The days may be short, but there are so many ways to make the most of each one! Your public library and the Collaboration for Early Childhood have collected activities, events, and more for you and your little ones to get out and explore this winter season.
Activities
- Oak Park Public Library staff celebrate Holidays Around the World and want to share their holiday traditions with you! Enjoy videos, recipes, books, and activity suggestions.
- The nights get longer the closer we get to the Winter Solstice. In this video with Miss Shelley, we’ll talk about light in darkness!
- Looking for engaging and beneficial apps for your preschooler (ages 2-6) this winter break? See this short list from Miss Eileen »
- Looking for new books to share? Check out 2024 favorites from your Oak Park Public Library staff!
- Caregivers, this is your reminder to be kind to yourself. Take time to model breaks and work on your own self-regulation during this very busy season!
- You also can watch this video on handling hard days with your children.
- We know it’s tough to keep play and learning exciting during the coldest months! The Collaboration for Early Childhood compiled a list of winter play ideas to help.
- Once your fingers and toes have had enough of the outdoors, here are some indoor play ideas.
- Are kids struggling with all the necessary cold-weather gear? Watch this video about getting dressed for the outside, set to song! Music makes everything easier.
- Get ready for winter with fun Early Bird Learning videos that cover seasonal songs, nature, and science exploration, mindfulness and calming breathing, and other activities.
- Use your Oak Park library card to get discounts at local cultural institutions—like Bronzeville Children’s Museum, Chicago Botanic Gardens, and the Museum of Science and Industry—with the Museum Adventure Pass and Explore More Illinois.
- The Collaboration for Early Childhood’s Parent Leadership Training helps parents and caregivers organize, prioritize, and create an action plan to accomplish their goals. The next cohort will begin on January 25.
- Catch up with the Collaboration for Early Childhood at their third annual Bingo Night at the Nineteenth Century Club on January 30.
Storytimes
- Enjoy stories, songs, and dancing during Cuenta Cuentos Con Kathy, an immersive Spanish language storytime, on December 21.
- Join Mama Edie for Kwanzaa stories and songs on December 28.
- Explore reimagined fairytales and create a themed craft on January 3.
- Weekly storytimes return on January 6, after a brief winter break.
- Staff from Brookfield Zoo will host a winter storytime on January 22.
- The Oak Park Conservatory has a weekly storytime and also bilingual storytimes every month.
- Call the Oak Park Public Library’s Dial-a-Story service to hear stories read by your favorite librarians, day or night! Dial 708.816.2800 to start listening.
Places
- Send letters to Santa express to the North Pole, no postage needed! Stop by any of these participating businesses to pick up a letter template and then mail your completed letter in the big red mailbox outside of the Collaboration for Early Childhood offices. You also can mail letters at the Oak Park Conservatory!
- The Park District of Oak Park provides two unique opportunities to offset the financial barriers of accessing programming: Scholarships and Childcare Discount Memberships. Learn more and apply now for 2025.
- Early Learning Open House Extravaganza! Early learning programs that run on a school year calendar tend to open registration for the 2025-26 school year in January. The Collaboration for Early Childhood has gathered many of their scheduled open houses all in one place so you can plan and explore more easily!
Events
- December 21: Explore Light Up the Night—an annual event designed to spread joy and bring a sense of community and warmth with luminaries lighting up Oak Park and some neighboring communities.
- December 21: Come Home for the Holidays with horse-drawn carriage rides and delicious cups of hot cocoa.
- Dates through December 31: Brookfield Zoo hosts fun events like Holiday Magic. Bring your Oak Park library card to Main, Maze, or Dole and see if a zoo pass to admit two is available.
- December 27: Drop in for fun with Legos at the Main Library.
- December 31: Celebrate Bluey’s win at our Noon Year’s Eve party at the Main Library.
- January 12: Does your child have a sibling who is disabled? Miss Shelley is hosting a Sibshop for kids aged 3-5 with a caregiver to play games and talk about our families.
