The library is such a great place to bring children if you are looking for something low key and fun to do.  They of course have tons of children’s books to read, but they also often have toys and activities for your kids to enjoy as well.  Best of all, it is all free!  We really missed visiting libraries when they were closed for the pandemic so we are making up for lost time exploring many local libraries.  

This past week we visited Westbank Library in Austin for the first time and it did not disappoint.  It is not a huge library, but definitely the right size for us and there were plenty of books to explore.  We went on a weekday morning so it was not very busy which gave my two year old an opportunity to explore a little bit.  Anytime I bring my kids to the library we always head directly to the children’s section to check out what fun activities and toys they have and this visit was no different.  This space was called the Beth Wheeler Fox Family Center and it is a large room with a door and all glass walls around.  I like children’s spaces that have windows all around because if you have an older child who would like to look at another section in the library you can still keep an eye on them while playing with the younger ones.  My two year old noticed right away the toy cars they had in the play area.  He is very into cars right now so he ran over and started driving them around on the large rug on the floor which doubled as a road.  All of the easy reader and board books were in this room as well so I was able to pick some out while he explored.

After we checked out the indoor children’s room we decided to go explore the outdoor space.  It had rained the day before so everything was still very wet (not ideal for playing), but they definitely have some great activities for kids that we will come back and enjoy on a drier day.  There is a sandbox with plenty of toys as well as a little tunnel shaped like a hippopotamus that my two year old liked going through.  They also have a little hut for kids to play in and some fun yard games.  It is a spacious outdoor area with plenty for the kids to do as well as nice spots for adults to sit and read or relax.

When coming back inside we did a quick overview of the rest of the library (as you can imagine my two year old did not care as much about checking out the non kid areas of the library so we had limited time!).  They have a nice selection of books for older kids as well as grownups and all of the sections are laid out in such a way that they are easy to browse.  There are computers setup as well as plenty of seating for patrons to use while enjoying their books.  We also took the elevator (my son loves elevators!) to the second floor where there is additional seating and a cute bookstore called Jeanne’s Book Store.  You can browse the store and if you see something you want to buy you just bring it downstairs to pay at the front desk.

We really enjoy local libraries because they are a relaxing place to visit, that are fun for both kids and grownups. We will definitely be back to Westbank Library because it is a nice quiet spot with toys and activities for my kids.  Also, with this cold and rainy weather lately it is always nice to have some great indoor spaces to visit!

A few important items to note about Westbank Library:

-Westbank Library has a Backyard Story Time for kids at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays.  This is a fun activity for younger kids where they read books and sing songs.  You can find more details on that here: https://westbanklibrary.com/event/onsite-backyard-storytime-7/?instance_id=42096

-Parking can be a little tricky.  If the parking lot is full at the library they do offer other suggestions for places to park and you can find those on their FAQ page: https://westbanklibrary.com/faqs/

-You will need a library card to check out books from this library.  You can find all of the details on that here: https://westbanklibrary.com/membership/ 

-I would recommend checking their hours prior to visiting.  With Covid sometimes hours may change, but you can find the most updated information here: https://westbanklibrary.com/

-The library offers both onsite and online activities for kids and grownups and you can find them all on the calendar here: https://westbanklibrary.com/calendar/.  Make sure you check the location because there are activities located at two different libraries on this calendar.