Did you know there is a magical home hidden in Inglewood that invites families to come and visit to spend some time reading?
The Children’s reading place is run by Calgary Reads. The Children’s Reading place is open to all and free to visit, but appointments must be booked in advance. Appointment booking is so that they can ensure everyone can find a quiet space and it won’t ever be too busy. They are open Thursday through Saturday weekly. Appointments can be booked online and you will receive an email confirmation. School groups are also welcome to schedule a time to visit.
The day of your visit you arrive at the home at your scheduled time, when you will be invited in. The Reader in residence will explain the home to you, and then leave you to explore and find a cozy spot to curl up with a book.
Every inch of the home is decorated and there are so many neat things for children to discover. This includes the washrooms as well which my children thought was really neat. Upstairs there is a room with some activities for children such as Lego, drawing, colouring. One favourite spot was the closet in the hallway that has been converted into a doll house.
Fun dollhouse in the closet upstairs
At the end of your visit, each child is invited to select a book to take home. There are some books on site that must remain at the home for all to be able to read, but these are clearly marked. Any other books throughout the home are for children to select from.
When you go, be sure to take any children’s books you are finished with to donate to help ensure there are always books for children to pick from. This is an excellent family activity and is easily accessible via public transit.
Our children love this place. We spent a couple of hours on our visit here and could easily have spent more.
Have you visited the Children’s Reading Place? What did you think?