My kiddo and I were strolling through Riverfront Park, searching for the snowdrops and daffodils that will soon wrestle their heads above the dirt, when we spotted a sign that read, “All Welcome.” Curious and encouraged, we crossed Front Street to enter the building attached to the sign. This is how we happened upon storytime at The LGBT Center of Central PA.
The first Saturday of every month, our local LGBT Center hosts its storytime for youth ages 0 to 10. The event is free and open to all, with attendance especially encouraged for queer parents and allies. The center’s executive director, Amber Roadcap, who is also a children’s book author, hosts the storytime. Leaning into her expertise, Amber engages the kids with thoughtful questions about themes in the books and how they may relate to a listener’s own life. A book we heard was about a vacation, so children shared their most recent trips then discussed ways to show gratitude for opportunities to experience new things. Post-storytime, there is a craft for kids correlating to the book selections, with Legos and coloring pages available for even more entertainment after that.
The LGBT Center’s Storytime room has colorful, comfy velvet cushions to relax on while you listen, though (in my opinion) the highlight is free coffee for parents and Broad Street Market donuts to share. The next LGBT Center of Central PA storytime is scheduled for Saturday, April 5 at 11 a.m.
Natural Fun
Since our quest for early spring flowers hadn’t yet been fulfilled, we headed to the recently redone Crown Point Park in Susquehanna Township. New construction elevated this play place from a basic park to a ninja-tastic obstacle course. The playground is now equipped with a ropes zone, an embankment slide, multi-kid springer, standing spins and cup spinners, accessible swings and a gaga ball pit (bring your own ball). There’s also a reservable covered picnic area that was a popular spot for birthday parties last summer.
If we get March snow, the hill behind the park is decent sledding with a gentle slope. Down the hill, toward the woods, there’s a pile of rocks, logs and sticks that are excellent for imaginative play. During our visit, we constructed a castle, made a pretend fire, “cooked” berries with moss, then pretend-ate our meal out of curved bark bowls.
Across from Crown Point Park is Logan Farm Park, which has undergone a massive vegetative transformation due to invasive vine growth. Young conservationists should know that removing dead tree canopy is beneficial for new forest growth and longevity. They can see evidence of this natural resource maintenance work on the trail. Kids can count newly planted trees, identifying them by the deer resistant coverings on their trunks. Eagle Scouts had a large impact on Logan Farm, with one forging an In & Out Trail offshoot toward Paxton Creek and another Eagle Scout building bluebird boxes then placing them near the trail. As we passed the bluebird boxes, we listened for bird calls and talked about how cute all the baby birds that will be hatching soon will be.
Education, Imagination
To learn more about springtime baby animals, education is at your fingertips with the Dauphin County Library System. DCLS is more than just books, hosting an incredible lineup of programs and community events. We participated in a program where kids designed catapults, built castles (with or without dragons), then had an epic cotton ball fight with their creations. Programs that should be on your radar are Superhero Academy (youth) Tween Dungeons and Dragons, and Anime Club (teen).
Grown-ups, the library doesn’t forget about us, hosting multiple book clubs and events to encourage thoughtfulness and community. I joined the Reading the Rainbow Book Club when I first moved here and connected with a wonderful group of people, some of whom have become real friends. The Mamas ‘n Dramas Book Club debuted recently with “The School for Good Mothers,” a novel that’s now on my 25 “Best Books Ever” list. Books On Tap is another recently started club, with folks meeting at Rubber Soul Brewing in Hummelstown on the second Tuesday of each month.
A day that started out so simple, just me and my kiddo enjoying Riverfront Park, transformed into another adventure filled with excitement, learning and discovery. Like the snowdrops and daffodils that cluster together against the still chilly air, we all can grow by exploring and gathering in our communities, sharing space and blooming brightly in collective.
For more information on the LGBT Center of Central PA’s storytime, visit www.centralpalgbtcenter.org/once-upon-a-rainbow-storytime.
Crown Point and Logan Farm Park is located at 2451 Walker Mill Rd., Harrisburg.
To find out more about Dauphin County Library System’s programs and events, visit www.dcls.org/eventscalendar.
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