The Library Wants to Help Parents Find Good Free Apps for Kids Workshops Begins In April

Every day, more apps for tablets and smartphones come onto the market. Parents know that their children love to play with tablets and phones. This spring, the Santa Barbara Public Library System will offer a series of parent workshops called “How Do I Find Good Apps for Kids?” to help local residents learn more about free apps for children. Workshop titles include:

· How Do I Find Good Apps for Kids?

· Gathering Good Cents: Free Apps That Take a Child Beyond the Piggy Bank

· Creating Stories with Free Apps

· See, Hear & Touch: Apps That Help Children Develop Music & Art Sense

“How Do I Find Good Apps for Kids?” introduces parents to high-quality websites and guides parents away from common technology traps and concerns. These free, bilingual (Spanish-English), one-hour workshops for parents will be offered on Thursday, April 2, at 4:30 p.m. at the Carpinteria Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave., and Wednesday, April 30, at 1:30 p.m. at the Eastside Library, 1102 E. Montecito St.

“Gathering Good Cents: Free Apps That Take a Child Beyond the Piggy Bank” helps parents and children explore free apps that help children build money sense. Held in conjunction with Money Smart Week, April 5-12, the workshop is designed to help families build basic financial literacy skills. The free, one-hour workshops will be held: Monday, April 7, at 4 p.m. at the Goleta Library, 500 N. Fairview Ave.; Tuesday, April 8, at 3:30 p.m. at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St.; Thursday, April 17 (bilingual Spanish-English) at 4:30 p.m. at the Carpinteria Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave.; Saturday, April 26, at 10:30 a.m. at the Solvang Library, 745 Mission Dr.; and Thursday, May 8 at 3:30 p.m. at the Montecito Library, 1469 East Valley Rd.

“Creating Stories with Free Apps,” a workshop for parents of preschoolers, teaches about apps that can help children develop language and social skills through stories. The free workshop will be held: Friday, April 11, at 10:30 a.m. at the Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive; Wednesday, April 23, at 11:15 a.m. at the Goleta Library, 500 N. Fairview Ave.; Thursday, April 24, at 10 a.m. at the Montecito Library, 1469 East Valley Rd.; Thursday, May 11, at 11 a.m. (bilingual Spanish-English) at the Carpinteria Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave.; and Wednesday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St.

“See, Hear & Touch: Apps That Develop Music & Art Sense,” a workshop for parents of children ages 8-12, explores apps that help children build cognition through the fine arts. The free, one-hour workshop will be held: Tuesday, April 22, at 3:30 p.m. at the Goleta Library, 500 N. Fairview; Thursday, April 24, at 4:30 p.m. at the Carpinteria Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave.; Friday, May 2, at 10:30 a.m. at the Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive; Thursday, May 15, at 3:30 p.m. at the Montecito Library, 1469 East Valley Rd.; and Thursday, June 5, at 3:30 p.m., at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St.

Pre-registration is not required. Participants are invited to bring their own smartphones and tablets. For more information about the workshops, contact PHaddad@SantaBarbaraCA.gov or call the Central Library Literacy Department at 805-564-5619. Information on Santa Barbara Public Library System programs and events may be found online at SBPLibrary.org. All Library programs are free and open to the public.

This project is supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services or the California State Library, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services or the California State Library should be inferred.