Idea Sparklers #1 - Fun Ideas from the Field

I am just starting my presentations of 2012 Summer Reading /Innovative Programming Workshops around the state (and out of state too!). With thirteen library systems scheduled,  I expect to see lots of colleagues and hear amazing ideas.  As I go along, I will post "Idea Sparklers" and share a listing of the fun program/display ideas that librarians from libraries small and large shared together.

Although they aren't going to be fleshed out ideas, they will hopefully spark your creativity and get you thinking of new ways to engage kids at your library!

Our first stop is the Winnefox Library System in Wisconsin. Among the ideas shared:

• If You Build It, They Will Come – set up a table and let kids create things out of “junk” (recycled materials). Sometimes a theme is provided or a bag of materials for each child who participates to spark their imagination.

• If You Like Reading Wimpy Kid, Try These – put up a line drawing of the Wimpy Kid near a book cart or shelf and fill it up with “read-alikes”. Kids flock to the shelf and re-stocking the choices is constant

• 40 Book Reading Challenge – after talking to the school staff, library staff learned that reading forty books helps kids maintain their skills over summer break. So kids who take the challenge get a sheet to record books read with rewards at school in the fall for those who both participate and reach their goal.

• “No Girls Allowed” Boys Bash – we all know we can get a lot of girls at library Fancy Nancy and princess parties. This party features underwear flinging from Capt Underpants and other boy activities to give the guys a chance to shine.

• Legos K-3- Put out the Lego sets; read a book to the kids at the beginning and have the kids build a lego based on the theme in the book. Wild success.

• Stained Glass Windows – Using old transparencies, copy outline onto sheet. Outline in permanent marker (careful) and paint with fabric paint. Very popular with kids. With a donation of shiny paper, the kids also created shiny foil outlines to cut out.

• Adult Reading Program – used a “Cootie Bug” theme. As adults reported back they would get a paper “Cootie Bug” piece to build their Cootie on paper. Very popular. Led to a brief discussion of other nostalgia toy themes to use with adults like rubber ducks or Lincoln logs.

Read more in the Idea Sparkler series here:  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10  11


Image: '♥ Love Explosion ♥' http://www.flickr.com/photos/77047514@N00/3115855390

Lego-licious

Soooooo...

We had danced around doing a Lego Club for awhile.  Last year's Games Club was a start with a variety of games played on alternating weeks - board games; Wii; Book Bingo; Giant Candyland and Lego building. Legos was clearly the most popular - and the least contentious.  So we decided to morph into a Lego Club this fall.

Although we asked for donations from our public, we got only one disgusting set (eeeee-yoooooo!). So we bit the bullet and purchased six 650-piece basic sets (blocks of various sizes and colors, no bells or whistles) and planned a four week after-school series for Gr 1-5 kids.

Hot doggies, has that been a hit or what?  We get anywhere from 20-30 boys and girls and many return each week. The kids love it, we love it and the check-outs before and after the program have been great. It's popular enough that more sets are on order!

We have a pretty simple set-up - three tables with a big piece of tagboard at each end. Kids empty the bricks on to the tagboard and are asked to keep the pieces on there (it helps us keep the sets basically together).  When they come in, we have an upbeat older kids CD playing to set a mellow mood. We announce a challenge theme (building; transportation; animal; monster; robot) and ask kids to create their first piece to the theme.  After that, it's free build! With only six sets kids gather together and build from the same brick pile - some on their own; sometimes creating complementary pieces together (horses and corrals; helicopter and landing strip) and sometimes working on one big mega-piece (deluxe dog house with build in food and water bowls and multiple entrances).

One staffer oversees the action armed with a digital camera and lots of words of encouragement and wonder.  A picture is taken of each creator and their Lego. Once the picture is taken, kids can break apart their creation and start again. When we are down to five minutes we ask kids to wrap it up and at three minutes to the end, we ask everyone to break apart and help clean up the bricks. Boom!  They all pitch in and before you know it the bricks are stowed and the kids literally skipping out.

What do I love about the program?  I love the cooperation. I love the joy of the kids. I love the creativity(One mom said her kids only build from sets and she is astounded to see them create wheels, windows, faces and more with only little rectangualr bricks). And I love just chatting with the kids as they let their imaginations take over and create and play.