Using Your Local Library for Free Family Fun

More Than a Room Full of Books

If your last trip to the library was to borrow a novel, you are only seeing a fraction of what your council-run service offers. Across the UK, libraries have quietly become one of the best free family days out going: somewhere warm and dry, staffed by people who know their patch, with no ticket price and no pressure to spend. For families watching every pound, that combination is hard to beat.

Membership is free for all ages, including babies, and joining usually takes a few minutes with proof of name and address. Children can have their own card from a very young age, which is a lovely way to give them their own borrowing allowance at no cost to you.

What You Can Actually Borrow

Books are the obvious draw, and most libraries let you take out a generous number at once — often twenty items per adult card, with children's cards counted separately. But the shelves hold much more than reading matter.

• Jigsaws and board games — brilliant for rainy weekends, and free to hand back if a puzzle turns out to be missing a piece.
• Children's toys and sensory bags — some branches run toy libraries, handy for a bit of novelty without buying anything.
• DVDs, audiobooks and CDs — useful if your broadband is patchy or you fancy a screen-free evening.
• Digital loans — e-books, e-audiobooks and magazines download straight to a phone or tablet, so there is no return date to remember.
• Odd and useful extras — depending on your area, you might find energy monitors, sewing machines, ukuleles or even passes to local museums and attractions.

Free Things to Do Once You're Inside

Activities vary from branch to branch, but the staples usually run every week, in term time and school holidays alike.

• Rhymetime and story time for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers — songs, rhymes and a picture book or two, usually 20 to 30 minutes.
• Reading groups for adults, teenagers and children, often with a cup of tea thrown in.
• Craft clubs and building brick sessions, code clubs, chess afternoons and homework help.
• Holiday activities, including the annual summer reading challenge, which rewards children with stickers and certificates for finishing books over the long break.
• Quiet corners with blocks, colouring sheets or a jigsaw already out on a table, so you can sit down without needing to plan anything at all.

Warm, Dry and Somewhere to Be

Many libraries now run warm welcome sessions — often simply the doors being open all day, with a kettle, comfortable chairs and no expectation that you buy anything. If money is tight this winter, that is worth knowing. A library is also a fine place to work through a job application, print a document, use free Wi-Fi and charge a phone, all without spending a penny.

Staff are used to questions and rarely mind them. Ask about toilet facilities, baby changing, buggy parking and whether there is a lift — a quick phone call before a first visit saves a lot of shuffling about with small children in tow.

A Little Planning Pays Off

• Check opening hours online first. Branches often run reduced hours on certain weekdays, and bank holiday closures catch people out.
• Reserve before you go. If a particular book, game or jigsaw matters, place a reservation online or by phone and wait for the collection email. Reserving is usually free or costs a small fee, and you will often have a week to collect.
• Use the app or website for renewals. Renewing the night before the due date avoids fines and the guilt of a forgotten bag of books.
• Take a sturdy bag and a list. A tote left in the car boot means you never have to turn down a jigsaw because you cannot carry it home.
• Note return dates in the calendar. One recurring reminder on your phone for the whole family is easier than five separate ones.

Making It a Weekly Habit

The real saving is not one visit but the rhythm of them. A Saturday morning trip can replace a soft play session, a cinema ticket and a round of coffees, and the children come home with something new to read. Pair it with a walk to the park or a picnic if the weather behaves, and you have a full afternoon out for nothing.

If you drive, check whether parking is free for a set period or whether a nearby street is easier. If you take the bus, a family ticket may be the only cost of the day. Keep a small box at home for library items so nothing gets buried under the sofa, and let each child choose their own books rather than steering them towards what you think they should read.

Libraries exist because communities pay for them together. Using yours — borrowing the jigsaw, joining the rhymetime, sitting in the warm for half an hour — helps keep them alive for the next family who needs them.