Newton Public Library adds baby story time

The Newton Public Library introduced a special program for parents and their little ones six months ago and attendance has only continued to increase.

At 10:30 a.m. every Monday, mothers and fathers take their newborn to 18-month-old babies to the library for story time, song time and socialization.

The program includes a gentle and fun introduction to literacy through songs, stories and finger plays. For the grand finale and crowd favorite, Youth Services Librarian Phyllis Peter presents the bubble machine, which spits out a hefty amount of bubbles for children to play in.

Peter said the library brought baby story time to Newton after several parents had inquired about a program for their bundles of joy. Peter said they initiated the program after seeing other libraries introduce successful programs.

Peter leads the program with songs like, “Patty Cake,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” and “Wheels on the Bus.” Peter said the group has caught on quickly to the special finger plays.

One of her favorite parts about the program is seeing how each child absorbs the songs through giggles and smiles, she said.

One Newton mother, Erin Murray, said one of her 1-year-old’s first words was “tick-tock,” which is a common phrase heard during song time.

Murray said she, her husband and her twin babies moved to Newton with no ties to the community, and the program at the library has helped her make connections with other mothers.

“It really kicks our week off right,” Murray said.

Newton mother Kristin Kahn and her daughter, Jordyn, started attending the special program since its inception. Kahn said she has invited a lot of her friends to the program and she is hosting a finger-painting picture frame activity this week with fellow mothers.

Caitlin Mellick, of Newton, was invited by Kahn to the library, and she has brought her son Cooper since he was a newborn.

“He is really starting to catch on, and he is clapping his hands,” Mellick said. “It’s important for moms that have already been through it to give each other advice.”

Peter said she sees 15 to 20 families attend each week and they go through the regular routine. At the end, families socialize and children play for another 30 minutes.

“We want children of all ages to grow up knowing and loving their library,” Peter said “There is an ongoing encouragement for parents to make reading a big part of their child’s life.”

No pre-registration is required. Any questions can be directed to Phyllis Peter at 641-792-4108.

Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6513 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com