First 5 Forever, Babies & Toddlers
School Holiday Fun
Sessions scheduled at all library branches.
For more information on sessions click here
Summer Reading Club
The Summer Reading Club runs annually from 1 December to 31 January. It is free to join for Library members of all ages. Register, borrow, reading and complete challenges during the school holidays to be eligible to go in our prize draws!
Membership Draws
Borrow during December and January to go in our weekly draw. Complete a slip and pop in the barrel to win.
First 5 Forever Pop-Ups - Returning February 2025
No bookings required.
We will be visiting an area near you for a special session at 10.30am with stories, rhymes, music and movement for children under five years and their parents or carers. We recommend you bring a hat, water bottle and blanket to sit on. In the event of adverse weather conditions, sessions may be cancelled. Check out Facebook for latest details.
Maryborough Markets – 1st Thursday of the month
Pier Park, Urangan – 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month
Hervey Bay, Bunnings – 3rd Thursday of the month
Howard Markets – 1st Saturday of the month
Rattle and Rhyme - Returning February 2025
No bookings required. During school term only.
Join us for 30 minutes of song, rhyme and finger play. Share a book with your baby and learn those traditional songs and some new ones too. This session is designed for children under two years of age and their parents or carers.
HERVEY BAY – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday at 9.30am
MARYBOROUGH – Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9.30am
Storytime - Returning February 2025
No bookings required. During school term only.
Join us for fun-filled 45 minute session including stories, rhymes, music, movement and sensory play for children five years and under. This is a fun way to encourage language and listening skills, promote attention and curiosity and develop your child’s fine and gross motor skills through music and movement.
HERVEY BAY – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 10.30am
MARYBOROUGH – Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 10.30am
HOWARD – 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month at 10.30am
TIARO – 2nd & 4th Thursday of the month at 10.30am
Playtime - Returning February 2025
No bookings required. During school term only.
Play is central to your children’s learning and development so come along to our play sessions and have fun interacting with your child.
HERVEY BAY – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday at 11.30am
MARYBOROUGH – Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 11.30am
Lego / Duplo - Returning February 2025
Families welcome. During school term only.
Lego/Duplo available for free-range building. No competition. No instructions. Just be creative! No bookings required. Attendees under 12 years require parent / guardian to be in attendance.
HERVEY BAY – Tuesdays from 3.30pm to 4.30pm
MARYBOROUGH – Wednesdays from 3.30pm to 4.30pm
Hervey Bay Saturday Family Fun Drop In - Returning February 2025
Families welcome. During school term only.
Join us at the Hervey Bay Library on Saturdays from 2pm for fun and games for the whole family. No bookings required, just come in and have fun. Attendees under 12 years require parent / guardian to be in attendance.
Fraser Coast Playtime Passport
Get out and about with your children aged five and under and explore the Fraser Coast with our First 5 Forever Playtime Passport. Our Playtime Passport is filled with activities to inspire families to talk, read, sing and play around the region’s fantastic beaches, parks, gardens, galleries, attractions and library branches.
Download and print the entire passport or just the accompanying Activities Sheets to collect stickers, from your nearest Fraser Coast Libraries branch, when you complete an activity. After you have finished all of the activities, you can show your completed passport or Activities Sheets to a staff member and collect a free book!
The passport has been produced by Fraser Coast Libraries with the support of First 5 Forever, which is an initiative of the Queensland Government, coordinated by State Library of Queensland and delivered in partnership with local government.
Playtime Passport Activity Sheets
The First 5 Forever program aims to provide strong early literacy foundations for all children up to five years by directly supporting parents and primary caregivers as their child’s most important educator.
Up to 90% of a child’s brain development happens in the first five years. The more you talk, read, sing and play with your child, the more their brain responds.
A great start in life
A great start in life starts with you. In the first years of life, your child’s brain develops faster than at any other stage. During this time, the simple things you do together each day can have an enormous impact.
Talk, read, sing and play
Sharing stories, rhymes, singing, talking and playing with your child from birth builds a foundation for your child’s future development that can last a lifetime.
For more ideas and resources visit First 5 Forever (slq.qld.gov.au) and First 5 Forever Facebook page.
First 5 forever at Fraser Coast Libraries
Fraser Coast Libraries offers a range of activities for under fives.
Stories for Little Queenslanders
Spark your child's love of reading with State Library of Queensland’s new series of picture books which are exclusive to First 5 Forever. Follow this link to download or listen to each book.
Escape Room Challenges
Why not try our escape room challenges based on the Little Queenslander Titles?
- Is this your egg? by Ella Kris
- In the Deep End by Charlie Thomson
- Hotel for Bees by Alison McLennan
- Shoosh! by Simon Howe
- The Cow that swam out to Sea by Pamela Rushby
- Koala’s like to… by Shae Millward
- The little Queenslanders’ alphabet book by Sally Scudamore
- One Remarkable Reef by Kellie Byrnes
- Up and Down on a Rainy Day by Kathryn Apel
- My People by Billie-Jean Taylor
- Once, I Munched a Mango by Samantha Wheeler
- The Coloured Echidna by Eunice Day
First 5 Forever, Under 5s Playlist