The 10 Best Free Library Story Times in Utah County

Utah County’s two biggest public libraries, Provo City Library and Orem Public Library, run nearly a dozen free storytimes between them. Both split their programs by age, so the decision is less about which library and more about which age band and which morning. Both also run Spanish or bilingual sessions, which is rare.

Related reading: The 10 Best Free Library Story Times in Weber County.

For babies

• Book Babies, Provo City Library: Fridays at 10 and 11 AM in the Story Circle, for ages 0–2.
• Cuentitos (Spanish Book Babies), Provo: Fridays, 9:30–9:50 AM, a short Spanish-language session for ages 0–2.
• Bouncing Babies, Orem Public Library: Fridays at 10 AM in the Storytelling Wing, for pre-walkers up to 12 months.

Provo’s and Orem’s Friday baby sessions overlap, so pick by which library is closer.

For toddlers

• Toddler Time, Provo: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 10:05 and 11:05 AM, for ages 0–2. Each session is 20 minutes, which suits an attention span that’s done after two books.
• Toddler Tales, Orem: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 10 and 11:10 AM in the Kid Zone, for ages 0–3.

For preschoolers

• Preschool Time, Provo: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, at 10 and 11 AM in the Story Room, for ages 3–5.
• Preschool Storytime, Orem: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 AM, in the Storytelling Wing, for ages 3–5.
• Hands-On Story Time, Provo: Wednesdays at 1 PM, for ages 3–5. It has limited spots and opens registration a couple of days ahead, so it’s the one to plan for rather than walk into.

For Spanish or bilingual storytime

• Cuentos (Spanish Story Time), Provo: Monday evenings at 6:30 PM and Fridays at 10:30 AM, open to kids from babies to age 12.
• Bilingual Storytime / Hora de Cuentos, Orem: Thursdays at 4 PM, all ages welcome.

For an after-work or older-kid option

Provo’s Monday-evening Cuentos and Orem’s 4 PM Thursday bilingual session are the only non-morning storytimes on this list. For school-age kids, Orem runs Big Kid Adventures for grades K–3 on the third Wednesday of each month, with registration required.

How to choose

Provo runs more sessions overall, so it’s the easier library to fit into a busy week. Orem’s Toddler Tales takes kids up to age three, so it’s the better fit for an older toddler who isn’t quite ready for preschool storytime. Both libraries run storytime in seasonal blocks, with breaks between them, so check the library’s calendar before your first visit.

Related reading: The 10 Best Free Library Story Times in Summit County.