Family Storytime

Family Storytime is back at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Public Library on Thursday, October 22, from 10:30 to 11:00 AM. It's an all-ages session of stories, songs and activities, so it works whether you're bringing a toddler or a whole house full of kids.

The session takes place in the Kid Corner, the dedicated children's area of the branch. The format is pretty straightforward: stories read aloud, songs to sing along with, and activities to keep little hands busy. It's designed for all ages, so you don't have to worry about whether your kids are too young or too old to fit in.

If you haven't spent much time there, the Plaza Branch is worth knowing. It opened in 1967 at the corner of Brookside Boulevard and Main Street as the first branch the Kansas City board of education built outside a high school facility. The school district ran the city's libraries until 1988, and since then the branch has grown into the busiest in the system. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the Country Club Plaza and Brush Creek, and the building houses the Good As Gold sculpture, which is made of books.

Downstairs is the Truman Forum Auditorium, a space with fixed seating for more than 200 that hosts the library's award-winning signature events series, bringing in locally and nationally known authors, artists and civic leaders. Storytime is a different kind of gathering, though—smaller and more local. It runs from 10:30 to 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 22, in the Kid Corner at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64112.