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

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.

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.

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.

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.