Sacramento Public Library runs free programs for kids every week at branches across Sacramento, Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale, North Highlands and Rio Linda. None of them cost anything, and most are drop-in with no registration. Here is the weekly schedule by program, from baby storytime to teen spaces. Times can shift around holidays, so check the library's event page before you go.
Family storytime (ages 0 to 5)
Songs, rhymes and picture books, usually followed by playtime or a craft.
- Arcade: Tuesdays 10:30 am
- Central Library downtown: Tuesdays 10:30 am
- Colonial Heights: Tuesdays 10:30 am
- Fair Oaks: Tuesdays 10:30 am
- Del Paso Heights: Tuesdays 11:30 am
- North Highlands-Antelope: Thursdays 10:00 am
- Orangevale: Thursdays 10:30 am
- Belle Cooledge: Fridays 10:00 am
- South Natomas: Fridays 10:30 am
- Southgate: Fridays 10:30 am
- Martin Luther King, Jr.: Fridays 5:00 pm
- North Natomas: Saturdays 10:30 am
- Pocket-Greenhaven: Saturdays 10:00 am
Baby storytime (ages 0 to 1)
- Fair Oaks: Thursdays 10:30 am
- Arden-Dimick: Fridays 11:30 am
- Central Library: Saturdays 10:30 am
Bilingual storytime (Hora de Cuentos Bilingüe)
Stories and songs in Spanish and English.
- Colonial Heights: Saturdays 10:30 am
- Central Library: Saturdays 3:30 pm
- Del Paso Heights: Thursdays 11:30 am
Explore and Learn playgroups (ages 0 to 5)
A drop-in playgroup with learning activities for young kids and their grown-ups, at 12 branches: Belle Cooledge, Fair Oaks, South Natomas, Southgate, Valley Hi-North Laguna, Orangevale, North Natomas, Pocket-Greenhaven, Colonial Heights, Rio Linda, Ella K. McClatchy, North Highlands-Antelope.
STEAM for Kids (ages 5 to 12)
Hands-on science, building and art projects after school or on Saturdays.
- Central Library: Thursdays 3:30 pm
- Arden-Dimick: Thursdays 3:30 pm
- North Highlands-Antelope: Thursdays 4:00 pm
- Del Paso Heights: Wednesdays 2:30 pm
- Pocket-Greenhaven: Saturdays 10:45 am
- Southgate: Saturdays 2:00 pm
- South Natomas: Saturdays 3:00 pm
- North Natomas (LEGO): Saturdays 3:00 pm
- Orangevale (LEGO robotics): Saturdays 10:30 am
Teen Space (ages 12 to 18)
A free hangout with games, crafts and activities for teens.
- Colonial Heights: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 3:00 pm
- Rio Linda: Wednesdays 2:00 pm
- Southgate: Thursdays 4:00 pm
- North Natomas: Tuesdays and Thursdays
Read to a Dog (ages 5 to 12)
Kids practice reading aloud to a calm therapy dog.
- Arcade: Thursdays 3:30 pm
- Orangevale: Fridays 3:30 pm
Frequently Asked Questions
Are library storytimes in Sacramento free?
Yes. Every Sacramento Public Library storytime, playgroup, STEAM program and teen space is free, and most need no registration.
Which Sacramento library has a Saturday storytime?
North Natomas (10:30 am) and Pocket-Greenhaven (10:00 am) hold family storytime on Saturdays, Central Library has baby storytime at 10:30 am, and Colonial Heights and Central Library hold bilingual storytime on Saturdays.
Is there a bilingual Spanish storytime in Sacramento?
Yes. Hora de Cuentos Bilingüe runs at Colonial Heights and Central Library on Saturdays and at Del Paso Heights on Thursdays.
What can teens do at the library?
Teen Space is a free hangout for ages 12 to 18 at Colonial Heights, Rio Linda, Southgate and North Natomas, and Central Library runs a drop-in makerspace.