https://youtu.be/LMXmQ-_6tMU Cool craft alert! Out of all the many many summer programs I’m running this year, the Galaxy Jars registration filled the fastest by far. I personally love the craft – it’s imaginative, beautiful, fun, and just the right amount of messy. When I brought my galaxy jar examples during my class visit blitz,… Read More Galaxy Jar Workshop in the Library – Program Outline
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
Sarcasm, pizza, candy, and cutting toys apart to glue them back together…is there any better was for teens to celebrate Anti-Valentines Day? This was a super fun and unique event for our teens – I had 14 participants. Almost all high school aged, and an even mix of boys and girls. FrankenToy This was easily… Read More Anti Valentines Day Frankentoy Program
I have really come to love the Station model for tween and teen programs. Teens need the flexibility and autonomy when it comes to activity choices. Some teens will appreciate the option to drift from group to group when they start to feel uncomfortable. This was the first in a new Teen Night series I’m running… Read More How to Run a Station Based “Minute To Win It” Teen Night at the 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
Ontarian Librarian 