TOWSON, MD—Winter break is quickly approaching for Baltimore County Public School families, and Baltimore County Public Library is ready to welcome them with open arms.

The library will be hosting daily crafts, programs, and a new winter reading challenge for elementary-aged students. Normal business hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All branches will be closed on Saturday, December 24 and Monday, January 2 in observance of Christmas Eve and New Year’s.

Fun at the Library
Families can take advantage of all the library has to offer while schools are closed for winter break. Along with thousands of books, DVDs, CDs and video games, customers can also check out items from the BCPL Library of Things, including board games, science kits and Chromebooks. Families with little ones are encouraged to check out Storyville, a child-sized village featuring developmentally appropriate books, toys and activities for children birth to age 5 and their parents or caregivers. Storyville hours can be found online here. The winter break program list is filled with magic and puppet shows, storytelling, live music, and Noon Year’s Eve, a morning filled with arts and crafts, and concludes with a New Year countdown at noon.

The full list of BCPL winter break programs is available online here.

Winter Reading Challenge
The library is excited to partner with Towson University Athletics to offer a “library night” at two of their basketball games in January, and the library is offering a reading challenge for children in grades K to 5 to earn one free ticket to the game. The challenge begins Monday, December 19 and ends Saturday, January 14. Families can register on beanstack, download the game (PDF), or pick up a paper game board at any of the library’s 19 branches. For every 20 minutes read, the child will be able to color in one basketball. When all 20 basketballs are colored in, submit the paper game board to a library staff member to get a completion sticker. Those playing on beanstack do not need to come in for the completion sticker.

Students will show their completion sticker or completion badge at the Towson University Box Office for one free child ticket to the game, one complimentary popcorn and a discounted rate for all others attending with the child at one of the following Towson University basketball games:

• Sunday, January 22 at 2 p.m., Towson Women’s Basketball vs. Drexel
• Saturday, January 28 at 4 p.m., Towson Men’s Basketball vs. William & Mary

Children who finish the game board or beanstack challenge can enter a drawing to be out on the court prior to the game to stand next to a player during the national anthem—this is called Anthem Buddies. This opportunity is available for both games—families can decide which game drawing they’d like to enter.

Photo by Iñaki del Olmo on Unsplash