Children’s Library
Fairfield Nature Explorer
SUMMER 2026
Explore more this summer with Pequot Library and CT Audubon!
Here’s how it works:
1. Begin your adventure at Pequot Library where a rare Bien edition of John James Audubon’s monumental Birds of America folio is on display. Each week it’s turned to a new page, revealing one of the artist’s stunning hand-colored engraved plates portraying a life-size North American bird commonly seen in our region, richly detailed with the native plants and insects that define the bird’s natural habitat.
2. At the library, check out a Nature Explorer Backpack and Field Journal and head out to search for the featured Audubon birds you are most likely to find in Fairfield’s nature sanctuaries and trails (as suggested in the journal). Along the way, you’ll make observations and build identification skills while learning about birds, plants, insects and other wildlife that call Fairfield home.
3. After you’ve visited all four sites, return your backpack and findings to the Pequot Library and receive a small prize. The Field Journal filled with your notes and drawings is also yours to keep!
Welcome to the Children’s Library!
For Children, Teens & Families
Our space features a cozy reading room surrounded by books, a classroom, and a tutoring room. There are so many wonderful ways for young readers to be involved here — through storytimes, family events, book clubs, after-school activities, volunteering, and more. Stop by to say hello and browse our collection.
The Children’s Library offers a variety of storytimes for the preschool set.
Drop-In Storytime (3+) Join us in the Children’s Library for a story or two and then pick out books to take home!
Music and Movement for Wigglers (0-5 years) Can’t sit still? This is the program for you! Jump, hop, dance and wiggle to the music.
Crafty Kids (3-5 years) Get hands-on with theme-based stories and a related craft.
Babes on a Blanket (0-12 months) Stories, rhymes, songs, and playtime for baby’s first year of life. 20 minutes structured play, 25 minutes free play and socializing.
Sensory Storytime (2+) scheduled before the library opens, engages preschoolers by using sight, sound, and touch, along with traditional storytime elements for a fun and memorable experience.
Story and Playtime (3-5 years) combines a story with exploring different elements of that story by reenacting them through play.
After-School Activities
Searching for something fun to do after school? Pequot Library offers exciting recreational activities that will keep your child’s mind engaged while having loads of fun.
Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group for teens who are interested in volunteering and taking an active role in teen services and programs at Pequot Library. TAB will meet monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how the library serves teens. We will also call on TAB members to assist with Pequot Library events and help with other library tasks as needed. You can earn community service hours for attending meetings, staffing events, and helping out around the library. Snacks are included! For students in grades 6-12.
Chess for Beginners is for children who are new to the game of chess will learn how the pieces move and practice basic strategies by playing variant mini-games as well as full games. For children in grades 2-5.
Chess Club is for kids who already know how to play chess and are looking for opponents. Players meet weekly and compete for the top position on the club’s chess ladder—a leaderboard that will carry over from session to session. Come back every week, or whenever you can! For children in grades 2-6.
Dungeons and Dragons is calling all adventurers! Whether you have played before or have always wanted to try, grab your dice and pencils and join Pequot Library’s summer Dungeons & Dragons campaign. For grades 6-12.
Friday Night Café offers young musicians, dancers, writers and singers and opportunity to perform on stage and shine! Friday Night Café is presented by Pequot Library and Music for Youth and takes place monthly throughout the school year. $5 fee covers food and drink. Registration required.
Workshops and Classes
Parenting discussions, college preparation seminars, writing workshops, and etiquette classes provide parents and their children the opportunity to discover new information and develop new skills.
Music and the Performing Arts
Irish Step Dancers, Shakespeare for Kids, and free concerts in the Auditorium and on the Great Lawn are but a few of our many cultural offerings for children and families throughout the year.
Meet the Author, Jr.
Meet the Author, Jr. brings popular children’s book authors and illustrators to Pequot Library. John Patrick Green, Susan Hood, Victoria Kann (pictured), Jerry Pallotta, Lizzy Rockwell, Lauren Tarshis and Abdul-Razak Zachariah are just some of the award-winning author/illustrators who have captivated our young patrons.
Community Events
Join your neighbors at one of Pequot Library’s many community events: Valentine Candy Making Workshop, The Easter Egg Roll, Miss Susan’s Summer Supper and Campout, Pequot Library’s 4th of July Bike Parade, Halloween Magic and Jack O’ Lantern Contest, and our Holiday Caroling Party and Open House.