The City of Johannesburg has put together an exciting festive season programme to keep children busy at its libraries during the holiday period.
The libraries will close on Christmas Eve and reopen on Monday January 5.
The City has a total of 87 libraries, which are run by the Department of Community Development.
Regular users of the libraries include pupils and university students and general members of the community. Many of the libraries have reading clubs.
During the year, the libraries are open from Monday to Friday between 9am to 5pm.
The library holiday programme – which includes activities ranging from the singing of Christmas carols to arts and crafts lessons and from making Christmas cards to taking photographs with Father Christmas – caters for children of all age groups.
It starts on Wednesday December 17 and runs until January 7, a week before schools reopen for the new academic year.
Some of the City’s municipal-owned entities and external stakeholders such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Gauteng Department of Social Development and Rand Water will join in to make the children’s library holiday programme even more exciting, informative and educational.
For example, the Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo staff will visit the Diepsloot Library to teach children about animals.
The City’s Emergency Management Services and the SAPS will facilitate a fire and road safety programme for children at the Diepsloot Library, while Rand Water teams will stage a puppet show to teach children about the importance of water conservation.
Some of the highlights of the programme include taking pictures with Father Christmas at Weltevreden Park Library on Thursday December 18 and at Eldorado Park Extension 5 Library on Wednesday December 23.
At the Jabavu Library in Soweto, Nal’ibali, the national reading-for-enjoyment campaign, will tell a story and teach the children how to write their own stories.
Outdoor events will include a picnic with Father Christmas at the Weltevreden Park Library on Thursday December 18 and a mini soccer tournament at the Extension 2 Library on Friday December 19.
The Poortje Library in Orange Farm will screen a movie for the enjoyment of local children on Friday December 19. On January 7 it will be the turn of Leratong Village children to watch a movie – The Ninja Turtles.
Below is the full library holiday programme.
Library
Date
Activity
Time
Age
Alexandra 3rd Ave Library
17 Dec
Enjoy outdoor fun activities
10:00-13:00
9-15 yrs
Bramfischerville Library
18 Dec
Listen to Christmas stories
10:00-13:00
5-14 yrs
Brixton Library
17 Dec
Listen to stories, play various fun games, participate in a colouring-in competition and make Christmas crackers
11:00-13:00
5-12 yrs
Cosmo City Library
18 Dec
Celebrate Christmas with fun crafts such as making Christmas cards
10:00-12:00
5-12 yrs
Diepkloof Zone 1 Library
17
Dec
Colour Christmas pictures
10:30-
12:00
3-7 yrs
Diepsloot Library
17 Dec
The Johannesburg Zoo will visit the library to teach children about animals and for children to touch and feel animals and reptiles
10:00-12:00
All
Diepsloot Library
18 Dec
The City’s Emergency Management Services and Police Department will facilitated a programme teaching children about Fire and Road safety
10:00-12:00
6-16 yrs
Diepsloot Library
19 Dec
The Rand Water Water-Wise team will visit the library with a puppet show and fun activities teaching children about water conservation
10:00-12:00
3- 5 yrs
Eldorado Ext 2 Library
18 Dec
Play mini soccer
10:00-12:00
6-12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 2 Library
23 Dec
Make Christmas cards
10:00-12:00
6-12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 2 Library
06 Jan
Listen to stories about animals and draw and colour them
10:00-12:00
6-12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 5 Library
17 Dec
Listen to a Christmas story, sing Christmas carols, make Christmas cards and parents can take photos of their little ones with father Christmas.
10:00-
12:00
3–12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 5 Library
18 Dec
Listen to a Christmas story, sing Christmas carols, make Christmas cards and parents can take photos of their little ones with father Christmas.
10:00-
12:00
3–12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 5 Library
19 Dec
Listen to a Christmas story, sing Christmas carols, make Christmas cards and parents can take photos of their little ones with father Christmas.
10:00-
12:00
3–12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 5 Library
22 Dec
Listen to a Christmas story, sing Christmas carols, make Christmas cards and parents can take photos of their little ones with father Christmas.
10:00-
12:00
3-12 yrs
Eldorado Ext 5 Library
23 Dec
Listen to a Christmas story, sing Christmas carols, make Christmas cards and parents can take photos of their little ones with father Christmas.
10:00-
12:00
3-12 yrs
Emmarentia Library
17 Dec
Listen to stories, colour in pictures and do art and crafts
13:30-14:30
3-12 yrs
Jabavu Library
18 Dec
listen to a story told by Nalibali and act out the story
10:00-11:00
5-9 yrs
Jabavu Library
22 Dec
Nalibali will teach children how to write stories
10:00-11:00
5-9 yrs
Johannesburg City Library
18 Dec
Celebrate Christmas with Libraries and the Gauteng Department of Social Development – make angels and listen to stories
10:00-12:00
4-12
yrs
Lenasia Ext 1 Library
17
Dec
Christmas story time and fun activities
11:00-
13:00
3 -13 yrs
Lenasia Ext 1 Library
18
Dec
Christmas story time and fun activities
11:00-
13:00
3 -13 yrs
Lenasia Ext 3 Library
17
Dec
Puppet show and various interactive games and creative activities
10:30-
12:00
3-13 yrs
Lenasia Ext 3 Library
18
Dec
Puppet show and various interactive games and creative activities
10:30-
12:00
3-13 yrs
Leratong Village
7 Jan
Watch the movie “The Ninja Turtles”
10:00-12:30
5-14 yrs
Linden Library
17 Dec
Learn about various Christmas festivals and celebrations from countries all over the world. Every day different countries will be visited, and children will create a travel portfolio of all these countries. Book your place
15:00-16:30
5-11 yrs
Linden Library
22 Dec
Learn about various Christmas festivals and celebrations from countries all over the world. Every day different countries will be visited, and children will create a travel portfolio of all these countries. Book your place
15:00-16:30
5-11 yrs
Linden Library
7 Jan
Learn about various Christmas festivals and celebrations from countries all over the world. Every day different countries will be visited, and children will create a travel portfolio of all these countries. Book your place
15:00-16:30
5-11 yrs
Meadowlands Library
18 Dec
Sing Christmas songs
10:30-12:00
6-12 yrs
Melville Library
18 Dec
Listen to Christmas and get your face painted
10:00-11:30
6-11 yrs
Mofolo Library
18 Dec
Christmas singing competition and make Christmas cards
10:30-11:30
6-13 yrs
Noordgesig Library
18
Dec
Make Christmas cards
10:00-11:30
3-10 yrs
Olivedale Library
19 Dec
Listen to Christmas stories and help decorate a Father Christmas
10:00-11:00
2-6
yrs
Orlando East Library
17 Dec
Do creative Christmas activities
10:00-12:00
6-10 yrs
Poortjie Library
18 Dec
Christmas story time and acting out of the story
10:00-
11:30
6-12 yrs
Poortjie Library
19 Dec
Watch movies
10:00-
12:00
6-13 yrs
Randburg Library
18 Dec
Listen to the story of Christmas, make Christmas cards and sing Christmas carols
14:30-16:00
3-12 yrs
Rhodes Park Library
17 Dec
Listen to stories about Christmas, make Christmas cards, and decorate the library
10:00-12:00
3-10 yrs
River Park Library
5 Jan
Join in the fun and get your face painted
11:00- 12:00
2-12 yrs
River Park Library
7 Jan
Listen to “The New Year” and make a calendar
15:00-16:00
3-10 yrs
Roodepoort Library
17 Dec
Make Christmas cards
10:00-12:30
6-16 yrs
Rosebank Library
17 Dec
Listen to stories, and draw and paint pictures
10:00-12:00
6-12 yrs
Rosebank Library
18 Dec
Listen to stories, and draw and paint pictures
10:00-12:00
6-12 yrs
Tshiawelo Library
18 Dec
Make Christmas cards
10:00-11:00
7-13 yrs
Weltevreden Park Library
17 Dec
Play games and do Christmas craft activity
10:00-12:00
3-13 yrs
Weltevreden Park Library
18 Dec
Have a picnic with Father Christmas
10:00-12:00
3-13
yrs
END
