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Video: Free, Fun & Rewarding – FLIPKits at the Houston Public Library

by Jill Jarvis 1 Comment

We’ve always loved the Houston Public Library… but sometimes it’s such a solid and consistent fun thing to do in Houston, that we forget to remember it.

It was in December that we remembered to remember the library, and started to visit several times a week. We saw these cool backpacks in the children’s section but did not stop because there was no way these fancy little bags could be taken home… Except I was wrong.

Houston Public Library Flip Bags
These backpacks are called FLIPKits and are meant to be checked out. And you get museum tickets just for doing this!

FLIP stands for Family Literacy Involvement Program, is a learning program designed for kids ages 0-8, by professionals at the Children’s Museum of Houston, to develop reading and comprehension skills.

Flip Kit Craft from Houston Public Library
Each one comes in a yellow mesh bag with a tag saying the name of the story, the language and the appropriate age. Inside is a kit with a book, activity or craft, instructions and a parent survey.

The library lets you check out multiple kits, so we are able to get one for 2nd grade, Kinder and PreK… but it is my Kindergarten Crafter that LOVES these things.

Houston Public Library Flip Kit at Table
The latest kit we got was “Found Alphabet” and the craft had all the materials we needed, paper, pipe cleaners, ribbon, stickers, corks, cotton balls, glue, scissors and table, to make our own “Found Alphabet”.

There are 201 different FLIP kits available at 35 libraries that cover math, science and the arts. You can see them all HERE.

What’s even better than getting to check out the FLIPKits is getting rewarded for doing so! Each kit comes with a paper survey. Fill it out while your kids do the craft, turn it in when you return your backpack, and get a family pass to the Houston Children’s Museum!

So the library gives you everything you need to read and play with your kids… and then sends you to the museum!

Any resident with a valid Houston Public Library card can check out as many kits as they would like, for 3 weeks. They are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

Also, according to the Children’s Museum FLIPKit staff, if you are are interested in taking these to a 1st grade HISD classroom, go to connect4literacy.com and volunteer to use FLIP kits in the selected schools. They also encourage teachers to check out the kits for great inspiration or to use in small groups.

Filed Under: All, Houston Library, Things to do January 12, 2015

About Jill Jarvis

Jill Jarvis is the owner of JillBJarvis.com, a BigKidSmallCity.com and Things to Do in Houston, with Kids, blog!

She is the mom of 4 and started the website years ago... when she was tired of constantly cleaning up the same mess in the family room.

Another mom showed her that you could just go do fun things in Houston, without hours of planning.

This inspired the blog and changed everything about how she enjoyed life in Houston, with kids!

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  1. Our Library Haul – The Play Date Chronicles says:
    September 14, 2016 at 4:45 pm

    […] to check out Big Kid, Small City for tips on different locations as well as information on their FlipKits. You can also go ahead and stop what you’re doing for the rest of the day  because I found […]

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jill-jarvis-bigkidsmallcity-circle-300 Welcome!  JillBJarvis.com is the go-to blog for things to do in Houston with kids!  It is upbeat and dedicated to making our big city feel small.   START HERE!    

On this website you will find a full list of Houston weekly events, things to do around the city, travel ideas and resources for parents.

I know just what it’s like to be overwhelmed by work, life and family. I spent a lot of years traveling for work, missing big milestones for my kids and feeling bad about everything.

I started this website to make a list of all the events happening around Houston and then pick one to enjoy with my kids. And instead of thinking of all the things I was missing, I started to enjoy the things we were doing together.

If you are a parent that is feeling overwhelmed by all the things you could be doing in Houston… please just use our weekly lists and daily posts as suggestions. Pick one thing to do with your family and intentionally ignore the rest!

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