BookTrust Storytime is returning to Hertfordshire Libraries.

Hertford Libraries sessions run every Thursday at 10.30-11.00am from Thursday 12 January to Thursday 26 February to take part!

From Monday 12 January – Sunday 1 March 2026 libraries across Hertfordshire will be enjoying 7 weeks of stories, songs and rhymes celebrating the fantastic BookTrust Storytime Prize shortlist. The annual Prize aims to find the best picture book for sharing, while inspiring families to share stories together and make visiting their local library a part of everyday life.

The fantastic titles on the shortlist are:

Five Enormous Dinosaurs illustrated by Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow
Suki Cat Astronaut by Grace Habib
Superwolf by Helen Docherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty
The Jellyfish Jiggle by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Nicola Slater
Tiger, It’s Snowing! by Daishu Ma
Each fun, interactive, 30-minute session will feature a different book from the shortlist, an activity, and a chance to vote towards the overall winner. These sessions are free (donations welcome) and ideal for children ages 2-5. Libraries also have some fantastic sticker books to give away, with a different sticker to collect every week (while stocks last).

For families who can’t make a session and would love to get involved, 12 of our libraries are setting up Reading Nooks. Families can drop in at any time during opening hours to enjoy the shortlisted books together and vote for the overall winner.

More information, including when the sessions are happening and which libraries have Reading Nooks, can be found on our blog. 

Hertfordshire Libraries also have our My First Library Card, available for children aged 0-5. It is free to join your local library where you will find a huge range of picture books, fact books and beginning to read stories to borrow. We think joining the library is exciting as there is so much to explore and be inspired by; to mark this occasion children will be presented with a special certificate. This is part of our My Firsts promotion, helping families to celebrate early years milestones. You can find out more information on My First library card. 

 Please contact [email protected] for more information.

For more details see here.

We know just how much you guys love the free National Trust family passes and they are back!

The pass covers up to 2 adults and 3 children, or 1 adult and 4 children, or 2 adults.

To claim your free ticket click here.

Things to do on a budget this January

Beat the January blues and get out and about with your family this month without breaking the budget.

Every where we go we hear people saying the same thing... they are broke. December pay day seems such a long time ago and some how they've got to entertain their children on a show string budget.

Not to worry we are here to help...

We've highlighted some of our favourite Free or Budget friendly activities locally (some slightly further afield) to help you out this January.

Most things are Free with everything being under £5.50.

Tips for success

 First things first you don't actually need to go out! There's much to be said for staying home with a DVD or Netflix or digging out that craft box or playing a family board game.

We know that going on a FREE ACTIVITY does not guarantee you will get away without spending any money , food, travel, parking they can all add up but here are our 5 top tips to spend less on family activities.

•  Get the kids on board! Challenge them to get involved in the planning.
• Set expectations- explain to your children (if they are able to understand) that you are on a budget and that you wont be buying extras on the trip. Get them to agree to this BEFORE you leave.
•  Food!! Food!! Food!! often the cost of eating out can cost us an arm and a leg so don't! Pack a packed lunch and get the children involved. They are more likely to eat what's been prepared if they have helped to make it. Be creative, cold pizza, pasta, soups can all be taken on picnics, we've even heard of hot dog sausages being transported in a flask of boiling water as well . Take drinks too, there's much to be said for a flask of hot chocolate in the park.
•  Check parking costs before you leave- sometimes free activity's such as "The Gruffalo Trail" have car parking costs, be aware of these before you leave.
•  If you are going to an activity where activity packs are for sale, again these can add to the cost of your trip, prepare before you go. Pack your own notepads and pens perhaps make your own worksheet if you have time and explain to the children you wont be buying those as you have your own.

Out and about: 

Theres much to be said for a trip to a good old park  so wrap up warm , put on those wellies, grab those bikes or scooters, a flask and a picnic and head off on an adventure.

Panshanger (keep an eye out for the fairy doors!) 

Hartham Park

Lea valley Sculpture Trail

Cedars Park

Hatfield Forest

Ashridge estate

Stanborough Park

Church Farm, Ardeley

Slightly further afield 

The Gruffalo Trail

100 Akre Woods at Aldenham County Park

Ashridge estate

Museums and places of interest

The main one being Hertford Museum of course!

But there is also Bishop Stortford museum 

Lowewood Museum

Mill Green Museum - open sunday pm (small fee)

Stevenage Museum 

Verulamium Museum

Tring Natural history Museum

RAF Museum

Stockwood Discovery Centre

Budget friendly zoos, farms and nature reserves.

Cedars Nature Centre - is amazing and only £2.40 pp 

Colchester zoo is offering tickets for tenner this month with under 3's going FREE.

Mead open farm are running kids for a quid this January.

Lee Valley Park Farm are running farm for a fiver this January too.

Pets corner Harlow - a new amazing park has just been built by the toilet block too

RSPB Rye Meads Nature Reserve - Free entry but there is a parking charge.

Parndon woods - one of our favourites - we love the den building area!

We hope you enjoy this article and that you find it useful. If we've missed anything off the list do feel free to let us know.

Thanks for reading

Kayleigh & The Boys

XxxX