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Things To Do With Your Local Library During the Pandemic

Virtual Classes and Experiences for All Ages at Allegheny County Public Libraries

April 27, 2023

Ugh. It's a rainy day in Pittsburgh; businesses are still shut down and the kids are still home for another week. What is a parent to do? I am constantly amazed by the amount of resources our public libraries have to offer, even during the pandemic. Like our other great businesses, they were able to pivot with the closures while still staying connected with our families. While many of our local libraries will be opening up here soon for in person events, days like today I am grateful for the virtual experiences many of them have to offer (and the majority of them are FREE)! Click on the links below to see some great virtual resources Pittsburgh public libraries are offering to help families beat boredom during the pandemic this winter! In addition, you can find many of the in-person events listed on our event calendar. Most libraries are offering virtual Winter Reading Challenges that you can sign your family up for too!


Bethel Park Public Library

Custom Concept Kits - pick up a trip kit with books, CD's, DVD's and/or puppets geared towards your children's ages and interests. 

Toddler Tuesday - Virtual Program for ages 3-6

WINTER STORIES - VIRTUAL PROGRAM for ages 4-6

SILLY SING-ALONG SONGS - VIRTUAL PROGRAM

Mother Goose on the Loose for birth - 3

Preschool Power

πŸš™ Cars and πŸš› Trucks and Things that GO!


Baldwin Borough Public Library

Virtual πŸš’ Touch-a-Truck 🚜

Take and Make Gingerbread Placemat Craft 

Winter Reading Program/WQED Inquire Within

Picture Book Children's Choice

Dance to the Music!

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten 

Book Cooks

Find more programs from Baldwin Borough Public Library HERE


Castle Shannon Library

Virtual Storytime at Castle Shannon Library every Thursday at 11am. Make and take kits are available for most crafts.


Dormont Library



Mt. Lebanon Public Library

Video Storytimes is a great resource for readers of all ages:
Books Babies: birth - age 2
Storytime for 2's and 3's
Wild About Books: kids ages 4-6
Crafternoon: get inspired with stories and crafts - ages 4+
PJ Storytime: you can join the live family story time on Zoom the first Thursday of the month at 6pm or watch the archived videos here.
Morning Stories with Miss Rachel: stories and songs to start your day

Kindergarten Tip Time is a series of short videos for your preschooler who is getting ready to make the transition into kindergarten. 

Brainfuse - FREE online homework help! Chat with a live tutor using a virtual classroom, available 7 days a week from 2pm-11pm. Tutoring is available for elementary, middle and high school, intro college, and adult education. 24/7 access to practice tests for the SAT, ACT, GES and more. Subjects include: English, Language Arts, Writing, Math, Science and Social Studies/History. *you will need a library card to access this resource.

Access their full listing of Virtual Programs for Kids HERE


Pleasant Hills Library

Remains closed to the public but are offering curbside pickup for all materials. You can order books online HERE or call the Library at 412-655-2424 to get your order started. If you need assistance finding a book, they are offering a list of the Best Books of 2020 featuring a roundup of the best books for babies to young adults. 


Township of Upper St. Clair Library 

Ryme Time with Miss Sheri - these short videos are perfect for toddlers who love fun rhymes and fun visuals

STEAM Activities for Kids - presented by Miss Colleen, these simple tutorials are great for kids of all ages (may require some adult guidance). Activities include Kitchen Chemical Reactions, Aluminum Foil Sculptures, Building & Testing a Ramp and MORE!

Kids At - Home Activities - is a great resource for your elementary aged student who is looking for a themed activity kit. You will need an Allegheny County Library card to access the BookFlix e-resource.

Reimagined Readers Theater - now this is just the coolest. Your kids can enjoy a retelling of a favorite story presented by the USC student volunteers. These volunteers have worked hard to create homemade visuals to tell their stories and will engage your kids better than YouTube! Stories include Snoring Beauty, The Twin Princes, The Legend of Rock, Paper Scissors and MORE!

For Kids by Teens Video Tutorials - Enjoy a teen volunteer created video tutorial that will teach your kids something new. Topics include Homemade Hot Air Balloon, How to Make Stick and Hand Puppets, How to Make Slime, How to Make Minecraft Sheep and MORE!

Weekly classes that will be held via Zoom (registration required)
Zoom Let's Get Ready for Kindergarten 
Zoom Listen, Learn & Create

USC Library offers a full listing of Virtual & Online Programming for Kids that you can find HERE.


Whitehall Public Library

Firefighter Virtual Field Trip - Tune into Community Helper Virtual Field trips to learn more about our community helpers.

Little STEAMers is a program designed for children ages 3-6 that combines fun rhymes and songs with a STEAM activity, an early literacy activity, a math activity, a craft and suggested fun picture books. Activity packets are availale at the library through the registration process on Whitehall Public Library's website and new themes are offered bi-weekly. You can find previous Little STEAMers videos HERE

Weekly classes that will be held via Zoom (registration required)
Little STEAMers: Penguins 🐧January 11
Little STEAMers: Let it Roll!


Are you a parent or caregiver living in the South Hills who wants hyper-local, family friendly content delivered right to your inbox each week, so you can stay in the know? Sign up HERE to receive our FREE weekly newsletter and event calendar. 

Libraries located within the South Hills of Pittsburgh that would like to reach more local families can submit your events HERE. You can also send any programming info to emilyp@macaronikid.com.