TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library (TSCPL) opened its Kids Library Thursday morning.
The morning started with speeches, as library leaders previewed what they were set to unveil.
An eager audience patiently waited to see what lies behind closed doors. As soon as the ribbon was cut, excited children and parents streamed into the space.
“It’s exciting to see kids walk through those doors and look up with a look of wonder like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is my space. This is where I belong.’ And we want everybody to have a space where they belong and…this is for Topeka’s community. This is for our families and our children,” said Marie Pyko, the CEO for the TSCPL.
The new wing is filled with engaging toys and activities for children to interact with, like a climbing wall, an aquarium, and an imaginary play station. Kids were excited to play in this new space.
“How do you describe a three-year-old child or a small child that sees new stuff that they can play with however they want? Just so much excitement! Like a bowl full of sugar sort of energy,” said Elizabeth Bure, a mother attending the event.
The renovations provide a needed space for parents to put their children while perusing for a new book.
“It’s all new, it’s new stuff for them to do. And I know that it’s a safe, exciting place for them to be while I explore the rest of the library.”
There’s even a space for teens to game and hang out.
“There’s computers in The Edge, and there’s gaming consoles in The Edge. It’s just a cool place in general to hang out with your friends,” said one teenager.
But the new wing isn’t just suited for play. It also seeks to create a pressure-free environment for young minds to develop.
“We’re not tied to, you know, school expectations of curriculum,” said Pyko. “We’re about free reading and fun learning, and fun play. And so, we want to get that joy into reading so that the kids aren’t thinking, ‘Oh, I have to read.’ They’re thinking, ‘Oh, man, I get to read!’”
The library’s summer reading program is also set to begin this weekend on June 1st.
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