Newtownbreda Library
ENTRY
Free
WHERE
Belfast
What it’s like
Free storytime, rhyme sessions and craft afternoons for under-11s at a Belfast library with regular children's programming.
Storytime here is the main event for the 4 to 8 crowd, every Saturday morning, with staff reading through a stack of picture books and chasing down whichever author gets a laugh that week. Younger children get their own slot too: Rhythm and Rhyme on Wednesday mornings is built for the 0 to 4s, all rhymes and songs and the kind of low-key chaos that lets parents actually talk to each other for half an hour.
Once children get to 7 or so there's a Junior Reading Group, which asks a bit more of them, they read a chosen book before each meeting rather than just turning up. Craft sessions sit alongside all this for the 4 to 11 range, so there's something to do beyond books if you've got a child who'd rather glue things than read them.
Everything is free, which is not nothing when so many toddler activities in Belfast come with a price tag attached. The booking system is a small faff though, sessions need to be booked on the Monday before, so this is not a turn-up-on-the-day plan if you want a spot at Storytime or Rhythm and Rhyme.
Opening hours shift through the week, shorter days on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, later finishes on Tuesday and Thursday, and just the morning on Saturday. There's parking on site including a blue badge bay, and the building is wheelchair accessible with toilets and wifi.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 0 to 11, with different sessions for different ages
- Book Storytime and Rhythm and Rhyme on the Monday before, not on the day
- Junior Reading Group members need to read the chosen book before each meeting
- Opening hours vary a lot by day, check which slot you want before setting off
- Closed over Christmas (24 to 26 and 28 December) and New Year's Day
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
Nothing, all the children's sessions here are free.
Do we need to book?
Yes for Storytime and Rhythm and Rhyme, both need booking on the Monday before the session. Junior Reading Groups and craft sessions aren't mentioned as needing booking.
What age is Storytime for?
4 to 8 year olds, every Saturday from 11am to 11.30am.
Is there anything for babies or toddlers?
Rhythm and Rhyme covers 0 to 4 year olds, on Wednesdays from 10.30am to 11am, with rhymes, songs and stories.
Is there parking?
There's parking on site including a blue badge bay.
Is the library accessible with a buggy or wheelchair?
It's wheelchair accessible and has toilets on site, so a buggy shouldn't be a problem either.
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