Imagination Celebration, a month-long celebration of children’s creativity and imagination, returns to the Enoch Pratt Free Library, starting on Saturday, March 29, 2025, with the Imagination Celebration Free Family Festival at Central Library.
The program continues throughout April with special programs at Pratt locations across Baltimore. Designed for children ages 0 – 5 years old and their families, Imagination Celebration fosters a love of learning and reading through interactive experiences based on a featured book.
This year’s book is “Your House is Not Just a House,” By Idris Goodwin and Lorraine Nam. The book is a rhyming, read-aloud book encouraging children to look beyond their homes as structures and see them as hotbeds and catalysts for their own creativity.
Families can meet the author and illustration at the festival taking place on March 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central Library. Attendees can receive a free copy of the book along with an Imagination Kit containing crafts and activities, while supplies last. There will also be live performances by Culture Queen, Prakriti Dance and Black Cherry Puppet Theatre.
There will also be stations where children can explore arts and crafts based on bringing the magic of the book to life.
Community partners will be at the festival providing resources and offering interactive experiences for families to enjoy. Organizations like the National Aquarium, Baltimore City Public Schools Early Learning Programs, Reading Partners, The Baltimore City Child Care Resource Center & The Family Tree, and the Early Childhood Advisory Council will all be there to add to the fun and promote the joy of learning and reading.
“Imagination Celebration is more than just a festival—it’s an invitation for children and families to explore creativity, discover new ideas, and celebrate the joy of reading,” said Chad Helton, president and CEO of Enoch Pratt Free Library. “One of the most exciting parts of this event is seeing the Central Library come alive in unexpected ways. You never know what you’ll see when you walk through the doors.”
After the kickoff festival, Imagination Celebration will continue throughout April with programs at Pratt Library locations across Baltimore. For example, on Wednesday, April 23, children and their families can gather at Patterson Park to build robots out of cardboard tubes. On April 12 in Hampden, there will be a shadow puppet and collaborative storytelling activity inspired by “Your House is Not Just a House.” On Monday, April 21 in Waverly, children can design their own robots in an arts and crafts activity. Information about these and other Imagination Celebration events are available at this link.
