun! Rodney Kelley spent 11 years performing at OPRYLAND USA Theme Park and Hotel in Nashville and he'll be in East for one morning only! Perfect for ages 2-9 years.
Channel your inner mad scientist as you use the power of electricity to split water molecules! Kids will test various liquids to discover the best way to harvest hydrogen for an explosive finale. Recommended for ages 6-14, but all are welcome.
Join our friends from the Nashville Zoo as we hear a favorite animal story and meet an ambassador animal! Best for Pre-K -- 2nd grades, but all are welcome.
Since Ms. Magda will be out of town, our friends from Music City Pet Partners will bring a couple of their canine friends to read with your young ones! These dogs are well-trained and used to serving for therapy for all ages. Sign up for a 15-minute time slot at the Front Desk. No more than 2 children per session, please. For ages 7-18, but all ages are welcome.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a wild animal? In this interactive program, we explore how our animal ambassadors interact with their habitat and survive. (Recommended for all ages and grades)
Join Metro Animal Care and Control for a special story time. Make an enrichment toy for the shelter animals and then meet and greet an adoptable shelter animal. For ages 6 and up, but all are welcome.
Our friends from Metro Nashville Animal Care and Control bring in a special doggy ambassador for story time! Join us for animal stories and crafts. For ages 3-5, families welcome.
All children and teens ages 18 and under can enjoy a free shelf stable meal from Second Harvest Food Bank. Meals will be available in the Storytime Room. Meals must be eaten onsite in the Storytime Room. For questions, please feel free to reach out to the incredible Paige Wilson.
Join us for our Summer Reading Challenge kick off event and experience a one-of-a-kind foam party brought to you by Bubble Blast. Foam experts will create a mountain of clean refreshing foam in minutes that guests of all ages can play in. It's a high energy and fun experience with family friendly music, beach balls, pool noodles, and more!
Join us at Church Street Park for a fun foam party where we can play in a mountain of clean refreshing foam with beach balls, pool noodles, and more!
Kick off the summer with us outside for a fun foam party where we can play in a mountain of clean refreshing foam with beach balls, pool noodles, and more!
2:00 PM - Ages 0-4 playtime
2:20 PM - Ages 5-8 playtime
2:40 PM - Ages 9-12 playtime
A calmer bubble area will be available for little ones who need a sensory break. Please bring towels and wear water shoes and clothes that can get wet.
What is a Foam Party? It's just that - a PARTY! But BETTER. Abrakadabra's foam cannon fills any area up to 6 feet high in cool, clean, and refreshing foam. We then crank up some tunes and have a party like you've never seen before! Come one, come all. Perfect for families with children ages 0-7 years.
Join us and our friends from Small World Yoga for a movement-filled story time perfect for our youngest yogis. Best for ages 3-7 years.
Bow a fiddle, pluck a banjo, and strum a ukulele! The Musical Instrument Petting Zoo offers budding musicians a chance to try new and familiar instruments. The program begins with a demonstration of the instruments by a professional musician, then instructors offer guidance as you try your hand at all the instruments at the zoo. For ages 6-17.
Come and learn coding concepts, app design, and programming with robotics. Open to rising 5th graders and above. Registration required. Also available for Williamson County residents (see website for details). It's FREE!
As you can see, there is quite a lot going on here at NPL and our branches this summer. It is a very exciting time to be a Nashvillian with a (FREE) library card! Our doors are open to all, regardless of whether you have a card, and we're so excited to put on such wonderful programs for the children in our neighborhoods! Come visit us any time of the year to check out books, movies, and more, all for free. I leave you with an ancient photo of my childhood dog, Buddy, and me in the dog days of summer, having a grand ole time. H.A.G.S.! (If you know, you know).
