Civic Center Library {Playdate Series}

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Ristorante (1)

Welcome to our SMB Playdate Series! This series focuses on various locales throughout the city that are enjoyable for a playdate and a writer’s opinion on a particular location.

Today we profile the Scottsdale Civic Center Library.

Kate and Renee share personal observations on their experience. 

Renee’s Perspective

Welcome to our third playdate! So far, we’ve been on playdates to Butterfly Wonderland and the Gateway Trailhead. For this adventure we headed over to the Scottsdale Civic Center Library to cool down from this relentless summer heat and check out a cool art exhibit in The Gallery.

Civic Center Library
3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Have you ever been in The GalleryScottsdale Public Art in partnership with the Scottsdale Public Library present exhibitions and educational programming that strengthens awareness of the arts for people of all ages. We brought kids from birth to five with us to check it out. Art is not only something you can look at and talk about, but it’s also something you can play with and experience.

I’m a sucker for free community events. Every couple months I get on the local sites and check out the upcoming calendar for cool looking outings to bring my kids. The library has tons of them, and between six local branches, I typically find an event or two to explore every month.

Today was a free, drop in event in The Gallery Forest Floor exhibit, where kids could turn wooden spoons into fairy puppets while they play in a fairy cottage, sit and read snuggled up under a giant mushroom or against a bigger than life snail. Supplies were all provided, all we needed to bring was our imagination.Kate Eschbach Photography-8b

Aside from The Gallery at the Civic Center Library, they have an awesome children’s department, complete with a huge castle in the back where you can cross the drawbridge into an imagination wonderland of puppets, wooden cities and storytelling in turret. Yes, a real turret you can actually sit and play in…a total dream from my own fantasy childhood!

After crafting in The Gallery and experiencing the touring exhibit, we spent some quiet time in the children’s department, reading about castles, dragons and knights. I love how the book displays are separated by theme, giving you a stack of books to really dive into. The boys loved getting down on the floor and sharing their favorite pictures and acting out stories with the little wooden city blocks. They made friends easily with the other kids hanging out in the department and Kate and I had a great time chatting with some of the other parents and telling them about our other favorite places to explore around town.

Kate Eschbach Photography-8CKate’s Perspective 

After living in Scottsdale for seven years, I guess I can no longer call myself “new”. You would think that I would have explored everywhere! I head over to the Scottsdale Civic Center Library for photo shoots all the time, but would you believe that I have never been inside? How crazy is that?!

Well, my friend Renee is so good about encouraging me to get out and go explore! When she found out I had never been there, she couldn’t believe it! So, a play-date was made. She told me about the cutest guest exhibit they had going on, called “The Forest Floor”. Riley loved it.  He is still playing with the cute craft that they made. Thank you, Renee for another fun play-date!
 Kate Eschbach Photography-8a

1 COMMENT

  1. There is also a new children’s art studio opening called Rachel’s Young At Art Studio for children ages 18 months and up! This Friday through Sunday (January 8-10) they are offering free classes! It is a very magical place! Call 480-621-6155 or email [email protected] to reserve a spot!

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