Library Program Ideas

Un-BEE-Lievable Science: A bee themed lesson plan for grades 3 – 6

Kids learn about pollination, honey, bee friendly flowers with active learning and memorable activities.

S tuffie Sleepover Storytime Tips

Ideas for crafts, photo poses, games, and stories for the ever-popular Stuffie Sleepover event at libraries.

Using Big Blue Blocks at the Library

How to run programs using Big Blue Blocks – both inside and outside the library.

How to Add a Ukulele to Toddler Storytime

Learn how to incorporate a ukulele into your storytimes! Includes the best chords to learn, and a free songbook with lyrics and chords.

Kids Paint Workshop

A step by step guide to running an Emoji Paint Workshop, including other ideas for paint classes.

Draw Cute Animals – Tween Program Outline

A simple, yet super effective and fun program about drawing and characterization.

Marvel Trivia for Tweens and Teens

Celebrate all things Marvel with a high-energy trivia event!

DIY Donut Stuffies for Kids

Learn how to teach kids to create their own hand-sewn donut stuffies.

Tween Club: Taste Test Challenge

A wacky, food based challenge for kids in grades 6 – 8.

3D Printer Escape Room at the Library

Everything you need to run a 3D printer themed escape room at your library! Kids have to solve a series of clues, and use the 3d printer to make the key to escape.

Space Slime – With mini lesson on chemistry

Learn how to make the perfect galaxy slime, and download a mini lesson to teach kids the science of slime.

Galaxy Jars with Mini-Lesson on Nebulae

Lead kids through this impressive space themed craft, and teach them about real nebulae and galaxies.

Tutu Workshop at the Library

A surprisingly simple workshop to create high quality, adorable tutus.

DIY Pop Sockets

An extremely popular craft for tweens and older kids – let them personalize their very own Pop Socket (a trendy handle that attaches to the back of a phone).

Unicorn Magic Party

Crafts, stories, and an original Unicorn Song to help you throw the best ever Unicorn Party!

Hack That Painting – Program Outline

Encourage wild creativity and artistic skills with this original program for kids and teens.

Tiny Food Party for Tweens: Program Outline

If you feed them, they will come! Especially if the food is adorable and funny.

Tween Program Outline: Break a Record

A station based event where kids attempt to break real, but silly, world records.

DIY Lip Balm: Program Outline

Learn how to make a simple lip balm, perfect for older kids, teens, or adults.

Tween Club: Pizza Mania! Pizza jewelry, Pizza Tasting, and Dessert Pizza

A full pizza themed event for tweens or teens.

Tween Club: Zombie Barbies

Instructions and tips on how to run this outrageously creative program.

Creative Writing for Tweens: 9 weeks of program outlines

Nine lessons and worksheets to lead a fun and enriching Young Writers Club.

Interactive School Outreach: aka Class Visit Magic

Ideas and instructions for making your school outreach memorable and effective.

Tiny Book Workshop – Program Outline

Download free templates and step-by-step instructions on making tiny book jewelry. Great for tweens, teens, and adults.

Stop Motion Factory in the Library

A series of programs where kids learn the basics of storyboarding, “set design,” and stop motion technique. Each team creates their own short stop motion film.

Bad Art Night 2.0

Introduce kids and teens to radical creativity, free from pressure and judgement. Who ever creates the worst piece of art, wins!

How to Run a Robot Club in your Library

Learn how I ran weekly robot clubs using coding and engineering technology like Ozobots, Dash, Sphero, Watercolour Bot, Snap Circuts, LittleBits, and the 3D Printer.

Superhero Party in the Library – Program Outline

Throw a huge event to celebrate all things superhero! Including trivia, games, and crafts.

Anti Valentines Day Frankentoy Program

Throw an Anti Valentines Day party for teens, where the main event involves cutting up toys and sewing them back together!

Friend Speed Dating- Library Program for 20/30s

One of my most well-known programs, this event brings 20/30 year old patrons in for a low-key social event.

Harry Potter Christmas Party

Bring Diagon Alley to your library with games, crafts, trivia, and lots of decorations!

Giant Twister in the Library!

Download everything you need to run this super silly Twister event for a large group.

How to pull off a Library Board Game Cafe on a budget

Learn how I partnered with local businesses to run a popular series of board game cafes.

Chocolate Olympics in the Library

Pudding Pictionary, Chocolate Relay, Smartie Sorting, and the Blindfold Taste Test Challenge.

Lego Build Tournament – Library Program Outline

Run a series of scored rounds, and name one child the Master Builder of [your city name]! Extremely well attended and exciting program.

Pokemon Scavenger Hunt in the Library

Take it and run with it!

Pokemon Party in the Library

Trivia challenge, pokeball making, and other Pokemon themed activities.

Cardboard City

There’s no blog post for this one, but I highly recommend adding this activity to large events (Summer Reading Kick Off for example). Kids can access piles of cardboard boxes and use scissors and duct tape to create what ever they want. Some spent hours working on their creations!