Play & Learn

Our Youth Services staff is thrilled to welcome you to our department.

What You'll Find Here:

Play Area

Join the fun with toy trucks, blocks, a magnetic board and lots of other toys along with our Reading Zoo, a special kid-sized room.

Games & Puzzles

Play board and card games or put together puzzles for toddlers, preschoolers and elementary-aged children.

Computers

We offer internet computers for children aged 5-12 and their parents along with our Early Learning Stations loaded with games for the younger children.

Sensory Station

Find weighted lap pads, noise-cancelling earmuffs, fidgets and other sensory tools.

Virtual Tour

Take a trip through our department with our Visual Guide to TCPL.

Upcoming Events

Baby & Toddler Playtime

10:00am–11:00am

Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: Thaler/Howell Programming Room

Age Group: Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers

Program Type: Other

About this event::

Baby & Toddler Playtime is an unstructured play and social time for children and caregivers offering a warm, child-friendly space with books and age-appropriate toys.

Sit! Stay! Read!

3:00pm–4:00pm

Kids

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: BorgWarner Full

Age Group: Kids

Program Type: Classes and Workshops, Other

About this event::

Children are invited to practice their reading skills by sharing a story with a truly non-judgmental listener -- a dog! Reading sessions will be held Mondays from 3-4 p.m. Children who attend 6 sessions will earn a FREE book of their choice!

LEGO Family Build Night

5:30pm–6:30pm

Families, Kids

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: Thaler/Howell Programming Room

Age Group: Families, Kids

Program Type: STEAM, Other

About this event::

TCPL invites families to a weekly LEGO build night! Buckets of LEGO will be provided for participants to borrow for their builds.

Chinese Bilingual Storytime/中英双语故事会

4:30pm–5:00pm

Families, Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers, Kids

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: Thaler/Howell Programming Room

Age Group: Families, Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers, Kids

Program Type: Storytimes

About this event::

Join us for a special Chinese-English bilingual storytime!

TCPL Community Engagement at GIAC

5:00pm–6:30pm

Adults, Families

Offsite Event

Library Branch: Off Site

Age Group: Adults, Families

Program Type: Board of Trustees, Meetings, Offsite, Other

About this event::

Tompkins County Public Library invites you to a focus group discussion on the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan and Library Use.

Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Family Concert Series

4:00pm–5:00pm

Families, Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers, Kids

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: Ezra Cornell Reading Room

Age Group: Families, Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers, Kids

Program Type: Music, Performance, Storytimes

About this event::

Get swept up in the magic created by great stories and live music as the CCO and Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) join forces for our annual Family Concert & Storytime Series, now in its eleventh season! We select a different childr

Ages 8 to 108 Board Game Club

5:00pm–7:00pm

Adults, Families, Kids, Teens

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: Thaler/Howell Programming Room

Age Group: Adults, Families, Kids, Teens

Program Type: Other

About this event::

Are you between the ages of 8 and 108 and love playing board games? Then come join our board game club at TCPL! We meet in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room on Thursdays from 5 to 7pm.

Baby & Toddler Storytime

10:30am–11:00am

Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers

Library Branch: Tompkins County Public Library

Room: Thaler/Howell Programming Room

Age Group: Babies, Toddlers, & Preschoolers

Program Type: Storytimes

About this event::

Caregivers and their children are invited to join Cassie for music, rhymes, movement and books. Storytime will be followed by a playtime from 11-12. Come and join the fun while building early literacy skills!