5 Best Children’s Libraries in St. Pete-Clearwater, FL

Your guide to the best Children’s Library areas in the St.Pete-Clearwater

Taking your kids to the library is an awesome free activity. In Florida, it is especially nice for hot days when you need something to do with your kids indoors.

Going to the children’s library area isn’t just about finding books. The best kids sections are full of toys and activities that make going to the library a fun destination.

But not all children’s library areas are created equal. Some libraries have bigger and better kids’ sections where kids would happily play for hours.

We’ve rounded up the best libraries for kids in Pinellas to help save you time. Nobody wants to pack up the kids and make a whole trip only to find out the library children’s section isn’t that great.

As local moms, we’ve personally frequent these libraries with our kids too. Our kids range in age from one-years-old to

Below you’ll find our favorite children’s library areas, including pictures and lists of some of their toys & activities. Our goal is that you can easily find the best fit for your kids.

And don’t worry, we also round up a list of subpar children’s library areas you should skip at the end.

Let’s check them out!

1. Clearwater Library Main Branch

Clearwater’s flagship library has an amazing children’s area. It is basically the entire second floor of the library.

The divide the space up so there is a section for the youngest kids and a section for young adults.

In the children’s library area, you’ll find things like:

My kids could have probably spent all morning playing there. I wish we had budgeted a lot more time for our visit and will definitely be back soon.

The library is also adjacent to the newly redone Coachman Park, so we spent the morning at the park and headed into the library to play when it got too hot.

2. Largo Library

Largo Library is a favorite library for families with young kids in the area. The library opened its new facility in 2005 which is a large and pretty space (source).

This library is one of Malena’s favorites in the area (her kids range in age from elementary school to toddler) and my kids loved it too. They especially liked the huge Connect Four set, trains, building sets and the benches leading into the children’s area.

And a big highlight for parents is the on-site cafe at the entrance to the library.

Largo Library has:

3. Safety Harbor Library

UPDATE: The Safety Harbor Library’s children’s area is currently closed as the building is under construction. They are adding a second-story to the building so we are sure it’ll be better than ever when it reopens!

Safety Harbor Library has a nice children’s wing that takes up about a third of the library. There’s a dedicate section for little kids and a smaller area for teens.

This library has lots of toys and play spaces for kids that makes it a popular destination.

It has always been bumping when we’ve visited in the mornings so it is a good spot if you want your child to interact with other kids.

The Safety Harbor Library has:

The Safety Harbor Library also has a great weekly lego club meet-up for kids that Malena kids often attend, and regular classes for babies and toddlers.

My kids will happily play in the sensory play area and with the bristle blocks for as long as I’d let them.

I also really appreciate that the Safety Harbor library has bins around for any toys that get put in a child’s mouth so they can be sanitized. They also request children clean their hands before and after play with provided hand sanitizer.

These public health details mean a lot to our family since one of our kids has a higher risk health history.

4. Palm Harbor Library

I absolutely loved visiting the Palm Harbor Library with our 1-year-old.

Before we even set foot into the library, she was delighted by their outdoor garden with musical instruments hidden throughout it and cool art sculptures. The garden alone could be a toddler activity.

Inside the library, you’ll find a Children’s library area that has a closed door — a feature I love so you don’t have to worry as much about disturbing people.

Perhaps the coolest feature of the Palm Harbor library is their “Maker’s Space” full of art supplies. Children ages 5-12 can create for an hour once a week in the space (according to the library’s Maker Space webpage).

Palm Harbor Library has:

The Palm Harbor Library also has a 24/7 borrowing kiosk outside the entrance which is a really nice added feature.

5. Dunedin Library

Dunedin Library is both an awesome kids library and has a playground right outside. This makes it a great spot for kids, and they have things for kids of all ages.

For elementary school & middle school readers, they have the books broken up really well and set up to get kids excited based on their reading levels.

They also have a Bluejay’s themed area, coloring areas, and kid-friendly computers.

Dunedin Library has:

📚 I love that library is next to a playground

Honorable Mention: Oldsmar Library

We want to give Oldsmar Library an honorable mention on this list because it is good for the youngest kids, but doesn’t have much for kids passed toddlerdom.

This library would be good for babies and toddlers, especially those who might get overwhelmed in busy children’s areas at the bigger children’s library areas.

I was also impressed that during a visit, the kids’ librarian came up to invite us to story time happening that morning. He was really friendly and the kids had a great time at the story time.

The Oldsmar library has:

If you head here with little kids, definitely pack a few of their favorite cars or trucks. My kids went nuts for the roads on the ground, driving their cars around for a long time.

We were the only kids there, which we’ve never experienced at the bigger children’s library areas like nearby Safety Harbor Library. It was a nice change of pace if you want a chill activity.

Skip These Children’s Library Areas

Unfortunately, not every library in Pinellas is as great for kids on our top picks.

Here a few places you should be aware of before going with your kids:

FAQs About Children’s Libraries in Pinellas