Stop Motion Factory is a great way to introduce kids to the concept of animation! I ran this as a 4 week series for about 15 kids during the summer, and it was a ton of fun. Icebreaker Activity – Monster Factory On the first session, I had an ice breaker to help them get… Read More Stop Motion Factory in the Library
I guess you could say, this blog is kind of obsessed with Bad Art Night. Only kind of. Last year I planned TWO Bad Art Night programs: one for teens and tweens at one library, and one for 20 and 30somethings at my other library. And right before both Bad Art Night programs happened, I… Read More Bad Art Night 2.0
We do a big, all ages, pop-culture themed party once every 2 months, and March Break seemed like the perfect time to try a Superhero Party! This station based party was even zanier than the previous ones. Over 100 people trekked through a blizzard – most of them in little superhero costumes! Here’s how we… Read More Superhero Party in the Library – Program Outline
Superheroes and supervillians are having a moment in the world of kids pop culture…and I couldn’t be happier! I modelled this scavenger hunt after the popular Pokemon Hunt that we ran in the summer. Kids can pick up the hunt sheet from the desk with the silhouettes and “secret identity” of each hero. They follow… Read More Superhero Scavenger Hunt in the Library
In my mind, makerspace has two sides: the tangible creation and the design work. Tangible creations draw from DIY/mechanical skills, and design work draws from digital skills. Most makerspace activities are a combination of both: in 3D printing you use digital skills to design a 3D model. Then you use mechanical skills to load the… Read More How to Run a Robot Club in your Library
It was a merry muggle Christmas indeed! I run a big pop culture themed party every other month (next up I’m doing Hockey Party, Emoji Party, and Superhero Party). With the recent release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, I decided to make December a Harry Potter Christmas Party. We had over 75 attendees of… Read More Harry Potter Christmas Party
I ran this Whose Line is it Anyway inspired program for all ages in the summer. Although attendance was fairly low (10 kids, mainly tweens), I have since received many requests from kids to do more drama programs. Seems to me that with fewer art, music, and drama classes being run in schools, the… Read More Improv 4 Kids – Library Program Outline
What’s the only thing better than normal board games? Giant board games! I have seen many inventive and huge versions of games in libraries, so I decided to make my own. And it’s super easy. Giant Twister is just like normal twister, except instead of laying the board on a portion of the ground you… Read More Giant Twister in the Library!
When you start with chocolate and add kids, timers, blindfolds, spoons, and straws…you get a special kind of wild magic. I’ve heard of other libraries doing chocolate challenges with teens, and I decided to make it my own with a Chocolate Olympics Summer Reading Kick Off Party for all ages. I had 7 stations (most run by… Read More Chocolate Olympics in the Library
If you’re looking for an easy to plan, high energy, high appeal event to draw a crowd – look no further! I ran this Lego Build Tournament for 5-12 year olds and 50 eager builders showed up to show off their skills. It was a blast and I will definitely be running is at least… Read More Lego Build Tournament – Library Program Outline
Ontarian Librarian 