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Join NYC Public Libraries for Free Activities for the Whole Family This Summer

Join NYC Public Libraries for Free Activities for the Whole Family This Summer

Published June 9, 2026

Summer is almost here!

As we get ready to have fun and relax this summer, there are lots of opportunities for students to stay engaged with reading and get creative while school's out. Check out our Summer Reading Resources, which have everything you could need to keep boredom at bay during your vacation and foster year-round learning for students of all ages.

In addition, NYC’s three public library systems are offering a wide array of free programs and events for kids and teens all summer long that your child will love. From reading enrichment and arts and crafts programs to contests and giveaways, there's so much for families to do—and at more than 200 locations across all five boroughs!

Illustrated colorful people sitting on a lawn reading, biking, and playing sports with a title that says 'Summer at the Library' in bold blue text.

The New York Public Library (NYPL) | Serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island

Get your New York Public Library card today!

For babies and toddlers:

Come out to one of NYPL’s Pop-Up Playdates! Celebrate the power of play and practice important early literacy skills—all while having fun.
Free storytime programming from The Library for the Performing Arts returns to Lincoln Center's “Summer for the City,” with two readings every Wednesday.

For kids:

Beginning July 6, Summer Learners Lab will offer reading enrichment, fun activities, and more supervised by the Library’s tutors during free, drop-in sessions at select branches—plus, join your local branch’s Summer Reading Challenge to see how many minutes of reading kids in your community can log!
Also starting July 6, visit your local branch for NYPL’s Summer Adventure programming, which features crafts and other activities with take-home activity sheets.
Enter the Library’s Kids Summer Writing Contest and tell us an American story. Submit your entry by July 30, and you’ll be invited to an Ice Cream Party happening on August 29!
Meet the authors of your favorite children’s books at the Library’s free KidsLIVE events! Coming up, join us for this June 30 edition featuring Matthew Burgess, the writer of NYPL’s Best Books for Kids 2025 pick Fireworks.
Watch the World Cup at the Library! Plus, download NYPL’s World Cup Reading Tracker to strengthen your literacy muscles and reach your reading gooooaaaals!

For teens:

Join the Teen Book Club at its first-ever Teen Lit Night, an evening celebrating all things literary—just for teens, June 13 at the Library for the Performing Arts.
Enjoy instant access to a selection of e-books and audiobooks chosen by our Teen Book Club Council, with no wait times!
Dance the night away and hang out June 18 at Manhattan Anti-Prom, The New York Public Library’s free annual summer party!
Visit your local branch for summer giveaways, fun programs, and more!

For educators:

Book a field trip to visit the Polonsky Exhibition of the Library's Treasures at NYPL’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. Beginning June 15, trips can include a stop at the Library’s Declaring America exhibition.
Download one of our curriculum guides, soon to include Declaring America: 1776 & Beyond, a suite of three curriculum guides that invites educators to examine American history through multiple lenses

Brooklyn Public Library (BPL)

Get your Brooklyn Public Library card today!

Visit your local library for booklists, a beautiful Reading Tracker, and giveaways galore. We also have storytimes, events and activities planned for all ages and interests.

For babies and toddlers:

Check out this curated booklist for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Attend events featuring stories, music, rhymes and play designed for ages 0–5 and their caregivers.
Print out these coloring sheets featuring our Summer at the Library art!

For kids:

Check out these curated booklists for grades K–1, 2–3, and 4–5.
Enjoy indoor and outdoor events all summer long.
On Saturday, June 13, stop by Central Library, Bay Ridge Library, or Greenpoint Library for the New York Life Foundation and NYC Libraries Book Giveaway.

For teens:

Check out these curated booklists for middle school and high school students.
Enjoy indoor and outdoor events all summer long.
On Saturday, June 13, stop by Central Library, Bay Ridge Library, or Greenpoint Library for the New York Life Foundation and NYC Libraries Book Giveaway.

Watch the World Cup at one of our watch parties—Brooklyn’s neighborhood libraries will screen games for free throughout the tournament.

Queens Public Library (QPL)

Get your Queens Public Library card today!

Information available in: English

For babies and toddlers:

Kick off the summer with fun activities for the littlest New Yorkers! Join early literacy and craft programs and bilingual storytimes—a wonderful opportunity to celebrate learning and fun in multiple languages.
QPL Baby programming, available in-person and virtually, offers guidance and stress relief support for parents and caregivers.
Enjoy curated book lists for babies and toddlers.

For kids:

Visit any QPL location to pick up a copy of our Summer Reading Guidebook or download here. Color in the slots on the gameboard. When all the slots are full, bring the completed board to a Queens Public Library location for a prize and to collect a raffle ticket for a chance to win even more prizes!
New York City public libraries are teaming up with the New York Life Foundation to give away free books for reading over the summer! Visit one of the participating locations to get yours while supplies last.
Catch the World Cup at QPL with fun events and watch parties! Select QPL locations will screen games for free throughout the tournament.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to learn more about QPL’s Kickoff to Kindergarten (K2K) program at a virtual information session on Thursday, June 11! K2K enables 3- and 4-year-old children to develop their prereading skills and a lifelong love of reading.
Curated book lists for kids in grades K–1, 2–3, and 4–5. Also available in international languages.

For teens:

QPL’s Battle of the Books features 16 fantastic YA novels from a range of genres, battling to be crowned Best Book—read on and vote starting July 6!
SciArt Exchange’s Design Your Habitat Contest invites teens to imagine and design a sustainable community in space while considering real challenges like exposure to radiation and microgravity. Students will work with NASA space architecture experts during this series. Earn a certificate, prizes, and have your work featured on the QPL website!
Over the summer, QPL's College Readiness team will be hosting a wide variety of Summer Workshops to help students plan their futures. Topics include High School Admissions Entry Exam Support, Writing the College Essay, and Trade School Guidance. Join us at the Central Library in Jamaica, Cambria Heights, Flushing or virtually.
Teens are invited to hang out at QPL's five Teen Centers, located at Central Library in Jamaica, Cambria Heights, Flushing, Long Island City, and Far Rockaway.
Read from curated book lists for kids in middle and high school.

We're looking forward to a summer filled with great books and fun programming, and can't wait to hear about what you're reading while school is out. See you at the library!

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