Now THAT'S Thinkin'

I am never very excited or impressed when libraries report on using some variation scavenger hunts in the library - hiding a picture somewhere in the library and having kids find it.  I mean there's nothing much wrong with it - it's always reported as popular -  but where is the connection between books, the library and the child?  It's a great hide-and-seek but it could be done at the grocery store, the gym, the home.

But over at Show-Me Librarian, Amy introduces a twist that brings some purpose to the whole process. They always choose a book character (a different one each week).  Staffers ask the kids to describe where they find the picture - what books are nearby; what sign is at the end of the shelf; and so. The goal is to familiarize the kids with lots of different parts of the collection. I can get behind that!

At Rachel Moani's blog Crafty Life of an Almost Librarian, she details a fairy/tale folk tale puzzle scavenger hunt.  Again, this has something more than just the finding - it introduces or refamiliarizes kids with classic tales. A great end result.

Learning about something or discovering something doesn't have to be didactic dulls-ville.These two bloggers point the way to involve something beyond finding and a prize to helping kids learn even more about books and their library.  The hunt is on!
Image: 'not quite clear on the concept'  http://www.flickr.com/photos/73645804@N00/1431384410