Early Learners

Start Your Child’s Learning Journey Here
LA County Library is here to help nurture curiosity, from baby’s first book to their first day of school.
Whether you’ve got an infant, a toddler, or a child ready to enter kindergarten at home, we have resources to help you answer questions, find advice and solutions, and be proactive with your child’s physical and behavioral health, social life, academics, and all-around well-being.
Explore Events and Resources for Early Learners at the Library
Fast Facts
- 90% of brain growth happens by age 6.
- From birth to age 6, children experience sensitive periods during which they can learn language, social skills, physical coordination, and much more.
- Singing and making music together helps children develop social skills, hand-eye coordination, and even math skills, such as pattern recognition.
Attend In-Person Events
STORYTIME
Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, and movement that build school readiness skills while having fun together at Smarty Pants Storytime and Daddy & Me.
SING, DANCE, & PLAY
Move, sing, and play together! Help kids build coordination, confidence and social skills – all while having fun at the Library!
STEAM ACTIVITIES
Little hands, big ideas! Explore art, science, and creativity through fun, hands-on activities that spark imagination and early learning.
PARENTING RESOURCES & WORKSHOPS
Discover free resources, supportive community connections and curated expertise to guide you and your family through every milestone.
Fun Family Activities You Can Do At Home
Sharing books, playing games, singing songs, and talking to your child are all ways to give your baby or toddler the skills they need to become successful readers.

READ A BOOK
Borrow books from your local library and make reading a daily habit with your baby. Point to pictures and name them together. Reading can happen at bath time, in the car, or in a waiting room. These small moments build essential early literacy skills. Explore our curated booklists for inspiration and explore TumbleBook Library’s animated, narrated picture books that captivate early learners.
RHYMES
Babies love rhymes. Build your baby’s words by using simple rhymes. Your baby will enjoy the rhythm and lots of expression in your voice. Need some ideas? Check out our Fun Friday Fingerplays on YouTube.
MUSIC
Music is a great tool for shared play, whether learning to use instruments or dancing to a soundtrack together. You don’t have to have a great voice to sing with your little one! Songs are a great way to help kids build words. Check out children’s music on Freegal.
MOVIES
Explore a curated collection of educational and entertaining content designed specifically for children, including movies, TV series, animated storybooks, and more.
Recommended Books for Early Learners and Their Parents
Library Resources
- Our libraries offer a warm and safe environment for parents to meet and talk to other parents. Librarians can help families choose developmentally appropriate materials for children and access to information about community resources for families. We have 86 locations! Find the one nearest you.
- Search and place a hold on materials in our catalog.
- Check out in-person and virtual events on our calendar. You can filter by age or location.
Support for Parents & Caregivers
211LA.org
Find health and human services programs in your community. It’s free and confidential, available 24/7 in more than 150 languages.
Los Angeles County Child Support Services Department
LACSS can assist parents and guardians with establishing parentage, obtaining child and medical support, ensuring that orders are right-sized, and collecting court-ordered support for children and families.
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
DMH provides a spectrum of mental health services to people of all ages to support hope, wellness and recovery. Services provided include: Assessments, Case management, Crisis intervention, Medication support, peer support and other rehabilitative services.
Read From the Start
Each month, Quality Start LA develops a themed booklist, reading tips, and family activities all designed for families with children ages birth to 5.
American Academy of Pediatrics
Get expert parenting tips and advice for every age and stage of your child’s development—from baby to teen—and everything in between.
MedLinePlus
Child development includes physical, intellectual, social, and emotional changes. This online resource on child development provides research-based articles, links, videos, and more for parents to explore.





