Here are a few ideas if your library is looking for October programming ideas that you can do virtually, distanced or in person.
Download Children's Activities for Annual Holidays. Color pages, word searches, crosswords, puzzles for lots of learning fun.
There are resources for kids' book tastings, but what about the grown people? Here's a how-to for hosting a book tasting for adults at a public library.
Tải Hitclub từ Hit Club, game uy tín không lo bị chặn, bảo mật tuyệt đối, không yêu cầu sinh trắc học, tải ngay miễn phí.
The Librarian Workout: start with the "I refuse to use/can't find a library cart" loaded carry.
This section has resources for general programming planning for adults and seniors, as well as idea resources for low cost and passive programming.
More reasons to hide out in a library all day!
In spring, we are wild about our new early literacy spots. These displays help promote language and learning, and transform the library into a learning environment. One of our more popular spots is a column that acts as a giant ruler. This spot encourages children to use a tool of measurement and to evaluate relative…
This summer, one of our self-directed programs is our Engineering Table. During the school year, we offer a craft table with a different self-directed craft each month. Over the summer, it's too cumbersome to refill supplies and keep a craft table stocked, so we have turned it into an activity table. This year, to go with our Summer Reading theme of Build a Better World, the table is all about engineering. I put the Engineering Table up this week when our Summer Reading Club started and it has already been a big hit! I wasn't sure if kids would engage with the materials - they look so handmade - but they dive into it, making some really interesting creations. We've seen a lot of families engage in the table together, having some great conversations as they build together. That's exactly what we wanted! I love providing self-directed activities because it means that no matter when a family stops by the library, there's something for them to do. We may not have a program for their age going on every single day this summer, but we always have some type of activity they can do. We mention the Engineering Table in our printed program calendar and I added it to our web calendar so that families who are looking will realize that there is always something for them to do at the library. Each week, I'll change it out with some activities being more "handmade" and some being more polished (see our full schedule below). I purchased several sets from Lakeshore Learning to use with the table. Some of these sets could be homemade if you're tight on funds. I was tight on time, so ordering the sets was easier for me. Here's what I'm planning for each week: Week 1: Building with craft sticks, clothespins, and binder clips (source: Frugal Fun 4 Boys). Week 2: Fairy Tale Problem Solving Kit: The Three Billy Goats Gruff (Lakeshore Learning) Week 3: Building with pool noodles and sponges (source: Handmade Kids Art) Week 4: House Building Engineering Center (Lakeshore Learning) Week 5: Letter Builder Set (this is similar - not sure if it's the same set we ordered several years ago) (Lakeshore Learning) Week 6: Fairy Tale Problem Solving Kit: The Three Little Pigs (Lakeshore Learning) Week 7: Building with cardboard boxes (source: 2014 Preschool Lab; we'll be using smaller boxes so that they'll fill on our table) Week 8: Vehicle Building Engineering Center (Lakeshore Learning) Week 9: Bridge Building Engineering Center (Lakeshore Learning) Do you have any self-directed programming planned for this summer? I would love to hear about it in comments!
Ice Cream Club glory Over the years, we've done alot of playing with "Check-Out Clubs," special stealth (passive) programs. These clubs...
Since February is Library Lover's Month, I wanted to showcase something that librarians work very hard on and that patrons love: all those wonderful book displays! I've worked in a few libraries and bookstores, and putting together unique and creative displays (and watching readers discover new books because of them) was one of my favorite…
Is "reading more books" on a list of your New Year resolutions? Retreat by Random House have prepared the 2014 edition of a printable Reading Bingo. It contains 24 reading challenges that will help you read more and have more fun with it. You can approach the Reading Bingo card however you like: beginners, start by…
MakerCare: Service Projects As part of our MakerCare program, we use our school makerspace to create items to be donated to a variety of community agencies. In the Fall we made plarn sleep mats for the homeless. It’s a great project, but for some this may be too time consuming. We had to cut up…
In the books I loved to read as a kid, libraries are crazy old buildings full of secrets. The Treasure of Alpheus Winterborn sends Anthony Monday all over the library, following obscure clues to uncover something of great wealth. I vividly remember the scene from Yobgorgle: Mystery Monster of Lake Ontario where Eugene Winkleman visits…
My April Evening Family Story Time program focused on an Earth Day-friendly theme: exploring your own backyard. This monthly evening story time is still a relatively new program for my library, so the attendance isn't consistent yet and I'm never quite sure what ages of kids will show up. I've found that I always over-prepare materials--having plenty of stories and songs that can run the gamut of ages--and that strategy has so far proved successful. It always helps, too, to have a theme that will appeal to a variety of ages. And what kids don't want to explore the nature around them? Opening Song: "Open, Shut Them" Story: A Walk in the Park by Jo Waters This is a great, simple text with clear photographs of the different sorts of creatures most anyone will find in their yard, local park, etc. Kids of all ages enjoy discovering the myriad of animals--geese, worms, ladybugs--that are often very close by when they're outside. My library has this book catalogued in picture books, but it could easily pass for early non-fiction. Song: "Grey Squirrel" This song is a classic for a reason. It's simple, quick, interactive, and great for pretty much any age group. Grey Squirrel Grey squirrel, grey squirrel, Swish your bushy tail. Grey squirrel, grey squirrel, Swish your bushy tail. Crinkle up your funny nose, Put a nut between your toes. Grey squirrel, grey squirrel, Swish your bushy tail. Story: Tweedle Dee Dee by Charlotte Voake This picture book is a classic example of the cumulative story. This lyrical book explores a single tree with green leaves all around it: the birds in the nest on the branch on the tree in the hole in the ground... When I used this story, kids really enjoyed chiming in as they remembered what came next in the text. The book has lovely illustrations, too. Song/Dance Break: "The Green Grass Grew All Around" from Phil Rosenthal and Family's The Green Grass Grew All Around: Family Folk Songs This song is a children's and camp classic. I like to do some motions to go along with it: standing rigid for the tree, sticking out an arm for the branch, cupping my hands for the nest, and so on. As the song goes on, it gets more and more confusing--in a fun way!--as everyone tries to remember the order of the motions. Also lots of fun: everyone gets the chance to spin around at the end, as the green grass grows all around. Story: Birds by Kevin Henkes Birds was nominated for a Missouri Building Block Picture Book Award this past year, and every outreach group I read it to really engaged with the simple premise. Author/illustrator Henkes delves into everything about birds; I have found that young kids appreciate this intense focus on one subject. We look at different colors of birds, different sizes of birds, different bird behaviors... Kids really get into all of the bird information, and they enjoy the simple, beautiful artwork that accompanies the minimal text. Story: The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward Who knew just how bustling with life your average tree is? This book explores all of the animals who live in and interact with a single tree: owls, squirrels, birds, chipmunks, and more. The story is a great vocabulary refresher for lots of animals that even younger kids have come to know, and it has a distinctive nature explorer feel to it. Ending my story time with this book definitely allowed us to conclude with a desire to explore the busy-ness of the nature around us. Craft: Binoculars What better way to be a nature explorer than to use your very own hand-crafted binoculars for spying animals and the like? Prior to the program, I had glued toilet paper tubes together to form the binoculars, and I had also tied string to each pair so they could be worn around kids' necks. Our actual crafting after the story time consisted of decorating our binoculars. I had stickers and markers available to satisfy a variety of creative urges, and several kids walked out of the library that evening with their eyes peering through their brightly-decorated binoculars. Other books I had on hand in case they were needed: The Growing-Up Tree by Vera Rosenberry A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Learn how to quickly add poetry to your school library in this helpful blog post from Library Learners!
Continuing on the series of "Librarians on TikTok" blog series, today let's talk about the mysterious, amazing, and POWERFUL #BookTok! #BookTok is something that is having a huge impact, especially on Teen reading, and on the publishing industry in general. It is definitely something Librarians will benefit from having a clearer understanding of, and something…
I found this post from Mlissinginaction and had wanted to do something like this for awhile now. I attempted to make my own fortune teller/cootie catcher and failed miserably (I made them a million times as a kid, but I couldn't get a good template going). So after much searching, I found a great template…
