Announcing Nohinohi Reorua — Bilingual Storytimes!

Kia ora Pōneke! We are excited to let you know about a brand new children’s programme coming soon to our whare pukapuka — Nohinohi Reorua

What is Nohinohi Reorua?

Nohinohi reorua means “bilingual little ones” in te reo Māori, and it is the name for the new bilingual storytime programme coming to six of our library branches after the April school holidays finish. Find out more below, or visit our event calendar to see all of the days, times and locations!

Join us for Nohinohi Reorua | Bilingual Storytimes at your local library!


Nohinohi Reorua! Whāngaia tō Tama Toa ki te pānui pukapuka! E toru tekau meneti pakiwaitara, rotarota, waiata hoki i roto i te reo Māori me te reo Ingarihi, nō ngā kōhungahunga me ō rātou mātua kaitiaki.

Get your superhero hooked on books with Nohinohi Reorua — our special bilingual storytimes! Featuring stories, rhymes, and songs in te reo Māori and English, these 30-minute sessions are open to anyone, and are recommended for tamariki aged 2-6 with their caregivers.

When and Where?

Nō reira, nau mai, haere mai ki ōu tātou whare pukapuka! Come on down to the library to enjoy Nohinohi Reorua with us — everyone is welcome!

Kōhunga Kōrero: Whāngaia tō Tama Toa ki te Pānui Pukapuka!

Kia ora e te whānau! Great news — Kōhunga Kōrero, our special storytimes in te reo Māori, are back for 2021! This year, in addition to Johnsonville, Karori, Miramar, and Newtown Libraries, we have Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library joining in on the fun.

Kōhunga Kōrero: whāngaia tō Tama Toa ki te pānui pukapuka! Pakiwaitara i roto i te reo Māori. E 30 meneti pakiwaitara, rotarota, waiata hoki i roto i te reo Māori nō ngā kōhungahunga me ō rātou mātua kaitiaki.

Kōhunga Kōrero: get your superhero hooked on books! Featuring stories, rhymes, and songs in te reo Māori, these 30-minute sessions are open to anyone, and are recommended for children (aged 2-6 years) with their caregivers.

Here’s the full Kōhunga Kōrero schedule for the year ahead — we’d love to have you along!

Festive Family Storytimes are Around the Corner!

Meri Kirihimete, Pōneke!

 

It’s that time of year again! The festive season is right around the corner, which means that our libraries are getting themselves all ready to provide storytimes most merry and mirthful for your jollification. So, why not grab the family, jump in your fuzziest pyjamas (or cheeriest Christmas costume) and head on down to your local library to join in on the fun?

There will be stories, songs, crafts, and maybe even some special visits from a certain portly gentleman at some locations. You’ll be in for an extra-special treat if you go along to the event at Arapaki Library on Manners Street — you’ll get to hear different festive stories from all over the world, even some in different languages!

All of these events are free, family-friendly, and suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.

Where and When?

 


Wednesday 9th December

Arapaki (Manners Street) Library, 5.30 – 6.30pm


Thursday 10th December

Island Bay Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Khandallah Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Friday 11th December

Newtown Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Monday 14th December

Brooklyn Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Miramar Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Tuesday 15th December

Te Awe (Brandon Street) Library, 4.00 – 4.45pm

Johnsonville Library, 4.00 – 4.45pm


Thursday 17th December

Karori Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm

Wadestown Library, 6.00 – 6.45pm


Friday 18th December

He Matapihi (Molesworth Street) Library, 10.30 – 11.15am


Saturday 19th December

Johnsonville Library, 2.00 – 2.45pm


Sunday 20th December

Te Awe Library, 2.00 – 2.45pm


Monday 21st December

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library, 10.30 – 11.15am


Get creative at the library during the October school holidays!

Let your creative side out to play during the school holidays at Wellington City Libraries. Have a go, learn a new skill, or make something amazing! Don’t miss us as we present special robot storytimes and creative, interactive Tech Time sessions at Capital E during these holidays too — head to their website for more details.

Beeswax Wraps
Celebrate the end of Bee Aware Month and make a beeswax wrap — a perfect alternative to plastic food wrap and a great way to reuse a by-product of honey production! Places are limited, so email Tawa Community Centre to secure your place. Suitable for ages 5+ with their caregivers.

Monday 30 September, 10am – 12pm at Tawa Community Centre

BLOOM
Is it a dinosaur, a spaceship, a chandelier, a cloud? Bloom consists of thousands of identical pink pieces that let children and big kids connect, construct and deconstruct 3D installations with no boundaries or rules. Families are welcome to drop in at any time during these sessions. BLOOM is proudly supported by Capital E.

Monday 7 October, 11am – 4pm at Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library
Tuesday 8 October, 11am – 4pm at Newtown Library

Bookworms!
Join us for a fun afternoon of bookish crafts and create your very own sock puppet bookworm to take home! Suitable for ages 4+ with their caregivers.

Saturday 5 October, 2 – 3pm at Johnsonville Library

CodeQuest
Come along to these free coding workshops and learn how to create your own video game in Scratch! No prior coding knowledge is necessary. Places are limited, so register at the event venue to secure your place. Suitable for ages 9+ with their caregivers.

Monday 30 September, 2 – 3.30pm at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library
Saturday 12 October, 2 – 3.30pm at Johnsonville Library

Family Movies
Bring a blanket and pillow and relax at our fun family movies. A different G-rated film from the library collection will be showing each time, and are appropriate for the whole family. Suitable for ages 4+ with their caregivers.

Friday 4 October, 5.30 – 7pm at Johnsonville Library and 6 – 8pm at Newtown Library
Thursday 10 October, 5.30 – 7pm at Karori Library

The Great North Literature Quiz!
Come and test your knowledge of books at the Great North Literature Quiz. Grab your mates, siblings, cousins and make a team of up to four people. Register your team name by contacting Johnsonville or Tawa Libraries, or just turn up 10 minutes prior to the start to register your team. Suitable for ages 5-12 with their caregivers.

There will be prizes and lots of fun to be had!

Wednesday 2 October, 2 – 3pm at Johnsonville Library
Monday 7 October, 2 – 3pm at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library

Halloween Crafts Workshop
Join us at Churton Park Community Centre for a special pre-Halloween crafts session! We will be making creepy paper lanterns and scary hats, ready for your Halloween celebrations! Suitable for ages 5-13 with their caregivers.

Friday 11 October, 10 – 11am at Churton Park Community Centre

Holiday Games
Come along and have a go at a bunch of different board and card games, and learn how to play! Bring your friends and family and challenge them — who will win? Suitable for ages 5+ with their caregivers.

Wednesday 2 October, 2 – 3pm at Brooklyn Library (card games)
Wednesday 9 October, 2 – 3pm at Brooklyn Library (board games)

In the Beginning: Yoga Storytimes
Want to try something new while being active and having lots of fun? Join our kid-friendly yoga instructor librarians at these yoga taster classes and storytelling sessions for children. Suitable for ages 5+ with their caregivers.

Monday 30 September, 2 – 3pm at Island Bay Community Centre
Friday 4 October, 2 – 3pm at Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library

Let’s Go Lego
At Let’s Go Lego, your creative skills will be put to the test as your use our Lego collections to design and build your masterpiece. Each session will have a different theme that will inspire you to hone your skills and become a true Lego Legend! Suitable for ages 5+ with their caregivers.

Wednesday 2 October, 10am – 12pm at Tawa Community Centre
Thursday 3 October, 2 – 3pm at Wadestown Library
Friday 4 October, 3.30 – 4.30pm at Khandallah Library
Monday 7 October, 2 – 3pm at Wadestown Library
Tuesday 8 October, 2 – 3.30pm at Newlands Community Centre
Thursday 10 October, 3.30 – 4.30pm at Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library and Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library
Friday 11 October, 3.30 – 4.30pm at Johnsonville Library

Minotaur vs. Mini-Robots
Ancient myths + Robots = awesome time! Come along and decode one of the most fascinating myths of Greek Mythology, the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Code Ozobots and navigate them in a dark labyrinth. Can you escape the Minotaur? Let’s find out. Suitable for ages 6+ with their caregivers.

Monday 30 September, 11am – 12pm at Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library
Friday 11 October, 11am – 12pm at Khandallah Library
Saturday 12 October, 11am – 12pm at Karori Library

Spring Scribblers
Have something to say, but not quite sure how to say it? Want to write a novel, but not sure where to start? These interactive creative writing workshops will help you find your unique voice in writing. Suitable for ages 11+ with their caregivers.

Thursday 3 October, 12 – 1.30pm at Churton Park Community Centre
Friday 4 October, 2 – 3.30pm at Johnsonville Library
Wednesday 9 October, 2 – 3.30pm at Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library

Storm the Castle! – Writing Workshops
Traverse the path of the Hero’s Journey — take part in this interactive writing workshop as we go through all the main beats that make up nearly every great book and movie. Suitable for ages 11+ with their caregivers.

Tuesday 1 October, 2 – 3pm at Karori Library
Tuesday 8 October, 2 – 3pm at Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library

TechTime
Join us for these highly interactive adventures through the worlds of robotics and electronics. Hang out and play with robots, give the Makey Makey banana piano a go, and check out Scratch programming in these tech savvy and fun-filled sessions. Suitable for ages 6 – 13 with their caregivers.

Thursday 3 October, 2 – 3.30pm at Newlands Community Centre
Monday 7 October, 12 – 1.30pm at Churton Park Community Centre

Zine Machine
Do you want to print a story, some drawings, a comic, a collage, your thoughts … anything at all? Join us at Karori Library to create a zine with the Zine Machine and publish your own work! Suitable for ages 8+ with their caregivers.

Thursday 10 October, 11am – 12pm at Karori Library

Beyond the Page is back in July 2019!

I know we’re only halfway through the school term, but we had some big news we couldn’t wait to share with you — the Beyond the Page festival is returning from 6-21 July 2019! Beyond the Page is New Zealand’s largest literary festival for kids and their families, and this year we’ve organised over 140 free events at libraries and community centres from Island Bay to Ōtaki!

We’re super excited to be able to introduce our four headline acts to you here. For full details about these events, check out the Beyond the Page website, or follow the festival on Facebook!

First up is Bea Lee-Smith from the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Join her on a magical journey into the world of Hansel and Gretel.  Through music and mime, children will learn simple ballet steps and positions. This interactive telling of an old favourite tale will be a great appetizer for you and your family in advance of the RNZB’s exciting new production of Hansel and Gretel later in the year. Suitable for pre-schoolers and primary school aged children.

Next up we have the amazing New Zealand author Donovan Bixley. Donovan has had over 100 books published around the world — I can’t even imagine what it’s like having one book published! His show will have you laughing with amazement as you dive into a world of letters, words, and fuzzy doodles. Suitable for children aged 5+ with their caregivers.

Our next headliner is the fabulously spellbinding storyteller Tanya Batt. Tanya describes herself as a “green-fingered witch, a word warbler and a story stitcher” — which sounds like just my cup of tea! You can join Tanya in one of her imagined worlds as part of this year’s festival, with amazing costumes, live music, and tantalising tales to boot. Suitable for children aged 4+ with their caregivers.

Last but certainly not least is Toro Pikopiko, New Zealand’s most established puppetry theatre company. Yep, you heard that right — puppets! And over 80 of Toro Pikopiko’s amazing hand-crafted puppets star in their incredible rock-art musical extravaganza, Te Rereka (The Flight). This incredible show is bound to inspire and amaze — so don’t miss out! Suitable for children of all ages with their caregivers.

There will be heaps more info coming out soon about the rest of the festival schedule. There’s everything from zine-making and book-creating workshops to robots, coding, and theatre-making. Keep checking the Beyond the Page website and at your local library as the school holidays draw closer to keep up to date with what’s on in your neighbourhood!

Summer Reading Challenge Winners

Congratulations to the winners for the 2015-2016 Summer Reading Challenge. These lucky ones had their names drawn from all the entries received over December and January and won a prize pack stuffed full of goodies.

Book Review Winner: Sophia from Kilbirnie

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Library Challenge Winner: Hunter and Helena from Miramar

Hunter and Helena Winner Photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Prize Winner: Miramar Christian School and Clifton Terrace Model School  These two schools were first equal in having the most students doing the Challenge. Each school has received a $250 book voucher to put towards their school library collection.

 

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Challenge and make sure to look out for it again next Summer. In the mean time you can continue to read, review and win prizes through out the year in the Wellington City Libraries’ Kids’ Club.

Ho Ho Ho! Get your stockings ready… Christmas is coming!

We want to get in the festive season with you at our 12 Storytimes of Christmas.

Catch a sleigh ride into your local library between December 7th and 18th for a special festive family storytime. Come in your pyjamas or favourite Christmas costume for songs, stories and fun for the festive season.

Christmas Storytimes mediumCummings Park Library: 7-Dec, 6pm
Island Bay Library: 10-Dec, 10.30am
Khandallah Library: 10-Dec, 6pm
Wadestown Library: 10-Dec, 6pm
Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie): 10-Dec, 6pm
Newtown Library: 11-Dec, 6pm
Miramar Library: 14-Dec, 6pm
Brooklyn Library: 14-Dec, 6pm
Central Library: 16-Dec, 6pm
Karori Library: 17-Dec, 6pm
Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library: 17-Dec, 6pm
Johnsonville Library: 18-Dec, 6pm

These storytimes are free, and perfect for the whole family. No bookings required.

Have a go at Te Reo

Kōhunga Kōrero – monthly storytimes in te reo Māori are starting next week! Head along to the library for 30mins of stories, waiata, rhymes and fun, and it’s all in te reo.

It’s all free, lots of fun, and perfect for 2-6 year olds and their whanau.

The first session is at Miramar Library, 2pm, on Tuesday 27th January.

You can find the schedule at our children’s event’s page, also check out the library’s event calendar for specific dates.

 

Find your local Kōhunga Kōrero session:

1st Tuesday of each month at 10.30am
Omāroro (Newtown) Library
13 Constable Street, Newtown

2nd Monday of each month at 10.30am
Korimako ki Ngāio (Cummings Park) Library
1a Ottawa Road, Ngaio

3rd Tuesday of each month at 2pm
Waitohi (Johnsonville) Library
5 Broderick Road, Johnsonville

4th Tuesday of each month at 2pm
Motukairangi (Miramar) Library
68 Miramar Avenue, Miramar

 

 

The 12 storytimes of Christmas

Christmas storytimesHo! Ho! Ho! Celebrate the start of the festive season with us at our 12 Storytimes of Christmas.

Get into the Christmas spirit with free evening family storytimes at all Wellington City Libraries. Head along in your favourite Christmas costume or pyjamas and have fun with stories, carols and activities for the holiday season.

 

When and Where:

Brooklyn Library: Monday 8th Dec, 6.30pm

Miramar Library: Monday 8th Dec, 6.30pm

Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library: Monday 8th Dec, 6.30pm

Central Library: Wednesday 10th Dec, 6.30pm

Wadestown Library: Thursday 11th Dec, 6.30pm

Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library: Thursday 11th Dec, 6.30pm

Island Bay Library: Thursday 11th Dec, 10.30am

Karori Library: Thursday 11th Dec, 6.30pm

Newtown Library: Friday 12th Dec, 6.30pm

Mervyn Kemp (Tawa) Library: Thursday 18th Dec, 6.30pm

Khandallah Library: Thursday 18th Dec, 6.30pm

Johnsonville Library: Friday 19th Dec, 6.30pm

 

Mad Science Holiday Activities at Kilbirnie and Miramar Libraries

We had so much fun last week saving NZ endangered animals! DOC has just launched a new App “Habitat, the game” and we’ve done lots of activities to understand better why our NZ animals are so special. Puzzles, mazes, worksheets but also hands on activities: Why do Whales have teeth or baleens? Have a go yourself by trying to collect pepper in water with either a toothbrush or a comb… Why do kiwis have a long curvy bill? We found out by using tweezers to dig for worms (fake ones!) in a bin full of soil! FUN!

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