August is Family Fun Month, and the Free Library has some ideas for you and your family to celebrate together, library-style! Check it out:

Enjoy Oval+ programs in the newly-reopened
Right outside of the Parkway Central Library on Vine Street sits Shakespeare Park, which was just renovated and reopened to the public! Through August 20, the park is programmed as part of Oval+, an annual joint venture between the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. Programs at Shakespeare Park include Thursday jazz, weekend storytimes, theater performances, and more!

Pokémon GO
This summer, the Free Library has teamed up with Knight Foundation and Niantic, maker of Pokémon, to bring Pokémon GO to five Philadelphia libraries! Through August 11, visit Queen Memorial Library, Fumo Family Library, Tacony LAB, Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library, or the Parkway Central Library to explore the libraries and the surrounding communities via PokéStops and PokéCrawls!
 

Family Fun Literacy Backpacks at Eastwick Library
Now available at the Eastwick Library, this special pilot program offers eight different literacy-focused backpacks with educational themes, and are stuffed with books and activities for adults and children to experience together!

Tour the Parkway Central Library
There’s something for everyone on our guided building tours! Explore the grand Beaux-Arts building for free, stopping to appreciate the building’s many collections and services, as well as its unique architecture and history. Tours are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m.; Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; and each first Sunday of the month at 2:00 p.m. Tours continue to the Rare Book Department at 11:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday, which explores the history of the book along with some of the Free Library’s most treasured holdings.


Get free admission to the Rosenbach as a participant in the Summer of Wonder
Our Summer Reading team has partnered with our friends at the Rosenbach to offer family-friendly fun, with participants in the program gaining free admission to the museum by printing out the family pass and bringing it with you!

Experience GUMSHOE on your mobile device
Did you miss the live performance of GUMSHOE? Boo! But, it’s okay – you can still participate in the mobile version, now through September 1! Learn more about the cell phone experience, and don’t forget to visit our We The Detectives exhibitions, on display all summer long!

Of course, the family fun doesn’t end there – we’ve always got storytimes, movie-watching parties, music, and plenty of other happenings going on. Just browse our online calendar for something awesome at your nearest Free Library location!

Happy Family Fun Month!