Junior Librarian Training Class - Kids' Program

I planned this program for Library Week and envisioned it as something along the lines of my previous "Spy School" program, with activities based on/loosely-inspired-by skills that librarians need and/or duties they perform as part of their jobs. I created a training manual (complete manual shown at end of article) with an explanation of what librarians do, how to become one, a Dewey Decimal table, the various activities, a checklist, and a bibliography with both fiction and non-fiction kids' books about librarians and libraries.

Program: Junior Librarian Training School

Description: "Celebrate Library Week by practicing skills every good librarian needs and earn your Junior Librarian badge. 'Find Your Joy' at the library!"

Number: Could accommodate up to 20, but realistically expected 10 at most

Age Range: 6-12

Budget: Negligible, used basic supplies already on hand

Basic Skills & Concepts: Alphabetizing, numerical order, reading, reading aloud, writing, fine-motor

Library Skills & Concepts: Dewey Decimal System, alphabetizing by author, graphic design, storytime, passive reader's advisory, using the OPAC, fiction vs non-fiction

Materials: 

• printer paper
• cardstock in assorted colors
• pencils
• markers 
• colored pencils
• button-making supplies
• button maker
• die cut press
• assorted bookmark dies
• assorted picture books appropriate for storytime

I started off with asking the group what they think librarians do everyday. At first they were a little hesitant, other than one saying the predictable "read lots of books", but then I prompted them to think about what they see us doing when they are here and they were able to come up with helping people find books, checking things in and out, shelving, and trying to wrangle the after-school crowd of 20-50 middle schoolers.

I then dispelled the "sit around reading all day" myth and talked more about what librarians actually do (and don't do), the skills needed, how to become a librarian, and some of the other jobs at the library, both front-line and behind the scenes. Then I went over the activities I had planned, including a brief, simplified explanation of how the library was organized and the Dewey Decimal System, then they were free to complete the activities at their own pace.

Activities 1 & 2 - Putting Books In Order 

I decided pulling actual books for them to put in order would (1) take up a lot of space, (2) create a lot of extra shelving, and (3) be too limiting due to our relatively small collection. So I created a graphic of book spines with titles, authors, and spine labels that I printed on cardstock. [The order of books in the above graphics is somewhat random, so don't try to make sense of it. 😂]

This way, it was easier to design three difficulty levels to fit the broad age range of the program (6-12y). I used a mix of real and fictitious book titles. For each difficulty level I had 10 non-fiction books to put in order by DDS and 10 fiction books to put in alphabetical order by author. After printing on cardstock, I cut them out so they could physically arrange them in order. (I did end up pulling an assortment of actual books for the oldest participant who had expressed serious interest in being a librarian and needed a bit more of a challenge.)

In addition to the verbal explanation of how the library was organized and the DDS, their manuals included a brief written explanation and simplified table. 

Activity #3 - Library Challenge Scavenger Hunt

I created a short scavenger hunt, reminiscent of the Mr. Lemoncello's Library series by Chris Grabenstein, that would encourage participants to explore different sections of the youth department using their knowledge of library organization, Dewey Decimal, alphanumeric order, and the catalog to answer each challenge question. The final challenge was to go to the front desk and ask a staff member to sign their sheet and tell them about a book they read when they were their age in encourage kids to become comfortable talking to library staff, and give staff practice interacting with kids.

Activity #4 - Bookmark-Making

I had previously explained how librarians often do graphic design to create flyers to advertise programs & services, informational and directional signs, things for programs like the manual for this program, and fun and/or informational bookmarks for patrons.

We had just inherited an Ellison die-cut press and a half-dozen different bookmark dies (among others) from another branch, so I put out the press, dies, assorted colors of cardstock, and markers so they could make their own bookmarks.

Activity #5 - Reader's Advisory

I had explained another part of a librarian's job is recommending and suggesting books to people, called "reader's advisory", and that this can be done several ways: in a direct one-to-one conversation making suggestions tailored for a specific patron, or in more passive ways such as bibliographies and displays. 

I told them that we were going to create a display with books they had selected, and instructed them to each select 2-3 books. I explained they could be from any part of the youth collections, and could be a personal favorite or just something they saw that looked interesting and they thought other kids might like. I elaborated that librarians couldn't possibly read every book and often suggested books they haven't personally read based on reviews, summaries, recommendations from other readers, book lists, and yes, even by the covers.

I would have liked to have had them each write a little blurb about the books they selected, but I was afraid it would feel too much like homework and there really wasn't time.

[Sadly, I totally forget to take a picture of the finished display 🙁]

Activity #6 - Storytime Practice

Since a huge part of most public librarian jobs is programming and a staple of children's programming is storytime, I set up a little storytime corner for them to practice their reading aloud to an audience of stuffed animals. I provided a selection of classic storytime books that had short, simple text and some wordless picture books for those who might not be reading independently yet. I demonstrated how to hold the book so the audience can see the pictures, and that with the wordless picturebooks they could make up their own story to go with the pictures. 

[I also told them if the corner was occupied, or if they wanted more privacy, they could also read to their grown-up or siblings in a quiet corner of the library or in the study room. I did make this activity optional-but-encouraged because I knew some kids would not be comfortable reading aloud in public and I wanted this to be fun, not anxiety-inducing!]

Activity #7 - Button-Making

Once they had completed the other activities, they had earned their official junior librarian "badge"! I asked our graphics department to design the graphic in multiple colors, and I sized them to fit our button-maker. The participants got to choose their color and make their own button. In hindsight, I wish I had also had various pro-library and pro-reading graphics available for them to make as well.

How It Went

I knew this was more of a niche program that wouldn't have as wide appeal as other programs I've done, but I had naively thought it would get some publicity from our PR department as a Library Week program. Unfortunately, that did not happen, so the turnout was fairly low. I ended up with four kids aged 6, 9, 11, & 12 years old, so it was definitely a good thing I put in the extra time and effort to develop book-sorting activities at different levels of difficulty! It was nice to have a couple of kids at the older end of the age range for a change.

Though the turnout was low, those that did show up seemed to really enjoy it, and didn't seem either too bored or too frustrated. They each did all the activities except for the storytime practice, which I believe two opted out of, and that was okay. I really enjoyed watching them tackle the library challenge scavenger hunt and seeing what books they selected for the display. However, I'm not sure the one kid who had expressed interest in being a librarian was still interested after he found out that we do not get to sit around and read all day 😂

What I Would Do Differently

The main thing I would do differently if I do this program again is to make sure it would get publicized. This is a constant source of frustration for me and my co-workers as our programs almost never get publicized. [We are at a small branch in a low-income neighborhood and the larger branches get all the support; I've never really seen this kind of inequity among branches in other systems, and it's really unfortunate for us and the community we serve.]

I would also consider changing out some of the activities just to try something different, but I think these all worked fine. (If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments!) If there was a larger crowd, say more than 10 kids, it would be nice to have someone assisting with the bookmark- and button-making, while you are checking book orders, assisting kids with the challenge, and checking answers.

Happy Noon Year's Eve! - Kids' Program

 

I once helped my supervisor with a Noon Year's Eve program several years back, and have been waiting for the chance to do one myself, and this year things finally aligned. Since this was a new thing for this library I wasn't sure how many families would attend, but I planned more activities than I typically do just in case everybody had cabin fever and decided to show up. As it turned out, we ended up with the perfect size crowd and we all had so much fun that we decided we definitely want to do this again next year.

I planned it as a family/all-ages program, with activities that were geared for elementary ages, but would also work for preschoolers, and a finale at noon:

• DIY Confetti Poppers
• Decorate a Crown or Hat
• Make a Noisemaker
• Fireworks Painting
• Mini-Megaphone
• Fizzing Confetti Chemistry
• Countdown & Balloon Drop

I had enough at each station for 24-36 participants, and the fireworks painting and fizzing confetti could easily be stretched for even more if needed. I did splurge a little on this program, mainly on confetti of all things (!), but you could definitely do it for less. Not counting craft staples or other materials we had already (markers, glue, tape, craft sticks, paper plates, hats, some crowns, a few extra cardboard tubes.) , I estimate I spent about $130, but I have confetti, pom-poms, jewels, and balloons leftover, and again, you could definitely spend less on confetti, balloons, and paint than I did.

Budget: $130, but had stuff leftover & you could definitely spend less

Age Range: Family, kids ranging from 2-10 years old.

# of Participants: 32 kids (plus 23 accompanying adults), could have accommodated a few more 

Staff: 1 Children's Librarian, with the help of 2 part-time assistants (one was in and out during the program because she was also covering the desk). 

#1 - DIY Confetti Poppers

I put all of the materials in containers in the center of the table, along with instructions with photos in a sign-holder. No one had any trouble, and everyone loved them!

Materials:

• Cardboard tubes (I purchased new white tubes), 30 for $12
• Balloons, 50 for maybe $5
• Masking tape (we already had several rolls in different colors)
• Various types of confetti (this was my big splurge*)
• Multicolored starburst - 2 packages, $15
• Gold and silver stars in two sizes - 1 package, $7
• Gold flakes - 1 package, $7
• Mini sparkly pom-poms - 1000 for $10, had at least half the package leftover
• Scissors
• Markers for decorating (could also add washi tape and/or stickers), optional
  
  

1. Tie the end of the balloon.
2. Cut off the top of the balloon.
3. Put the balloon over one end of the cardboard tube and tape in place.
4. Decorate tube if desired.
5. Put a little confetti and a few pom-poms in the tube.
6. Pull balloon, and release. POP! Confetti everywhere!

* I splurged on the confetti, buying several types. You could definitely spend less by buying a bulk package of just one type or mix, and you could make your own by cutting up bits and punching holes from colored paper if you have the time. That would be a good job for people working at the desk to do during less busy times.

#2 - Decorate a Crown or a Hat

Very straightforward, put out the materials and the decorated their crown or hat as much or as little as they wanted.

Materials:

• cheap, plastic top hats, (no cost to me as I inherited a bunch and only included them because I already had them, otherwise I would've just stuck with crowns)
• metallic cardstock crowns, assorted styles and colors, (I was gifted a dozen of these)
• gold cardstock crowns, assorted styles, 10 for $8, included sticker gems
• strips of construction paper (for bands around top hat)
• adhesive jewels (they came on 3x5 or 4x6 sheets, which I cut up into roughly 1 square inch pieces), $10

#3 - DIY Noisemaker

Again, put out all the materials in the center of the table with instructions in a signholder, along with an example.

Materials:

• Small paper plates (I think ours were 4"), 2 per noisemaker
• Large craft sticks
• Dried beans (we used black-eyed peas for luck), 2 lbs for $4
• Masking tape in assorted colors
• Markers or crayons for decorating

1. Turn both plates face down and decorate the bottom/underside of the plates as desired.
2. Turn one plate over, and tape a craft stick to the lower half to be a handle.
3. Place a spoonful or two of dried beans in the center of the plate.
4. Place the second plate on top, and tape all around the edges to seal.
5. Shake! 

Note - You could use a stiffer plastic plate and omit the handle and hold like a tambourine as well.

#4 - Fireworks Painting

These turn out really well if the kids follow instructions and stamp rather than swirl the cut straws.

Materials:

• paper
• washable tempera or craft paints (we used glitter paint, 8 4oz-bottles for $15)
• small 4" plastic plates to dispense paints on to (pack of 8 for $1.25 at DollarTree)
• assorted straws, we used both regular and boba tea straws

Prep: Unless working with kids over 10, I recommend prepping the straws in advance. Cut the bottoms of several straws into many small sections and bend back so that looks like a starburst/flower. We made varied lengths for larger and smaller fireworks. Dispense one color of paint in the center of each plater and tilt plate to spread it out some.

1. Press the cut end of the straw into the desired color paint, making sure the entire length of the slivers are coated.
2. Press the painted end of the straw onto the paper; lift up and rotate slightly, then press again. Use the straw like a stamp, not a brush. You can layer colors for some nice effects if you are careful.
3. Repeat with different colors to make more fireworks.
4. Let dry.

#5 - Mini-Megaphone

A super cheap and easy filler craft, but we could have skipped it.

Materials:

• Color-your-own mini-megaphone craft kits, 2 packs of 12 each, $15
• Markers
• Crayons
• Tape

1. Place included stickers if desired.
2. Color
3. Roll up, insert tabs.
4. Tape for less frustration

#6 - Fizzing Confetti Chemistry

A super simple STEM station using one the many variations of baking soda and vinegar experiments. We had this station staffed to prevent disasters, LOL! I did have a sign with the instructions and measurements, as well as the formula for the chemical reaction, which included the formulas, molecular models, scientific names, and common names. You will need to test and possibly adjust amounts from those given, as it will vary depending on the size and shape of the cups used. The baking soda and vinegar react to produce bubbles of carbon dioxide, the same bubbles that are found in carbonated soft drinks (along with water and sodium acetate).

Materials:

• plastic champagne flutes, 1 or 2 is enough, set of 2 from DollarTree, $1.25
• baking soda
• distilled vinegar
• Gold flake confetti - 1 package, $7
• trays to contain mess

1. Place the champagne flute in the center of a tray.
2. Put 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in the champagne flute.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon of confetti.
4. Pour in 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) of vinegar, all at once.
5. Watch it bubble up, fizz and sparkle! (And possibly overflow.)

#7 - Countdown & Balloon Drop

I rigged up a balloon drop using a large cheap plastic tablecloth that I cut in half, then punched holes along the cut edges and threaded ribbon through the holes, leaving long ends hanging down to pull. I tucked the corners and a couple of points along the sides under the edges of the dropped-ceiling tiles, then filled with balloons.

I had a 30-second countdown video pulled up on the TV that I started as we approached noon, and then once we hit zero, the kids shot confetti and rattled their noisemakers, my assistant began blowing bubbles with a bubble gun, and I pulled the ribbon to drop the balloons. After the balloons were all down, I picked up a second bubble gun to add more bubbles, and started playing a New Year's Eve play list beginning with Auld Lang Syne. I forgot to take pictures of the balloon drop before or during, only thought to take one after.

How It Went 

It was a wonderful, chaotic mess, in the best way possible!

I had no idea what kind of turnout to aspect, as I haven't done a Noon Year's Eve party at this library before, and people were used to us not having anything going on during this week. Plus, all kinds of respiratory diseases are running rampant in our area right now: Covid, flu, RSV, and other unknown viruses. So I had the usual fear of either hardly anybody showing up, or way too many. But we had a perfect crowd of 55 kids and adults, who had so much fun! 

The biggest hit was the confetti poppers, which of course resulted in confetti everywhere! The kids loved it, and the adults were amazed that we didn't care about the mess. The fireworks painting was also a big hit, and also a big mess. By the end of the program, there were all kinds of confetti on the floor and on the tables, paint all over the table at that station, and a few balloons that people didn't take. Though it looked like a disaster, in all honesty it wasn't that hard to clean up. I know parents love the opportunity for their kids to engage in messy activities somewhere other than home, so I try to provide them as much as I can. Most of our programs are not this big or this messy, so we don't mind indulging every now and then.

The pictures below show some of the aftermath:

What I Would Do Differently

Really, the only things I would modify are (1) that we probably could do with one less station, and (2) the balloon drop. While the balloon drop worked, it didn't work as well as I'd have liked for a couple reasons. For one thing, one tablecloth really wasn't big enough to hold enough balloons, and I over-filled the first batch of balloons, so I ended up with only 36 balloons in the drop instead of 50. I should have kept them small in order to fit more of them in the drop. Also, between static electricity and being packed tightly, some of the balloons didn't fall and had to be knocked out with a broom. I will try to figure out a better method next year or invest in an actual balloon drop net, but we will do some type of balloon drop again. I'm also going to look into latex-free options next time. 

I had originally thought about serving cute mini-cupcakes with confetti sprinkles and water or juice, but ultimately decided against it, between having no idea how many people to expect and the amount of sickness going around. But next year I might re-consider now that I have a better idea of what kind of attendance to expect.

Engaging Those Increasingly Unavailable Tweens - A New Approach

 

In the post-pandemic days, I have found that getting school-aged kids to attend library programs is much more challenging that it used to be. Initially, the first six months that we were back to normal in-person programming, numbers were great, but quickly dwindled as everything else got back to normal and there were so many things competing for families' time and attention: school activities, sports, dance, theatre, school clubs, girls scouts, boy scouts, band... Unfortunately, going to library programs is just not very high on their priority list, and trying to get to the library at a certain day and time with any regularity is too difficult.

After spending time and materials on several poorly-attended programs, I decided this just wasn't working and I needed to do something different. I had found that I DID get decent attendance during fall and spring breaks, and other random days off school, so I decided to just focus my traditional programming efforts for the older kids to these times. I found in talking to others online and at conferences and trainings that many others were seeing the same trends and also choosing to focus on school breaks.

But I still kept thinking I needed to do something else; I just wasn't sure what that something else was. Then I saw a conference presentation about a job-shadowing program for teens, and that got the wheels in my head turning... Later, I saw a post in a programming group online about having kids come in to be a "librarian for a day" and remembered how excited the littles got when I took them trick-or-treating through the staff areas at where the public isn't normally allowed. I figured since the little kids thought it was so cool to get access to the "inner sanctum" and see the parts of the library no one else gets to see, the older kids would, too. I had a "light bulb" moment and it all came together and I KNEW this was the "something else" I needed to do! 

While I'm not the first to come up with the idea, I have made it my own. I coined the term "Kidbrarian" and asked our graphics person to design a logo for the program. Then I thought about what my goals for the program were, what ages it was for, what the kids who participated would actually do, and what they would gain from the experience. I decided on ages 8-12, figuring 8 would be that youngest that could fully participate and for whom it would be a meaningful experience, and that a true job-shadowing program would be better for the teens (which I planned to try in the fall if this was a success). My primary goals are:

1. To engage an age group that is becoming increasingly difficult to reach with traditional programming. 
2. To provide a meaningful experience with flexible scheduling and no long-term commitment.
3. To allow me to have a more meaningful interaction one-on-one to better cultivate a relationship with them and their families.
4. To educate people about all the different jobs in the library, so they get a sense of all the work that goes on behind the scenes to get books on the shelf and keep the library running.
5. Ultimately, to contribute to getting them more invested in the library, so they grow up to be taxpayers and voters who value and support the library.

The next step was to decide what the Kidbrarians would do as part of their experience. I knew I wanted to start with a tour of the library, including behind the scenes, meeting staff and learning briefly about their jobs. They also get an official name badge, just like ours. And I knew I wanted to have them put together a book display, to give them some ownership of the library and its mission, experience talking about books and sharing them. I then take a picture of them with their display to post on our social media. I also came up with a list of additional activities that they could possibly do, depending on time, interest, and ability:

• design a bookmark
• help design the scavenger hunt for the next week
• write a book review -or-
• record a video book review
• help prepare materials for a program
• help during a program
• suggest ideas for future programs
• sort a cart of books to be shelved
• shelve books

My hope is that the kids have an enjoyable, meaningful experience that gives them a sense of pride, accomplishment, and ownership, and will gain confidence in interacting with library staff and talking about books and reading in general, and hopefully grow up to be library supporters and advocates. I decided to schedule them every 2 weeks; monthly wouldn't allow enough opportunities in a timely manner, but weekly would have just been too much time out of my schedule. Plus doing every other week allows time for their display to stay up a week, and still allow us to do other displays in between.

I had no idea how much time this would take, or how much they would each want to do, so I kept it very flexible. I don't have set days or times, we schedule it for mutually convenient days and times, and it varies depending on their other activities, whether they are homeschooled or in public school, whether they take the bus home, and how far away they live. I initially set loose expectations, that they could do 1 or 2 days, for 1-2 hours each, figuring it would evolve as I saw how things went. I have found that it generally takes a full 2 hours to do the tour, put together a display, and have them help design the sign. Most are content with that, but I have had one so far ask to come for a second day to do some of the other activities (designing the scavenger hunt and a bookmark).

I did a soft roll-out, by putting signs and application forms out at each desk starting on "Take Your Child to the Library Day" in February. It was just coincidental timing, but seemed like a logical day to start. The only "promotion" of the Kidbrarian program was to mention picking up a Kidbrarian application in the post for TYCTTL Day, along with other things they could do that day. I received a few applications that day, and they've continued to trickle in. I do not do interviews or any kind of selection process, but just take them in the order that they applied. I hosted my first Kidbrarian the last week of February, and will be hosting the sixth this week, with 4 more scheduled over the next two months, and 5 pending. 

And how is it going, you ask? It's been great! I've enjoyed it, the kids have enjoyed it, the parents have enjoyed it, and it's gotten great response from the our community as well as from our state library! I've already been asked to present on it at a conference this fall, and several other libraries in the area have expressed interest in doing a similar program. I've had kids of all ages in the range (8-12) participate, more girls than boys, but more boys that I'd really expected. Some have been quiet and shy, others much more outgoing; some know exactly what they want to put on their display and how they want them arranged, others need a lot more help. 

I swear if one girl had been over sixteen instead of just 9, I would've hired her on the spot! She was cleaning up toys, directing patrons, helping kids with the scavenger hunt... Not surprisingly, she was the one who came back a second day to do more. Then when she went home and told her older brother about it, he decided to sign up, too! They all really seem to enjoy it, sometimes more than I even realize. A teacher of one of the first Kidbrarians who was super shy told me they were so excited about it, and talking about it at school all day. The one who really got to me though, was the boy who was VERY particular about what he put on his display and how, and then asked me to keep stats for him and let him know the next time he came in how many books off his display checked out 💗. His was pretty successful, with 3 books being checked out before we could even get the sign finished, sending him back to the shelves to get more!

If we were a larger library with more children's staff, I'd really try to do one a week as I've had to pause new applications until I get caught up. But it's just me, so I'll have to keep it to every other week. I've been asked how long the program will run, and I don't foresee a reason to end it as long as there is steady interest; only time will tell. Interestingly enough, while I expected many participants to be library regulars, several are not, which means this program is engaging kids and families that don't usually attend other programs and may not come to the library that often, which is exactly who I want to reach!

No-Sew Sock Animals - Family Craft Program

 

Last summer was my first SRP as the person in charge of planning the whole thing (and executing most of it), and though it was successful, I realized two things: (1) This community wanted and needed more family/all-ages programming, and (2) this did not include family movie days or family games days. So this year I added some family craft programs in addition to the big family events (paid performers, free mobile dairy classroom, and free truck event).

This "No-Sew Sock Animal" program was an easy, low-prep program, and turned out to be a huge hit with patrons. You only need a few supplies, and the only prep is to make a few examples, taking step-by-step photos, and putting together a sheet with step-by-step photos for participants to refer to (if you have time, include instructions, but I didn't, and no one had any trouble following just the photos).

Materials: 

• Socks of various types, sizes, and patterns (I had fuzzy crew socks, brightly patterned knee socks, and some plain white crew socks I found, apparently leftover from some long-past program)
• Polyfill stuffing (about 3 pillow-sized bags made about 50 animals) and/or rice (polyfill is cheaper & less messy)
• elastic bands, rubber bands, twine, or yarn (I prefer the smaller elastic bands)
• Sharpies or fabric markers (we used Sharpies)
• Tacky craft glue (we used fabric glue, and it did NOT work)
• Optional Embellishments: googly eyes, buttons, ribbon, yarn, pipe cleaners
• Sheets with step-by-step photos for 3-4 animals

I selected 3 different animals to provide examples and directions for that were all pretty easy to do: caterpillar (easiest, no cutting), "soctopus" (moderately easy, only one section, but more cutting), and a rabbit (moderately easy, minimal cutting). You can find directions for several others, including bears and puppies, online that are a little more involved if you have an older audience. Though my program was technically for all ages, I knew with it being in the morning I would likely not get any teens. (I used the boring white crew socks for my examples in order to save the fuzzy and patterned socks for the kids.)

Caterpillar

1. The patterned knee socks work really well for this one, though crew socks will also work. Pack the polyfill into the toe of the sock until it is as big as you want the head to be, making sure it is really packed and in a nice, round shape. Twist and tie off with elastic band or twine, making sure it is tight. 

2. Repeat, making each section slightly smaller than the one before, until you reach the end of the sock. 

3. If desired, twist a pipe-cleaner around the "neck" and shape into 'antennae'.

4. Use marker to add eyes and any other desired features, alternatively, glue on buttons or googly eyes.

Soctopus (yes, I included this just for the punny name 😉)

1. Pack polyfill into the toe of the sock, stretching the sock in order to make a large roundish head, and tie off. 

2. Trim off any excess length of sock if desired, then cut remining portion into eight tentacles.

3. Glue on (or draw) eyes, and draw any other facial features and details as desired.

Bunny

Unlike the caterpillar and soctopus, this one starts by making the bottom first and head last, and a crew sock works better than the longer knee socks for this one, IMO.

1. Fill the lower part of sock to make the desired size body (some preferred a round body, some preferred a slightly elongate body, and some desired a long body), then tie off. In order for the bunny to be able to sit upright, you will to at least partially fill the body first with rice for weight.

2. Fill the next section with polyfill to make a nice, rounded head and tie off.

3. Cut any excess length off the remaining portion (for ears that stand up, you will need to keep them shorter), then cut an elongated "v" shape from the center of the sock to form the two ears. Longer ears will be more floppy, and shorter ears more upright.

4. Pinch off a small portion and band/tie off to make the tail.

5. Add eyes and facial features as desired.

Optional: Pinch and tie off small pieces for paws. (I did not include this step, thinking best to keep it simple, but I saw several trying to glue on cotton balls or pom-poms to represent paw, and that didn't work well at all).

How It Went

I had a pretty big turnout for this program, 25 kids and 16 adults, and they all seemed to really enjoy it! They didn't have any trouble following the step-by-step photos, and got finished much faster than I expected. Since they were finishing so quickly and I had plenty of socks, I told them they could go ahead and make two if they wanted, and most did. There were a lot of cute animals made, lots of happy kids, and I got several compliments both at the end of the program, and later on social media when I posted pictures from the program. Our patrons rarely comment on our social media posts, so when they do take the time to leave a favorable comment about a program, you know it was a hit!

Note: the quality of sock does matter. I found that thicker socks are better in most cases, and in many cases smaller kids' socks would probably have worked better than the adult sized socks I purchased. Thick, fuzzy socks were the best choice for the bunnies, and the caterpillar is definitely the easiest and most forgiving design to make. 

Other Resources & Ideas

• PBS "How to Make No-Sew Sock Stuffed Animals"
• Oh So Kel "DIY No Sew Sock Animals"
• Artsy Craftsy Mom "15 Cute & Easy DIY Sock Toys for Kids"
• Barley & Birch "Pretend Pet Play" 
• No-Sew Sock Bear (video)
• Our Happy Tribe "DIY: No-Sew Sock Puppy"

Peeps Tasting & Torture

 

Peeps have invaded the library this month! In addition to our 2nd Annual Peeps Diorama contest, I decided to take advantage of all the crazy new flavors of Peeps and have a "Peeps Tasting" program. This was a quick and easy program with only a little preparation, and while I originally planned it with teens & tweens, I had enough left over for a pop-up family program the next day following the planned family "Peeps Mad Science" program (also described briefly below).

Dinovember 2022!

 

I finally had the chance to do Dinovember again! I had the opportunity first way back in 2018, and it was a huge success and a whole lot of fun (to see what I did then, go to my "Dinovember Reflection" post). Even though it was very successful, I wasn't able to repeat it until now due to not having a good social media partner, job changes, relocating, etc. This time, marketing youth services and materials is part of my job, and I am able to post to social media myself, so did not have to rely on convincing and coordinating with someone else to get the events publicized and get the stage photos posted, with the captions that I wanted.

For those who may be new to "Dinovember",

SRP Week 2 - Mermaids & Monsters

 

As I explained previously, though I didn't really plan on doing weekly themes, it just kind of ended up that way, and for week 2 I focused on mythical sea creatures. And that of course mean mermaids and sea monsters (but NOT narwhals; narwhals are real).

Spring Break Programming

Initially I wasn't planning on doing anything during Spring Break other than my usual storytime (which I had just resumed the week prior) and self-directed activities because I was told that everyone travels and it's always been dead at the library during spring break, and I *really* needed to work on planning summer reading. But, with high gas prices and all the problems with airline cancellations, I thought more people would be staying home than usual, and with the cold, wet weather expected most of the week they would need something to do.

So I decided to plan some very simple family programs that (1) would not cost a lot, (2) would not involve a lot of preparation, (3) would not involve a lot of staff time during the event, (4) most supplies purchased could be saved and reused, and (5) would work for a fairly large age-range; basically programs that could easily accommodate a crowd, but wouldn't be a waste of time and materials if no one showed up. Since it was also Library Week, I incorporated that theme in some of them. Here is what I came up with:

Mini 'Gingerbread' Houses II - Family STEAM Program

I did everything for the second round of building mini "gingerbread" houses pretty much the same as I did the first time, except that I raised the registration limit from 30 to 36. Since the first one went so smoothly I realized that I could easily accommodate that many, and since we always have no-shows I figured I needed to up it to 36 to get 30 anyway.

I've already written up all the details about materials needed, budget, etc., in my prior post, "Mini Gingerbread Houses", so I'll just quickly summarize here. Each session required about $75 in supplies for 30 houses, using graham crackers and canned icing. No pre-assembly was done, the only "glue" used was canned icing (no royal icing required, and most definitely no hot glue 😖), and no milk cartons or boxes). Participants were given brief instructions, tips for construction, and shown a few examples, then had the rest of the hour to free-build and decorate their houses.

While this session did go very well, there were some distinct differences from the first session. First of all, I ran into a LOT more broken graham crackers; in the first session I had maybe 2 crackers that were broken in the box, but there were at least 20 broken ones in the second session! I have no idea why, as they were the same brand, purchased from the same store at the same time, and stored in the same place. It was very frustrating and cost me several minutes of set-up time, but thankfully I had purchased an excess of crackers in case this happened. 

I also noticed the demographics of the crowd was quite a bit different from the first. In the first session I had mostly moms with younger kids in the 3-8 age range, but in the second I saw more older kids and teenagers, including two teens who came together rather than with family, a family who brought a couple of adult friends with them, and a mom that came by herself. So clearly this is an activity that appeals to all ages.

And finally, I noticed that in the second group I observed more people making up their own designs rather than building the typical square or rectangular house with a gabled roof. I saw one that looked something like a cross between art deco and Chichen Itza, one that resembled a pagoda, and one that reminded me of a house of cards, plus several with flat roofs.

Everyone seemed to have a great time, and I didn't notice anyone getting frustrated. I got lots of compliments and "thank you"s, and some expressing the hope that we do it again next year (and I certainly hope to).

So, long story short:

• Get plenty of extra graham crackers in case of breakage.
• Royal icing is NOT necessary (or recommended).
• Gingerbread house building can be a STEAM activity
• Pre-assembly and milk carton bases are unnecessary, and deprive participants of the opportunity to use their imagination, creativity, engineering, and problem-solving skills.
• All ages enjoy making gingerbread houses, making it a perfect multi-generational program.
• Must-have candies for decorating are mini candy canes, gum drops, starlight mints, and small candies like mini M&M's and/or Smarties. Cinnamon candies were not popular.

Dramatic Play At The Library

Does your library have a dramatic play area? 

I will confess as a parent I never enjoyed "pretend play" with my kids; it just wasn't my thing. I was the parent who liked to joke around, wrestle, and horseplay with my kids, or take them to the park or zoo; I left all the tea parties and other pretend play to my husband.

But last year I transferred to new position at a library that fortunately has a large children's department with plenty of room for play and exploration, with a train table, several other tables with manipulatives and activities, and a dramatic play area, which I have assumed responsibility for. I initially set it up with a random assortment of play food and dishes, and I quickly became converted to a dramatic play believer after observing first-hand not only how much the kids enjoyed it, but all the developing skills dramatic play supports.

Dramatic play not only encourages creativity and imagination, but supports early literacy and language skills by giving children an opportunity to use expressive language, practice narrative skills, and see functional print. Dramatic play also supports socio-emotional development by encouraging caregiver-child interaction and social interaction among children. As children learn how to share, take turns, and play together, they are developing self-regulation and learning how to resolve conflict. Dramatic play provides an emotional outlet to allow children to work through difficult situations and fears in a safe environment. Children also use fine and gross motor skills in picking up and manipulating toys during the course of play.

And finally, a dramatic play area helps to create a sense of community by bringing families from diverse backgrounds together. I have seen so many friendships blossom in the span of one library visit between kids who didn't know each other prior, and as a result the parents get to know each other as well. I often hear them exchanging phone numbers and making plans for future play dates as they leave the library.

In order to keep the kids from getting bored with it, I have been setting up different themes for our dramatic play area and rotating play items in and out, and having a lot of fun with it! Since these require a fairly significant amount of planning and work to do; I only change them up every 2-3 months. I just love hearing the kids and parents playing together! The kids have really been enjoying it, and the interactions I observe are really wonderful. If you can carve out the space for one, I highly recommend having a dramatic play area in your children's department. 

Here are some of the different themes and set ups I have done so far (pardon the picture quality; I usually set these up on the night that I work when it is very slow, and it is rather dim in that area without sunlight coming in the window). Click on any image to enlarge:

Bakery:

 

For this one I pulled just the baked goods out of our assortment of play food: cake, croissant, baguette, rolls, cookies, donuts, bagels, cupcakes, and brownie; as well as a few assorted fresh fruits to have healthier options, and the milk and juice. I pulled assorted trays for displaying the baked goods; a few of the bowls, pots, measuring cups, and pans for baking; plates, utensils, and cups for serving; and the teapot, sugar bowl, and cream pitcher. We later got a play Keurig-type coffee set and added it (so cute!).

I made a sign and a menu with prices, adding pictures of the items and money since many who would be using the area are not reading yet. I put our large pieces of magnetic play money on the magnet board, and added a few large pictures of items to fill the rest of the space on the bulletin board. Finally, I pulled picture books (fiction and non-fiction) having to do with baking, bakers, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, brownies, donuts, etc. and placed along the window sill. I kept this display of related books up for the first week or two.

Farmer's Market 

[Whoops! Forgot to take any pictures of this one! It was already the beginning of summer reading and I was scrambling to get everything done, while working the busy service desk.]

I once again sorted through our play food to pull out all the whole fruits and vegetables, with play bushel baskets and bowls to put them in. We had a pretty good variety: tomatoes, onions, peppers, corn, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, lettuce, celery, strawberries, blackberries, assorted apples, oranges, pears, and probably some I'm forgetting. I also included a few bunches of artificial flowers, but the kids were really rough on them and they were pretty much destroyed by the end of the month.

I printed out a price list and found we had a play register with felt money that I put out. I also printed out a list of suggested activities to encourage caregiver-child interaction (sorting food by color, by fruit or vegetable, or by whether it grows above or below ground; gather ingredients for a recipe, pretend to buy & sell...) and also put up a couple of posters about healthy eating. Then I pulled both fiction and non-fiction books about gardening, farming, and farmer's markets to put along the window sill.

Bistro 

I started working on this one well in advance, beginning with the menu. I found an old file on the computer from a previous dramatic play set up years ago with a menu based on book titles, so it served as a bibliography as well, which I loved! 

Of course, after 10+ years we no longer had most of the titles, so I basically had to re-write the whole thing, and changed the color scheme and graphics, then made a coordinating sign.

Once I had the menu set, I pulled all the related play food, serving dishes, pots and pans,  and cooking utensils to put in the kitchen. I laminated several menus to put on display at the counter, as well as printing a large one for the bulletin board. Our felt money was pretty gross and well-worn by then, so I found some paper play money which I laminated to replace it with, and put out some scrap paper and pencils for taking orders. On the bulletin board I added a sheet with suggested activities, a smaller version of the sign, and a couple of posters about healthy food choices, and I placed several of the books mentioned on the menu in the window.

Finally, I couldn't resist staging a table for two with plated meals matching items on the menu, complete with healthy sides, coffee, and dessert. Can you guess the books represented?

I really enjoyed listening to the kids playing with this set up, listening to them take or place orders; playing waitstaff, chef, or customer (I did notice most often the adult caregiver was the customer); hearing some of the prices they would charge and new items they would add to the menu. I saw one girl expertly balancing two trays of food to bring to the table, just like a professional. I heard so many great interactions between caregivers and children, and among the children, with such imagination. I was a little sad to take this one down, but after almost 3 months it was time, and I had a great idea for the next one!

Veterinary Clinic 

I really got into setting this one up! It took quite a while to prepare everything, so I wasn't able to get it set up on my Thursday night as usual (when it is really slow) and had to do it on Friday afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get it done before the after-school crowd hit, so I had a hoard of impatient children crowding around me as I was scrambling as fast as I could to get it all set up and snap a few pics before turning them loose. Next time that I can't get it all done on Thursday night, I will just wait another week!

The items I stocked the clinic with were:

• Patient Charts - laminated so they could be washed off and reused, with a space to write the pet's name, owner's name, and treating doctor, a section to check what kind of animal (with words and pictures), and a section to check what they were being seen for (again, with words and pictures). This gives them an opportunity to practice their writing, or pre-writing, skills.
• X-rays - Real x-rays of animals that had been purchased previously.
• Instruments - we bought two sets of play medical instruments, plus already had a few real stethoscopes, with trays and baskets to put them in.
• Bandages - made from cutting off the tops of socks 
  
• Casts - made from white cardboard tubes
• Grooming Supplies - brushes, comb, empty shampoo bottles, and washtub.
• Toy Pet Carrier
• Toy Microscope - we already had this, and had never been used
• Assorted Pet Food - I made new labels for our canned play food
• Medications - I saved some pill bottles and discarded all my expired medicines to have the bottles, and either removed the labels or covered with masking tape. Then I hot-glued the tops on so they wouldn't get lost or be a choking hazard.
• Blankets & Towels - I brought in a couple of baby blankets and a baby towel I still had at home.
• Assorted Bowls & Trays - for food/water dishes and putting instruments on.
• Assorted Patients - I had a couple of my kids' old stuffed animals at home, plus a few "Kohl's Cares" book characters, and then bought a few more at Goodwill, selecting the ones that still had tags and looked new, and washing them to be safe.

The cabinets and other spaces in the kitchen served as cages for the animals, and I later added a label to change the microwave in the play kitchen to an autoclave for sterilizing the medical instruments. The clinic sign named Dr. John Dolittle [probably showing my age here!] and Dr. Dottie McStuffins as the veterinarians, and Zoey (of Zoey and Sassafras) as the vet tech. On the bulletin board I posted the clinic hours (same as the library's), miscellaneous pictures and posters, and several pictures of animal x-rays for them to guess the animal. 

Finally, I quickly pulled a selection of books about veterinarians and pet care to put in the window, and turned them loose!

And of course soon after it looked like the clinic had been hit by a tornado! I also discovered two little girls that had absconded with almost a third of the stuff and used cushions to barricade themselves inside the reading nook on the other side of the children's department so they wouldn't have to share, LOL! I have noticed a little more arguing and fussing with this set-up, particularly over the carrier. I'll take that as a sign that that's how much they like it?? 

After a week, I unfortunately had to take away the markers for recording on the patient charts as I found that kids were scribbling all over everything with them, requiring replacement of everything on the bulletin board, and cleaning the walls and fixtures. Some ideas that work so well in a structured and well-supervised classroom of 4-year olds don't work so well in an less structured library environment with mixed ages that aren't always supervised as well as they should be, unfortunately.

I have seen other much more elaborate dramatic play set-ups, but considering that I'm only part-time and have to do all this while I'm on the desk (I get no time off the desk for planning and projects), I'm really pleased and rather proud of the set-ups I've come up with. Mixing it up keeps the kids from getting bored with it, and gives us time to replace lost, damaged, or worn out items. I just love listening to the kids play back there!

Now, on to planning the next theme... 

Do you have a dramatic play center? Tell me about it!