Catapults in the Library!

In the summer I run a "Crafty Kids Club" for grades 3-5, which meets once a month.  Since this year's SRP has a science-y theme, I wanted to go along with that, and what could be more science-y than making our own catapults?!? And what do kids enjoy more than launching stuff across the room?!?

Craft Stick Catapult

You can download excellent and easy instructions from pbskids.org HERE.



All you need are craft sticks, rubber bands, and some bottle caps.  (Note: I found that the wider craft sticks worked better than the skinny ones.) Since you probably have these things lying around (and you can raid the recycling bin for caps), this is a really inexpensive and easy craft to pull off!

Now, since assembling the catapults isn't too time consuming, I thought we could also make some targets.  I found this simple bull's-eye from Google Images:

And since I know we've got a lot of Angry Birds fans in our community, I thought it would be fun to add those darn pigs to the targets. I found some coloring pages from Google Images:

Ta-da! Instant Pig Target!

Now all you need are some mini marshmallows and you'll be ready to start shooting!

This was so much fun and the kids LOVED it! The catapults were so easy to assemble, so we had a lot of time to play with them.  I got out regular sized and mini marshmallows, as well as various sizes of pom-poms, so they could experiment with what launches the best.  My teen helpers ( I couldn't survive without them!!) set up some foam building blocks as targets for the kids to shoot at, and even though it was virtually impossible to knock them down with marshmallows, the kids didn't care at all!  I was so delighted to see them experimenting and inventing new games to play.  Kids who didn't even know each other were laughing hysterically while trying to shoot marshmallows into their mouths, while others were re-building with the blocks to create the perfect targets to shoot at.  I was also able to sneak in an easy science lesson about potential and kinetic energy!!

This was such a success and everyone had a great time - and so easy too! Try it at your library!

Library Out Loud - Come draw with me

One of the programs that my predecessor had done was called Read, Scribble, and Snack.  I can't claim any responsibility for this program other than the name change.  It is fairly popular with my after school crowd though.

Now I call it LOL: Library Out Loud (get it? after our blog name!)  The premise is easy.

1) Offer a snack, as this IS after school.
2) Offer drawing paper, pencils, pastels or any other medium.
3) Put in an audiobook of the kids choice (or read to the kids).
4) Hang out and draw.

This week, we worked on Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo (Newberry Award winner this year!) I brought in a couple different books to vote on.  The kids could draw from the book or from their imaginations.  Most of them had their own ideas of what they wanted to do.

You can see here some of the kids drawing, and even see my own creation - yes that is the squirrel named Ulysses from the book...or a reasonable facsimile!

I get a good mix of kids out of the main library space and into the meeting room, where they can hang out and chat with me about whatever, draw whatever, and fuel up (most importantly to them).  Not all of the boys enjoy drawing, so I allow them to play a quiet game off to the side if they would rather do that.  They want to be included but they also don't really want to sit and draw, and that is OK.  This is one of the after school programs the kids ask for, so I am happy to continue it.  Once you have these art materials (or get donations), the upkeep is light.

Some kids really like audio books, so why not include them into your programming?  The materials are right there on the shelf, and you might get one kid hooked on a book.  Go for it!

The importance of free play in the library

My deadline for summer reading club programs is next week.  For months I have been working the calendar to find a mix of paid presenters, movie showings, games, crafts, and wild-card activities for all age groups.  This is exhausting and I haven't reached June and July yet!

I had a major AH-HA moment yesterday, however.  I had a drop-in Lego program, where kids could just come in, have a snack, and play with Legos.  No structure. No rules (except no throwing or putting things up your nose). No guidelines.  No theme.

The Lego bin awaits!

So far, in my humble two months at this branch, this after-school program has been the biggest success story for this age group.  In the hour's time, I had more kids come in than many of my other programs combined.

HUH.

Several parents stayed.  Kids asked when this was happening again.  Moms said they hoped I would do this all summer.  But wait!  I didn't do any prep work for this program!  I did no research or thinking about a theme!  This was on the calendar for only a couple of weeks and was kind-of a whim.

Sometimes the kids like structure.  I have had programs where I ask the kids what they would like to do and they stare back until I say "how about this?" and the program starts.  But not this time.  These kids came to play.  They came to meet up with their friends and just be together after school.  It was about being part of the community they lived and just being kids.  They formed their own groups, made their own stories (and freely shared them, YAY!), and had the best time. 

Lego programs are on my calendar this summer.....three of them.  I won't plan anything else but to have the Legos there and some Icee-Pops.  Maybe we will just have to do this every month after that.  Who knows?  This isn't about Legos, it is about allowing kids to just be kids, to be a part of the library doing something they love, and, after a long day at school, to not be directed in their activities.  It could be drawing or play dough, or sidewalk chalk, or dance - anything that allows kids a little free, unstructured play in their day.  I think it is time for me to think more about free play in the library.  I wonder what else we can do?

As a post script, I saw this excellent post on ALSC twitter feed.  It goes into great detail the concept of Play in the Public Library!  Check it out!

Rubber Band Bracelets, anyone?

Sometime back in December, I bought a bag of rubber bands.  You know, the ones that you can loom all kinds of bracelets and other creations with.  I wanted to see what they were all about.  Soon after I learned my first simple weave, I was in my library when a bunch of teens were milling about and starting to get restless.  I brought them over for a 10 minute lesson and gave them a fistful of bands.  For 15-20 minutes, those kids were not thinking about running around and what they would do to kill time.  Win-Win.

Fast forward to January, and me starting my new job as the sole Children's Librarian in a new village. I made lots of bracelets to wear up my arm, because I knew kids would comment on them.  They did, and I shared my bracelets with them.  Then kids were stopping by my desk for bands.  Then they were teaching me new techniques.  Then they started asking for programs!

So this month, we had a Rubber Band Loom In.  This is a very small community, so 13 girls at an after-school program is pretty exciting.  They marched in with their looms, their cases of bands, and their enthusiasm to share what they knew with each other. "Look what I made!" or "Sit here, Ill show you how" for a solid hour.  I had to kick them out when their parents showed up!

The reason I share what seems to be an obvious idea is this:  For about $1, you can buy 300 bands and 12 clips.  For $10 you can get a loom, instructions, and bands.  You can loom on your fingers, two pencils, or in ways I haven't even tried yet.  The value of the bracelets though, lie in the connections you can make with your pre-teens.  You are showing them the common ground.  You are learning their names, finding out their likes, and allowing them to see you as a cool new friend. Priceless.

I can't wait to do this program again.  New fads are sometimes just that.  Fads.  But fads like this can add so much value to the library, when you see kids so excited to come over, and you see parents so grateful that the girls are laying down their cell phones and actually hanging out and talking to one another.  Very cool.