Kits for Adults & Kids

 

From Book Club Sets and Stories to Go, to Climate Action and Skill Builders Adaptive Toys kits, find something for kids, families, and people of all ages.

 

Adults

Book Club Sets

We’ve made it easier for book clubs to gather enough copies of their chosen titles by offering sets that include 10 books, available for an extended loan period of six weeks. We’ve also included, when available, a reading guide to encourage conversation. View all our Book Club Sets.

 

For our readers who prefer books with large print, we have book club sets just for you. View our list of Low Vision Book Club Sets.

 

Borrowing information: A Book Club Set will be signed out to one GVPL library cardholder, who will assume responsibility for returning the Book Club Set in its entirety to the library. Book clubs can have two sets checked out per library card to allow for a change over at the next book club meeting. Please return the set to the information desk of any branch.

 

Staff Picks to Go

Enjoy a set of six books for adults, carefully chosen by a librarian. Each set is based on a different theme ranging from Indigenous Reads to Inspired by Austen. The kits also include a list of similar titles at the library for further reading.

 

View all Staff Picks to Go.

 

Borrowing information: The borrowing period for Staff Picks To Go is six weeks with no renewals. Please return the kit to the information desk of any branch.

 

Climate Action to Go

From tuning up your bike to reducing electricity waste, the Climate Action To-Go Kits can help you assess your household’s eco-footprint and reduce it.

 

These take-home kits contain a range of practical tools and activities to help you learn about and take action on climate change in your everyday life.

 

The Climate Action To-Go kits give you the opportunity to:

 - Measure household appliance electricity use with a Kill-A-Watt meter.
 - Detect air leaks in walls and around windows using a thermal leak detector.
 - Measure your home’s optimal lighting using a digital illuminance light meter.
 - Tune up a bike or track steps while learning about local active transportation routes.
 - Test showerhead water efficiency.
 - Identify native species of plants and animals in the region.
 - Audit your household’s waste habits.
 - Measure the moisture, pH, and sunlight conditions of your outdoor space.
 - Learn about expected climate changes while preparing for both adaptation and emergencies.

 

 

Climate Action To-Go kits are made possible in partnership with the CRD.

 

View Climate Action To-Go kits.

 

 

Thermal Imaging Camera


The Thermal Imaging Camera uses colour to display the relative temperature of objects, making it easy to identify hot and cold areas in your home. These areas may indicate insulation gaps or air leaks. Use this tool to detect heat loss, improve energy efficiency, and save money!

 

Thermal Imaging Camera Kits are created in partnership with the Capital Regional District (CRD).

 

View Thermal Imaging Camera Kits.

 

 

 

Kids

Readers to Go

Readers to Go provide kids learning to read in English or French with a variety of books suited to their reading development. Each bag contains an assortment of short books with controlled vocabulary and related illustrations, plus information on how you can support children learning to read.

 
View all Readers to Go.
 

Stories to Go

It’s storytime in a box. GVPL’s Stories to Go boxes are a resource for families, caregivers, and early childhood educators to use with young children. Made possible with a generous grant from the Times Colonist, these theme boxes have been designed to meet a variety of interests while helping to develop early literacy skills. Kits include books, a rhyme booklet, and puppets.

 

View all Stories to Go.

 

Family Picks to Go

With a Family Picks to Go kit, you can dig deeper into a topic with your child. Choose a light-hearted kit – about camping, coding, or gardening – or one for more serious times – coping with the death of a family member or learning about truth and reconciliation. Or, choose something in between like getting ready for kindergarten or learning about puberty. We’ve curated these kits based on requests from our patrons about what they’d like to see. Each kit contains seven books, making it easy for a parent or caregiver to thoroughly explore a topic with their children.

 

View all Family Picks to Go.

 

StoryWalk Kits

Reading is a walk in the park with GVPL’s StoryWalk® collection!

 

A StoryWalk® is an innovative and delightful way for children – and adults – to enjoy stories in the great outdoors. Pages from a children’s book are hung or attached to wooden stakes along a path outdoors. As you stroll down the trail, you’ll go from page to page, enjoying the story along with a walk in nature.

 

GVPL’s StoryWalk® collection consists of 30+ books including popular titles like The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, as well as French-language titles and stories written by Indigenous authors.

 

Toddlers, young children and school-age children will enjoy StoryWalks®. The kits may be of particular interest to nature preschools, daycares, families and other organizations. The collection is available for everyone to use.

 

For the health and enjoyment of all patrons, please ensure StoryWalks® are wiped clean and dried before returning.

 

The StoryWalk® Project was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg Hubbard Library.

 

View all StoryWalk kits.

 

Skill Builders Adaptive Toys

Play, learn and grow with toys selected for kids with developmental and physical challenges.

 

Skill Builders Adaptive Toys kits include tools and toys to help children aged 3 and up develop essential skills — fine and gross motor, language, hand-eye coordination, focus, and sensory processing.

 

The toys were selected in consultation with local children’s health care professionals and are particularly effective for children who have cognitive, physical, sensory, or communication challenges.

 

Kits come in three sizes and are light enough to carry easily. Inside you’ll find:

  • three to five toys, a fidget (a self-soothing tool) and a book or CD,
  • information and ideas on how to use the toys, and
  • resources for children with developmental issues.

 

Borrowing information for children's kits: One kit can be checked out at a time per valid, adult GVPL library card. The loan period is 21 days. The kits can be returned at the information desk of any branch.

 

View all Skill Builders Adaptive Toys kits.