Little fingers grab the sides of colorful plastic trays filled with kinetic sand, modeling dough, beans, plastic plants, and silk flowers. After finding a place among friends at small tables, the youngsters design their own jungle scene as part of storytime at the Kingsland Branch Library, 125 Polk St.

Children’s Librarian April Puryear calls it sensory play.

“We start our storytimes with three songs and three stories, then have our sensory play,” she said. “It’s just a lot of fun. It’s not criss-cross applesauce, not here. They get to play.”

Around 30 children showed up to play and socialize at a recent Wednesday storytime. Proof that a good time was had by all: None of the kids cried, whined, or hit. They were 100 percent engaged, 100 percent of the time (with an occasional break for

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