Provo, UT

One of my favorite things to do with my daughter is attend weekly story time at Barnes & Noble. I’ve been taking her since she was five months old. I admit that was very young, but I really believe that such early exposure to books has helped foster her interest in learning to read now. It was also a great social opportunity for both of us.

Our local Barnes & Noble in Layton has a phenomenal story time director. Nathan has a great rapport with the kids, and always has a fun arts and crafts or coloring project to go along with each story. There are several story-related character visits throughout the year, such as Clifford the Big Red Dog, Madeleine, Corduroy, Raggedy Ann, Peter Rabbit, and Cat in the Hat. Some recent story time events include a birthday party for Elmo with balloons and prizes for all of the kids, and a Fancy Nancy gala. Best of all, story time is free!

On a typical Saturday, we’ll head over to Barnes & Noble at 1 p.m. Story time is held in the children’s section in back, in a cute enchanted forest stage setting. After the story and art project my daughter will usually pick a few more books for me to read to her. Then she’ll play for a little while at the Thomas the Train table. We almost always end our afternoon in the Barnes & Noble cafe.

Story time is a great year-round activity. We go almost every weekend during the fall, winter, and spring (our summers are usually pretty busy, but it’s great when we want to beat the heat). We go so often that we bought a membership card ($26/year) that gives us a ten percent discount off all purchases, including in the cafe. I like that it’s one of the few things to do with preschoolers on a Saturday afternoon, although if weekdays work better for you they also offer a Wednesday morning story time (in Layton).

I love Barnes & Noble for the social and intellectual atmosphere. My daughter has met other children while being educated and entertained, and I’ve been fortunate to meet other like-minded moms. And even though I rarely get out of there without buying a book, it’s money well-spent.

Story time is also held at Barnes & Noble stores in Orem, Sandy, Midvale, West Jordan, Murray, Sugarhouse, Salt Lake City, and West Bountiful. Check www.barnesand noble.com to find out what’s happening and when at your local store.