Kids play at the ribbon cutting on the new Play & Learn space at Trafalgar library. The Play and Learn space incorporates elements of the library’s natural surroundings, including the native prairie and bee hive. Jayden Kennett | Daily Journal
Kids in Johnson County have a new space to learn through play at the Johnson County Public Library Trafalgar Branch.
The library celebrated the opening of the new Play & Learn space with a ribbon cutting on Monday. The project has been about a year in the making, said Christy Peterson, an architect with Corporate Interior Solutions who helped design the space.
Watching all the children run around and enjoy the area has made all the hard work worth it, Peterson said.
The library wanted to highlight learning through imaginative play in the new space while celebrating the agricultural history of the area. The Play & Learn space incorporates elements of the library’s natural surroundings, including the native prairie and bee hive.
“I thought we really need to bring in what’s going on outside the windows and put it in here and the kids can play as farmers and in the market and do the honey bee stuff,” Peterson said.
The space highlights the Trafalgar tradition of farming by demonstrating the farm-to-table process, said Sarah Taylor, assistant director of JCPL. Kids have a space where they can play growing vegetables, sell them at the market and enjoy them at the dinner table in the new space. The space also features a play bee-keeping operation, equipped with beekeeping outfits for kids to wear and a treehouse for kids to climb.
“We thought it would be really neat to do a farm-to-table imagination,” Taylor said. “That way we can talk all about the food production part, cooking part, eating at a restaurant. Kids really love that imaginative play because it lets them have almost a new experience every time they come.”
Lori Roberts, programming assistant, takes care of the beehive located outside of the library. Roberts hopes children who visit the library can learn about how important bees are, especially to the native prairie grass right outside the library’s doors.
The space was built through a grant from the Branigin Foundation.
People don’t always think of playing while at a library, but the library hopes that the new play and learning space will be a destination for families in the community to visit and develop new skills, Taylor said. Imaginative play helps children build vocabulary, develop reading skills and gain social and emotional skills, she said.
“We are all about learning and play is how children learn,” Taylor said.
Play supports healthy brain development, is a way for infants and toddlers to engage in and interact with their environment and helps children build relationships with their peers and caregivers. Play also allows children to explore their fears and practice adult roles, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Raven Abbott celebrated the play space with her children, ages three and eight. Abbott often walks to the library with her children and saw the treehouse being built a few days ago, she said. Her kids were “super excited” about the new treehouse.
Brendan Harvey, 4, had fun educating his peers about bee facts, he said.
