Flintshire libraries to stream Joe Wicks family event

Making good days happen at your local library

Libraries welcome children from the very earliest months of life, and are helping parents and carers to support them as they grow and learn.

Sharing a book or a song is a great way to have a moment of closeness and can teach children about the world around them and help them put names to things. Reading stories together will support your child's development - from emotions and speech to counting and beyond. It can also introduce children to diversities and help them understand different cultures. It's never too early to start sharing books, stories and rhymes with your child, and there is no better place to find the perfect story than at your local library.

Being a parent or carer for babies and young children can be an incredibly busy and overwhelming time and it can be difficult sometimes to get out and do something fun - a visit to your local library will give you and your child a great opportunity to get out and about, to try something different and to make some new friends. Meeting a friend for a chat and a coffee in the library, a play date or a walk after your visit can make all the difference in your day.

Rhymetime sessions with Aura Libraries.

Whether you want to share quiet cuddle and a story with your child or a great big singalong with your friends, your local library will have something for you, so please take a look and see what's on offer! From Rhymetimes, Babies and Books sessions, or Stori a Chan with Cymreag I Blant, to Lego Club and craft sessions, there are lots of activities for you to join and make friends.

Libraries can also help your child get 'school ready'. Reading to and with your child will develop their literacy skills and encourage a love of books and familiarity with listening to stories.

Here are some great titles for parents or that you can share together with your family...

Karl Newson - How to Mend a Friend: Some friends need a great big hug to make them feel well. Some prefer to be alone. Some listen, others tell. How to Mend a Friend is a heartfelt picture book which touches on empathy, loss and friendship.

Rob Beckett and Josh Widdecome - Parenting Hell: What's it really like to be a parent? And how come no one ever warned Rob or Josh of the sheer mind-bending, world-altering, sleep-depriving, sick-covering, tear-inducing, snot-wiping, bore-inspiring, 4am-relationship-straining brutality of it all? Join Josh and Rob as they share the challenges and madness of their parenting journeys with lashings of empathy and extra helpings of laughs.

Phillipa Perry - The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read: The most influential relationships are between parents and children. Yet for so many families, these relationships go can wrong and it may be difficult to get back on track. In this book, renowned psychotherapist Philippa Perry shows how strong and loving bonds are made with your children and how such attachments give a better chance of good mental health, in childhood and beyond.

Julia Donaldson - The Gruffalo: A classic picture book for sharing, that will help build your child's literacy skills ready for school, whilst having lots of fun together. You will know the story off by heart in no time!

Reading Well for Children - Don't forget all our libraries have a Reading Well for children collection. These titles provide helpful reading to support children's mental health and wellbeing.

These titles are, or will be, available to borrow from Aura libraries as either a book or e-book or eAudiobook. You can browse these titles and hundreds more on our online library catalogue!

Let us know what you think about the titles, find us on social media - @LlyfrgelloeddAuraLibraries on Facebook and Instagram and @LibFlintshire on Twitter.

Aura Library members can download e-books and audiobooks free of charge from Borrowbox and Libby to a PC, laptop or Mac. Alternatively, you can download the Borrowbox and Libby apps directly to a smartphone or tablet.

To access most online library resources you will need to enter your library membership number and pin. If you do not have this then you can join up as a member online via the Aura website for instant access. All links and further details about our digital library resources can be found here: www.aura.wales/libraries

Joe Wicks - Burpee Bears and Summer Reading Challenge

Ahead of this year's fantastic Summer Reading Challenge - Ready Set Read - which launches on July 8, the Body Coach will be sharing his love of reading and exercise in this free, virtual event for pre-schoolers. With a fun workout and a reading of Joe's new book, The Burpee Bears, this session is a great opportunity to discover the incredible impact that reading, and exercise can have on a child's wellbeing.

The Burpee Bears by Joe Wicks.

Thursday, June 29, 9.30am-10am - Watch live on The Body Coach YouTube channel or join us for a special live stream at Flint and Mold libraries where you can join in with other families. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3OAkU8T

Visit us on social media to view handy information about our services, events, and lots of book and audiobook recommendations.

From everyone here at Aura Libraries, thank you for reading and we hope to hear from you or see you soon!

• Aura is a charitable, not-for-profit, organisation responsible for managing the majority of leisure, libraries and heritage services in Flintshire. Aura is owned by its employees and operates for the benefit of local communities.