A date at My Tree House, central library

We recently explored the Tree House, also the world’s first green library for children, with our friends E and L.

We were greeted with all things green, from decor to theme of books, down to interesting armchairs made entirely from cardboard! Green building materials were used quite extensively in the construction of the library, including energy-efficient LED lighting, refurbished bookshelves and carpets with green properties.

A highlight is the treehouse made from recyclable materials that sits right in the middle of the space. (Those green and yellow things hanging from the ceiling to make up the “leaves” are actually plastic bottles that had been painted over.)

Both kids and adults alike were trudging up and down the treehouse, which makes quite an interesting reading space - people didn’t seem to mind sitting on the floor.

I liked that the shelves were clearly categorised and labelled, making it easy to find the books that you want.

Spaces have been thoughtfully carved out, into different reading / activity areas. Vera likes the space too, and had fun on this rocking horse, that also functions as a chair if you turn it right side up.

There’s even a space for little girls and boys to play hide and seek. (Nah just kidding, only Vera was playing hide and seek with me here. =P This is actually part of the baby books section. I saw quite a few young babies and tots crawling and tottering about here.)

It’s very thoughtful that the library actually caters for various ages, not just for the older kids who are able to read.

Interesting decor made from cardboard…

Now on to the “main attraction.” The kids were entranced by a wall-to-wall screen with moving cartoon characters, but shhh no sound of course. From time to time, questions would pop up, testing children on their green knowledge, and they could then answer by touching the correct answer on the screen.

We spent most of the time sitting on those colourful puzzle block seats, since the kids wanted to play here. As it was a weekday, it didn’t get too crowded or rowdy, although if you were to stand and peer into the library from the outside, you would be able to hear the kids’ voices.

All in all, we enjoyed the visit, and am sure we’ll be there again soon!

Have you visited My Tree House at the central library yet? What do you think of it?