When my son was younger, the Broadneck branch of the Anne Arundel County Public saved my life. Ok, maybe not literally, but it certainly saved my sanity.
Winters were always very challenging when my son was little, because we both needed to be active and out doing things, and being trapped indoors every night was brutal. We would make our rounds to kids’ gyms and places like that, but that got very expensive, and now, post-pandemic there are even fewer of those places in business.
One place we would visit once a week was the Broadneck branch of the AACPL, next to Broadneck High School. It was warm and inviting, the staff was friendly, and they have an amazing little kids’ section area that is the best I’ve seen out of all the branches we have visited. There’s a train table, a toy kitchen with play food, puzzles, puppets, building blocks, toy people, miniature buildings and cars, and more. It was never super crowded, and often, there would be at least a child or two to play with. They have a huge collection of board books and children’s books, so we would read some there and take some home which helped keep our reading new and fresh. And everything is free at the library.
The AACPL has so much more to offer beyond just this and at most branches. You can rent fishing poles, birding kits, reader pens, Wi-Fi hot spots, ukuleles, passes for museums and attractions, and more that I didn’t even know existed. All of that can be found in the Library of Things. Now, the library system also offers free gun locks for residents—something essential for anyone with children and firearms in the same house.
The library has a robust online calendar of activities at all the branches, including many special community events.
As an adult, I get all my e-books from the library, and I’ve dabbled with some of their other resources, like their paid account for Ancestry.com.
Next time it’s cold, raining, or you just can’t figure out what to do with your kids, take them to your local library. Though, I’m partial to the Broadneck branch.
Address: 1275 Green Holly Dr, Annapolis, MD 21409
Distance from Annapolis: 5-15 minutes
Cost: Free
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