To celebrate International Mother Language Day, the Children’s Lending Library, together with Bee – Bilingual, is hosting a free event at the Giardino dell’Orticoltura (located on Via Vittorio Emanuele II n.4), on Sunday, February 20, starting at 10:30 am until 12:30 pm. In case of rain, the event will be postponed. The event is set up to promote linguistic/cultural diversity and multilingualism around the world. Mothers, who come from different countries and [...]
In a holiday season filled with gift giving, the toy stores of Florence want to provide a drop-off point for those wishing to help children of economically distressed families. The “Sospeso” Toy Project brings an opportunity for people in the city to donate gifts that they wish to give to the less fortunate, named after caffè sospeso tradition in Naples which involves paying for someone else’s coffee when they cannot buy one [...]
After a two year hiatus, the British Institute’s Storytime and Afternoon Tea is returning this month to the Library, Lungarno Guicciardini 9. Thursday, November 25: Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, followed by Afternoon Tea This event is in English and will take place in the Children’s Room of the Library, which is located on Lungarno Guicciardini 9. This program is designed for children aged 3 to 8, but all ages are welcome. Author David [...]
Now that all schools in Italy have been closed for several weeks and restrictions are tightening up even further, parents and children must be getting bored, losing patience, bickering, starting to tear their hair out and searching for things to do to remedy the situation. Last week playgrounds were a possibility, but now they are closed, and visits to grandparents are strongly ill advised. Italian families are not alone. In addition to schools [...]
Recognizable by his red suit, beard and bag full of gifts, Santa Claus (in Italian: Babbo Natale) and his helper elves have decided to bypass Florence chimneys in favor of descending down from the 311 ft (95 meters) of Palazzo Vecchio’s Arnolfo Tower at 3 pm on Sunday, December 22. Once in Piazza Signoria, Santa and the elves will distribute sweets and small gifts to kids in a Christmas preview. This initiative entitled [...]
Florence residents and visitors are invited to the annual holiday party and theatre at the Children’s Lending Library on December 14. The staff will present a musical puppet show in English. The curtain will rise on “Dr. Giacomino’s Tiny Bookshop” with Mikela Rebua and Francesca Mura, a story about the magic of books for children age 5-12 and above on December 14 at 4:30 pm. There will be free entrance for library members, [...]
“Bricks in Florence” is a festival for LEGO fans of all ages that will take place at the TuscanyHall (Obihall) from Friday, Nov. 8 to Sunday, Nov. 10. The weekend will focus on colorful pieces of LEGO, featuring over 150 kg of small bricks, that can be utilized in the large free play area. Visitors will be able to learn more about Lego and the history of the brand in addition to having [...]
Calling all witches, monsters, ghosts, and skeletons: if you are looking to celebrate a fun Halloween this weekend, the Children’s Lending Library is the spookiest place to be. The library will be hosting a haunted party for children, complete with costumes, games, and of course, Halloween candy. Held eerily below St. James Church, kids will find many ghoulish activities at the library. Those looking for a scare can run through a haunted house. [...]
Delve into the colorful, animated world of a selfless giant as he makes friends with different creatures along the way in the children’s book The Smartest Giant in Town written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Sheffield. On June 20 at 5 pm, witness the characters come to life through a reading and workshop at the Library of the British Institute of Florence. The story follows the journey of George, a gentle [...]
Children can dye and decorate Easter eggs and make Easter bonnets on Saturday, April 13 (4-6 pm) at the Children’s Lending Library Party in the undercroft of St. James Church, via Rucellai 9. Accompanying adults can come to the event wearing an Easter hat as well. An event designed for members and their families, non-members are most welcome as well. Participants are advised to bring hardboiled white eggs (available fresh at the Mercato [...]
