Spend Spring Break at the Des Moines Public Library! Our resources will keep you and your family both engaged and entertained, and there are tons of programs and activities at all our branches.
Check out our resources and events below, and be sure to take a look at our storytimes for the younger kids. Go to our events page for more information on all our events and programs.
Spring Break is also a great time to check out books from the library. Be sure to browse the children's section and find some fun books to bring home!
Ongoing Programs
I Spy: ASL for Deaf History Month
March 17-31
Gators & Crocs Scavenger Hunt
March 17-29 | South Side Library
Monday, March 17
Buddy Gnomes Take-and-Make Bag!
All Day | South Side Library
Movie Marathon
10 AM-6 PM | Central Library
Sensational Science: DIY Bath Bombs
2-3 PM | East Side Library
Nintendo Switch Party!
3-4:30 PM |Franklin Avenue Library
ASAP Mondays: Breakdancing
4-5 PM| Forest Avenue Library
Luchador Storytime
4-5 PM | North Side Library
Luchador Storytime with Latin Thunder!
6:30-7:30 PM| South Side Library
Tuesday, March 18
Play, Grow, Learn!
10-11:30 AM | South Side Library
LEGO Open Play
12-5 PM | Forest Avenue Library
Technology Tuesday: Ozobot Coding Mazes
2-3 PM | East Side Library
ASAP Tuesdays: Drawing Comics
3:30-4:30 PM | East Side Library
Creative Readers and the Iowa Wolves
4-4:45 PM | Franklin Avenue Library
Reading Buddies with ARL TheraPets!
4-5 PM | Central Library
Sensory Play Hour
4-5 PM | South Side Library
Switch Gaming
4-5 PM | North Side Library
Wednesday, March 19
The Remember Balloons Storytime with Des Moines Performing Arts
10:15-10:45 AM | Forest Avenue Library
Engineering Challenge Day
2-3 PM | East Side Library
Drop-in Crafternoon: Egg Carton Flowers
2-7 PM | North Side Library
ASAP Wednesdays: Monoprints
3:30-4:30 PM | North Side Library
Polk County Conservation: Animals in Iowa
3:30-4:30 PM | Forest Avenue Library
Sewing Basics: Adventure Bags!
3:30-5 PM | South Side Library
Teen Chef: Spring Break Pancakes
5-6:30 PM | Franklin Avenue Library
Thursday, March 20
Art Cart
10 AM-7 PM | North Side Library
The Remember Balloons Storytime with Des Moines Performing Arts
10:30-11 AM | North Side Library
Exotic Animals with Professor Bechtel
3-4 PM | East Side Library
ASAP Thursdays: Wire Sculpture
4-5 PM | South Side Library
Epic Graphic Novel Book Club
4-5 PM | Franklin Avenue Library
*Registration Required
IlluminART Bookmarks
6-7 PM | East Side Library
Pajama Storytime
6:30-7:30 PM | Forest Avenue Library
Friday, March 21
Garden Starters
10 AM-12 PM | Central Library
Drop-In Brain Workout
10 AM-4 PM | East Side Library
Crafternoon: Make your own fidget toy
1-5 PM | Forest Avenue Library
Library Escape Room: Math Quest
2-3 PM | East Side Library
Saturday, March 22
LEGOs at the Library
10 AM-4 PM | East Side Library
Puzzle and Game Cafe
11 AM-1 PM | South Side Library
Crossroads: A Journey with the Blues: Harmonica Giveaway with Lesson
2-3 PM | North Side Library
Launchpads
Launchpads are durable tablets made for kids now available to check out from the Des Moines Public Library. Preloaded with educational content they will keep your kids busy and learning for hours. Each of our 30+ Launchpads has a different theme or learning objective from reading comprehension to nature, space, and more.
Board Games
The library now has 50 board games including classics like Codenames, Settlers of Catan, and 7 Wonders, as well as great 2-player games, including Hive and Japiur. This board game collection is a great for get-togethers and game nights – like other Library of Things items, when you borrow a board game, you get it for up to a week. With such a large collection, there will always be something new to try!
Library of Things
Our Library of Things has lots of fun of the whole family. Spend time in the kitchen using our cookie cutters and ice cream maker, and check out some of our outdoor games, like cornhole and ring toss. Some of those outdoor games are even safe to use in a big space inside!
Tech Central
Create personalized gifts and for friends and family using our Tech Central Innovation and Maker Lab. Check out our sublimation printer, embroidery machine ,laser engraver, and more.
Kanopy Kids
Make extra screen time extra educational with Kanopy Kids, a video streaming service that’s free with your Des Moines Public Library card. Kanopy Kids includes hundreds of movies, TV shows, and read along books you’re your kids will love. The app is appropriate for children ages 2 and up, with an emphasis on programming for ages 2-8.