MY LITTLE PONY PARTY

I did this program in the fall of 2017.  I had several stations set up at tables in the Children's Room.  They were:

• Rainbow Sprinkles Cookie Station:  I used the pink strawberry wafer cookies for this.  They were able to dip the end of the cookie into white dipping chocolate and then dip in or spoon on sprinkles.
• Also offered Rainbow Dash Fish Crackers (rainbow colored Goldfish crackers)
• My Little Pony Hoof Decorating:  I had several colors of nail polish available.  Participants could choose color/colors.
• My Little Pony Masks:  I had copies of several different pony masks.  Participants colored, cut them out and glued onto a large craft stick.
• My Little Pony Bingo:  This was a popular game!  The BINGO board can be found at www.artsyfartsymama.com    We used Skittles as our playing pieces.  When a BINGO was called, that person got to choose a My Little Pony sticker.
• We also had a photo op, where we had Pinkie Pie drawn onto a large display board with the face area cut out.  Participants could go behind it, stick their head through and have a picture taken.
• All participants received a baggie with stickers and a coloring book that I had put together at the end of the program.

Stickers were ordered through Smilemakers.  

NATIONAL SOMETHING ON A STICK DAY

March 28th is National Something on a Stick Day.  This day just begged to be programmed!

Here is what we offered:

• Chocolate doughnuts on a stick (popsicle stick inserted)
• White powdered doughnuts on a stick (popsicle stick  inserted)
• Hot dogs (sliced) on a stick (toothpick)
• Cheese (sliced) on a stick (toothpick)
• Rice Krispie treats (cut in half and popsicle stick inserted)
• Cake pops
• S'mores fixings (marshmallows, graham crackers, package of 12 snack size Hershey bars)
• Tootsie Roll pops

For dipping, we had white and chocolate melts in two small crockpots, bowls with sprinkles, and spoons.

My director bought a cake pop maker for $3.00 at a Goodwill and it worked like a charm!  Takes 4 minutes from start to finish.  I will say that chilling the cake mix overnight did help with the consistency (making it thicker).  I made up some cake pops ahead of time and continued to make them throughout the program.

I also purchase a Hershey's S'more Maker at a local Goodwill, but did not have the chance to try it out prior to the program.  So, for the s'mores, we had a small microwave available.  Great s'mores were made in 10 seconds.

I also offered a simple craft, which was a bookmark.  This was a jumbo craft stick and stickers adhered to it.

Next time around, we plan to add mini corndogs on sticks, and I've also seen the plans for Easter Peeps Fruit Kabobs.  

MUG CAKES!

Want a super-simple program that's bound to be a big hit?  Well, this is it!

I have done this program a couple of different times.  Once was in the winter for a day that kids were out of school (looking back into my file, it was Martin Luther King Day); the second time it was done as a spring-themed program.

You can make the mug cakes with either real mugs (the first time, I purchased 88 cent mugs from Wal-mart) or use Dixie Cups.

Here are a couple of recipes that I have used:

1 MINUTE DIXIE CUP CAKES

You will need:
1 package of cake mix (any flavor)  (I've done chocolate and funfetti....funfetti is my favorite for this)
Water
3-ounce or 12-ounce Dixie Cups
Toppings:  Frosting, sprinkles, chocolate chips (for the chocolate ones) ice cream.  All of these are optional.

For the 3-ounce cup:
3 tablespoons cake mix
1 tablespoon water
Stir, stir, stir!  I let the participants use a small popsicle/craft stick to do this.  Batter should be thick.  Place in microwave for 45 seconds.  Batter will likely run over the sides of the 3 ounce cup.  Switch out to a 5-ounce cup and this doesn't happen.  Let cool for one minute and add toppings, if desired.

For the 12-ounce cup:
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon cake mix
1/4 cup water
Stir, stir, stir!  Batter should be thick.  Place in microwave 1 minute,10 seconds.  Let cool for one minute and add toppings, if desired.

We have also done crafts once the kiddos have made their mug cakes.  For the winter one, it was a picture of a mug that they could decorate and add real mini marshmallows to.  For the spring one, it was a simple flower crown.

I always have a handout of additional mug cake recipes to give to parents.

SCAVENGER HUNTS!

SCAVENGER HUNTS!

I got this idea from a meeting of children's librarians some time back, and it is such an easy and fun monthly passive activity for our young patrons!

We just finished up our Summer Reading Program (Libraries Rock!) and are on the last of three monthly hunts for rock/stone formations.  June was Ohio rocks/statues, July was national rocks/statues, and August is international rocks/statues.

To set it up is super simple!  Choose 12 items, print them out in color and then add an alphabet letter (cut from Ellison 4-inch dies) to the picture.  Laminate, cut out, and then hide around your area.  Have a sheet with smaller pictures of each of the items with a line next to them for patrons to jot down the alphabet letter.

Our hunts in June and July were super popular, as completion of them got the participant an extra entry into prize drawings at the end of the Summer Reading Program.  We had nearly 200 hunts done during each of those months!  Prizes ranged from bookmarks to LEGO bracelets (left over from last summer's Summer Reading Program, plastic ducks, suckers, Smarties candy, etc.

Here are some ideas for hunts:

• September is National Chicken Month.  I found 12 different pictures of chickens wearing hats/clothes.  I am thinking of using Easter eggs with some sort of candy inside as the prize.
• October is a perfect month to do monsters or something else Halloween-related.  I am doing monsters this year, and the prize is a small rubber monster finger puppet.
• November this year is foods associated with Thanksgiving dinners.
• The 12 days of Christmas just begs to be used!  Or you could do items associated with Christmas, such as trees, cookies, elves, Santa, etc.  I did the 12 Days of Christmas last year and the prize was a candy cane.
• For March (and this is where I got the original idea), large eggs had book characters on them.  The participants had to match the color of the egg with the character on them.  For a prize, they received a plastic Easter egg with a candy bar inside.

NATIONAL MONSTER DAY

Since August 15th is National Monster Day, I decided to have an all-day craft that folks could just drop in and do.

I had to "frankenstein" two sets of instructions, as neither of them worked well on their own.

Here is how I constructed the yarn monster:

Cut cardboard pieces 3" by around 5 1/2".  Since the cardboard can easily start to bend once the yarn wrapping is started, I rubber-banded two pieces together.  You could also hot glue them together as well.

You will use the 5 1/2" length to wrap your yarn around.  Wrap the yarn 150 times around the cardboard.  Once you have reached the last wrap, cut off the yarn.  On one side of the cardboard, tie a knot around the center of the yarn.

Flip the cardboard over and cut through the center of the yarn.  This is your hair pom pom.

At this point, if you wish to use the pipe cleaners as shown in the picture, wrap it around the pom.

Use a 3-ounce Dixie cup turned upside down, and hot glue the pom to the top of the cup.

Add googly eyes,

My sample did not have the eyes hot-glued to the pipe cleaner.  I simply hot-glued on two large googly eyes to the front.  I also wrapped a pipe cleaner around the pom and wrapped it around a pencil to achieve some curls.

You could add more than one set of eyes, if you wish.

This would be a great Halloween or anytime craft!  Also, with the Summer Reading Program theme next year (2019) being space, these could easily be made into space aliens with green yarn and sparkly pipe cleaners!

COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER

COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER

            On Tuesday, April 8^th, 2014, the Bucyrus Public Library held its second annual Community Baby Shower.  The month of April was decided on, since it is the Month of the Young Child, so it was the perfect fit!  This is one of two Community Baby Showers that are held in the county.  Galion holds a similar event every August, and BPL has had a presence there.

            The event was held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the cafeteria area of Bucyrus Community Hospital.  This was a change from last year, when the event was held at the library.  The whole cafeteria area was available for us to use.  This event targeted first-time parents, parents-to-be, and families who are involved in programs such as WIC, GRADS, etc.

            27 agencies serving families and children were contacted to participate.  Ten responded and sent representatives:  Crawford County WIC, OHCAC Head Start, Little Stars Daycare/Preschool, Voice of Hope Pregnancy Center, Dr. Ryan Hohman, Birth Place @ Galion Community Hospital, YWCA Northwest Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral, CareStar, Avita Pediatric Therapy Center, and Crawford County Help Me Grow.  Of all the agencies who did not respond, only Turning Point sent a message that they would not be able to attend due to staffing issues.

            The event was advertised through Crawford County WIC (who sent out 100 invites) through Jane Knight, who administers the GRADS program at Pioneer Joint Vocational School, and in-house PR at the library. 

Prior to the event, we asked for RSVPs.  I have 24 initial phone calls, and of those 24, 17 attended.  The final total for attendance was 28 mommies-to-be/new moms, and with each of them bringing at least one person with them (husband, boyfriend, mom, friend), that pushed the attendance up to between 55-60 people.  Last year, we had 14 attend. 

            Upon arrival, each attendee received a flier that had all of the attending agencies listed with their contact information and a “scavenger hunt”-type activity.  Attending agencies were placed at tables around the perimeter of the cafeteria.  Avita Health System Food Service provided refreshments for the evening.  Cupcakes, cookies, bagged chips, fruit juices and water were available.

            Barbara Scott, Children’s Librarian at BPL welcomed everyone and introduced Deana Grube, Lactation Consultant at Galion Community Hospital, who spoke on the importance of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, as well as later in baby’s life. 

            Once Deana finished her presentation, attendees were invited to participate in the “scavenger hunt”.  This consisted of a page and a half sheet listing the various agencies represented with a question that attendees had to ask and get the answer to.  This provided time for one-on-one conversation with each of the families.  Once they had finished with this, they were free to enjoy the refreshments provided.

            About 7:30 p.m., drawings for door prizes were held.  There was a wonderful variety of items to choose from, ranging from a basket of board books and items from the library to filled diaper bags to a large activity center that could be placed over a baby lying on the floor. 

            All of the agencies were well pleased with the turnout and can be most likely be counted on to participate in next year’s event. 

 

LESSONS LEARNED FOR NEXT YEAR:

           

·         Contact Wal-mart about possible donation of a stroller for a grand prize.

·         Advertise the event more broadly.  This year and last, it was only advertised through WIC, GRADS, and in-house at the library.

·         Contact Galion and Crestline libraries to see if they wish to send information or have a presence at the event. 

·         Research why some agencies/organizations do not respond to our requests to have a presence.  Specifically ones like La Leche League, MOPS, pediatric dentists (I have two that I have contacted the past two years), other preschools.

·         Run the program from 6:00-7:30 p.m. if the same number of agencies are represented.  If the number increases, then the time could be stretched to 8 p.m.

 

Resurrecting this blog back from the dead...

Wow, it's been some time since I've posted on this blog!  Losing library funding saw the demise of our monthly programming for kids, but that doesn't mean that I've just been sitting around doing nothing!

On the contrary, we've instituted some new and exciting programming here at the Bucyrus Public Library that I'd like to pass along to you!

In-house, we've made available 4 computers in our Teen Room.  These take only 18-and-under cards and are well used nearly every day after school, and on days like today when there is a snow day and no school!  Young patrons get on them to play games, check their Facebook accounts, do "blizzard bag" assignments for school, and we even have some homeschoolers using them.

We have also made our Wii and Playstation available to young patrons who wish to play.  The games, controllers, and game platforms themselves are kept locked in a cabinet until needed, and we have a TV that we wheel out when needed.  Our aim is to get the TV mounted on the wall above the cabinet.

We have a table set up in our Teen Room that has painter's tape making a Tic-Tac-Toe board.  For the past few months we've had Steampunk Tic-Tac-Toe set up on it (simply multiple pictures of the same two steampunk-themed items).  This month, it's Hearts and Cupids Tic-Tac-Toe.

In the Children's Room, I also have a tabletop reserved for Tic-Tac-Toe, and I change it with the months.  October was pumpkins and ghosts, November was turkeys and pumpkins (the same pumpkins from October), December was Santas and trees.  January was snowmen and snowflakes.  This month, since the Teen Room is hearts and cupids, I chose profiles of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  We also have another table dedicated to a checker board.  Believe it or not, both tables get a lot of use!

Passive programming has been the name of the game in the Children's Room.  I have two four-sided columns on one side of my room, and it's here that I've been posting my passive programs.

In November, the passive program was to Guess the pro football team mascots.  I found pictures of each of them, copied them off onto black construction paper, then cut the silhouettes out, laminated  and posted them.  Post them with the picture side down so that only the silhouette appears.  Then I numbered them and that was the guessing game.  I had a key handy to answer who was who.

December's passive program was guessing elves/snowmen from movies and books.  I simply went onto Google Image search and found pictures of elves and snowmen, put them into Publisher, printed them out in color, laminated them, and posted them on the columns. That display stayed up through January, as, well....there was snow.

February's passive guessing program is "Name That Candy Bar!"  I went onto Google Image search to find cross sections of different candy bars.  In most cases I enlarged them, put them into Publisher and printed them off.  They are numbered as well with a key at my desk.

We have also started putting out coloring sheets for our younger patrons, coordinating with whatever holiday, season, etc is current.  Right now we have Valentine's Day ones available.  The Hello Kitty ones are very, very popular!

We have begun some incredibly successful Music, Movement, and More programs.  About two years ago, a lady from our local Help Me Grow approached us about being a place to hold their program (which was called Tots, Tales, and Tunes) and wanted me to provide a story and fingerplay with the participants at the end of the session.  With state budget cuts, Help Me Grow lost funding for that program, and when they did, it was a natural fit for us to pick it up.  That next year, I was able to fund the expense of paying the lady who did the program out of my programming budget, and we did it very low key.  This year, thanks to a grant through our local United Way, we have been able to expand the program.  We advertise, as always through the local newspaper and the local JFS and WIC programs.  Our aim is to reach birth to preschool-aged children.  The United Way grant has freed up my programming money this year and is paying the instructor for 3 sessions (we will be able to offer a summer session....SO excited), and we are purchasing Musikgarten instrument/CD/book kits that will be given to families attending 7 of the 10 week sessions!  That way, they can recreate the experience at home in between sessions.  We are loving our theme this time around, which is Body Awareness.  The past couple of themes, we have had some sort of simple craft for the parent and child to do together.  This time it was a skeleton that was colored and put together with brads.  They are displayed in our program room until the end of the session.  Our attendance has sky-rocketed.  At our last session, we had (with children and parents) 50 total attendees!  We are so thankful for the United Way funding that allows us to reach some of the families that attend that would certainly not have the money to go out and spend on similar programs that are out there in the community.

Our second new program is our StoryWalk Adventures.  This idea was adapted from a program that was done on walking/biking trails in Vermont.  We take their same idea of taking apart books, laminating the pages and displaying them, but instead of stakes and boards, we have our book pages mounted on posterboard and portable easels.  So far, we've done 4 successful installations:  One at the local Parks District for the Family Tent Camping Night, one at a local city park for a family programming group called Together Time, the annual Halloween Bash at the local Parks District, and our last one was for the downtown Candlelight Christmas celebration.  Each one has been a learning experience!  I have also offered the program to local schools for their Right to Read weeks and so far, one has jumped on board.  Our program was featured in Ohio Libraries Quarterly (published by the State Library of Ohio) in an issue dedicated to community outreach projects.  This idea was also submitted to AWE (who do the Early Literacy Computers) as a project to win a contest that they sponsored during the recent American Library Association convention.  While we did not win, the idea was published by them on their site in a PDF of ideas from around the nation.  So, we were excited about that as well!

Please contact me at barbarascott@hotmail.com or barbarascott1956@yahoo.com if you'd like additional information on any of the programs I've talked about or any of my past programs!