Barnes & Noble
There are plenty of Barnes & Noble locations in NoVA and most offer regular story time in their children’s section, including Tuesdays and Saturdays at 11 a.m., followed by a simple craft activity. The bookseller also recently introduced a Sunday story time called Baby & Me for 0 to 24-month-old tots. Bonus: most B&Ns have a Starbucks on-site for sleep-deprived parents. // multiple locations; free
Hooray for Books
This sweet little bookstore just for kids in Old Town, Alexandria hosts a 30-minute story time every Friday and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Read some books and then spend some time browsing the shelves before heading home for naptime. // 1555 King St., Alexandria; free
Stories from Strawberry Park at Mosaic District
On the first and third Tuesday of the month, parents and kids gather at Mosaic’s Strawberry Park for interactive story time. Still to come in August, Sail the Summer Away (Aug. 6), featuring both stories and songs, and Hot Little Dragons (Aug. 20), billed as tales that “even Daenerys would laugh at.” // 2905 District Ave., Fairfax; 10 and under; free
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress includes more than 32 million catalogued books. Your kids won’t really care about that, but it is pretty cool knowing you’re taking them to story time in the nation’s unofficial library. The Young Readers Center has a story time for infants and toddlers every Friday morning (except holidays) at 10:30 a.m. The event is capped at 50 and is first-come, first-serve so, get there early to make sure you get a spot at this free event. // First St. SE, Washington, DC between Independence Ave. and E. Capitol St., Jefferson Building, Room G29; free
Your Local Library
Of course, your local library is always a reliable spot to introduce your little one to the joy of reading. Summer is a particularly busy time for fun events. Check your local library’s online calendar for recurring and special events that babies, toddlers and kids are sure to love.
This post originally appeared in our August 2019 print issue. For more family-friendly things to do, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
