Tot Art at Southport

Tot Art is back at the Southport Branch of the Indianapolis Public Library on Wednesday, November 4, from 10:30 to 11:00 AM. It's a story time for babies and toddlers up to age three, and they'll need an adult with them. The session starts with the reading and then moves into a process art activity, so you'll get both the story and the making in one go.

If you're not familiar with the branch, it's at 2630 East Stop 11 Road, on the south side of the city. The Southport Branch has been around since 1967, when it started as a small storefront in the Madison Square Shopping Center. It moved into its current 15,700-square-foot building in 1974, and there's a nice bit of local history tied to it: before the move, a group of Perry Township residents raised more than $5,000 to provide additional books for the new library. That's the kind of community effort that built the place.

As for the session itself, the "process art" part is the key. Process art is all about the doing—the painting, the gluing, the exploring—rather than worrying about what the final product looks like. It's a great way for little ones to get their hands dirty and experiment with materials without any pressure to make something specific. Between the story and the activity, it's a full half hour of something to do with your toddler on a Wednesday morning.

Tot Art runs from 10:30 to 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 4, at the Southport Branch, 2630 East Stop 11 Road. It's for babies and toddlers up to age three and an adult.