Rainy-Day Libraries with Great Kids' Rooms in Four Counties

When the forecast turns, a good library is one of the easiest rescues for a day with grandkids. A children’s room has a floor to sit on, books to pull off shelves, and often a storytime or a hands-on program that does the entertaining for you. The libraries below were picked because their own websites describe a real children’s space or a regular program for little ones.

A few ground rules. Programs change by season, many need registration, and some are limited to residents of the library’s district, so check the library’s calendar before you go and call if you are not sure. We do not list hours here; use “check seasonal schedule” and the library’s own page. We also do not claim any program is open to out-of-district visitors, because policies vary.

Fairfield County, CT

Darien Library, Darien

Darien has a dedicated Children’s Library with its own closing time on weeknights. The library lists storytimes for different ages (including “Baby Laptime” and a storytime at Highland Farm), LEGO family play, bilingual concerts, and borrowable “Exploration Backpacks” and preloaded tablets. Grades 3 to 6 have a TEA Room for 3D printing and STEAM projects. See the Darien Library kids page and our venue listing.

The Westport Library, Westport

The library lists a Children’s Library section, a MakerSpace, and a circulating toy collection. Programs include storytimes, STEAM activities and clubs, and school-break programs. See the Westport Library kids page and our venue listing.

New Canaan Library, New Canaan

The New Canaan Library has a Kids section on its site and lists age-banded storytimes such as “Time for 2’s” and “3-5’s Storytime,” plus grade-level programs. Events can be filtered by age group. See the New Canaan Library site and our venue listing.

Ferguson Library, Stamford

The Ferguson Library’s Youth Services area has separate sections for babies and toddlers, kids and tweens, a Special Needs Center, and storytimes such as Babytime, along with crafts and making programs. See the Ferguson Library parents page.

Westchester County, NY

Scarsdale Public Library, Scarsdale

Scarsdale describes a dedicated Children’s Room, with programs such as Sensory Playtime for ages 18 months to 4 years, storytimes, and reading challenges, plus reading recommendations from the children’s librarians. See the Scarsdale Public Library children’s page and our venue listing.

White Plains Public Library, White Plains

White Plains runs storytime for ages 2 to 6 led by a librarian from “The Trove,” its children’s area, with a separate “Tiny Tots” program for the youngest. Tickets are required for some programs, so check the calendar. See the library’s program calendar and our venue listing.

Chappaqua Library, Chappaqua

Chappaqua has a Kids Program Room and a weekly run of storytimes, among them Bouncing Babies, Nursery Rhyme Time for ages 2 and 3, an all-ages storytime, Storybook Dance for ages 2 to 5 and a Saturday storytime in the theater. It also schedules visiting authors and a junior garden club. See the Chappaqua Library events list and our venue listing.

Nassau County, NY

Port Washington Public Library, Port Washington

Port Washington’s Children’s Room houses a Parenting Information Center that has operated since 1992, and the library runs a Parent-Child Workshop through its Family Place work. See the Family Place page and our venue listing.

Oceanside Library, Oceanside

Oceanside lists a Children’s Room with reading initiatives (1000 Books Before Kindergarten, 500 Books Before Middle School), a reading club and homework help. Registration opens on set dates for children’s programs, so plan ahead. See the Oceanside Library site and our venue listing.

East Meadow Public Library, East Meadow

East Meadow’s site lists children’s programs, a children’s newsletter and a digital picture-book collection. The page is short on detail, so call the library at the number on its site to ask about the current schedule. See the East Meadow Public Library site and our venue listing.

Suffolk County, NY

Middle Country Public Library, Centereach

Middle Country’s site lists an Early Childhood area, one of the larger play spaces its patrons mention, a sensory nook, bilingual music classes, seasonal StoryWalk programs, and the Nature Explorium, an outdoor learning space with its own schedule. See the Middle Country Public Library site and our venue listing. The outdoor Nature Explorium is weather dependent, so it is a better fit for a drizzly day than a downpour.

The Smithtown Library, Smithtown

Smithtown has a Children’s section with age-grouped programs such as Rock and Rhyme, “Wonderful Ones,” and play dough playsets, across four branch buildings (Commack, Kings Park, Nesconset and Smithtown). Programs are for children with an accompanying adult. See the Smithtown Library site and our venue listing for the Smithtown building.

Patchogue-Medford Library, Patchogue

Patchogue-Medford organizes events by age group (infants, toddlers, preschool, school age and tweens) and offers early childhood resources aimed at kindergarten readiness. Its children’s department has also run a “Play Town” open-play program for ages 2 to 5, so look for it on the calendar. See the Patchogue-Medford Library site and our venue listing.

Before you go

• Check the library’s calendar for the day you plan to visit, and call if a program looks like it needs a ticket or registration.
• Check whether the program is limited to district residents.
• Bring a book to return, and ask at the desk what a visiting grandparent can and cannot do.

More libraries by county

Browse every library we list in each county: Fairfield County, CT, Westchester County, NY, Nassau County, NY and Suffolk County, NY.