West Olympia Timberland Library delights and inspires with engaging new early learning space

The recently expanded West Olympia Timberland Library located inside the Capital Mall provides an innovative and engaging early learning space that is a must-stop if you are visiting the mall.

With a woodland theme to delight and inspire imagination and fun, the new early learning area includes items intentionally chosen to encourage social emotional development, fine and gross motor skills, independent and collaborative play, and problem solving (which are all considered pre-literacy skills).

Lite Brite wall in West Olympia Timberland Library

The space boasts an eye-catching life-size “Litezilla” (what you may recognize as a Lite Brite), bouncing river stones that encourage balance, and a light up table with translucent items for color mixing fostering fine motor development, creativity, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Children playing a balancing game at the West Olympia Timberland Library

Other items in the space include a digital game table for collaborative play, interactive wall mounts, toys and manipulatives, and of course - books! 

A small child uses building blocks at an activity table at West Olympia Timberland Library

One of the newest innovative features at the library was built with families in mind: a workspace with an attached play space that can be latched to keep small children nearby, occupied, and safe while their grown-up uses a computer.

Parent workspace at the West Olympia Timberland Library

"We come here at least once a week,” a library patron says, “My daughter will check out at least 8-10 books, read them all week, and then want to come and get new ones. We play here, walk around the mall, go to the play place, but we spend most of our time here." 

A family enjoying the reading corner at the West Olympia Timberland Library

Deputy Director of Timberland Regional Library, Kendra Jones explains, “We are investing in these library refreshes because we believe our communities deserve state of the art libraries with everything anyone would need to be entertained, educated, and delighted. We believe the library is a place for the community to gather and seek information and connection. When we invest in our physical spaces, we are sending a message to our communities that the library values them and wants them to have a modern, accessible, and welcoming place to visit.” 

Creating these innovative early learning spaces is also in alignment with Timberland Regional Library’s strategic direction - based on their focus of children birth to 5 and their families. The entire youth space was designed to encourage intergenerational connection with items of interest for multiple ages that can be used by more than one person at a time and placed intentionally to avoid barriers between the spaces. 

You can visit the West Olympia Timberland Library at 625 Black Lake BLVD SW Olympia, WA 98502 next to the Van’s store, 7 days a week from 10am-6pm.