Hands-On Idea Swap Ideas, Part 2
Leah Langby
April 27, 2012
Keeping Up With Kids

More tidbits from the idea swap about hands-on activities.  More to come!

Karen from Woodville reminded us about the Wisconsin DNR’s EEK site (Environmental Education for Kids). There are lots of great activities on this site, and they update them regularly, so it is worth checking out.  There are indoor activities (making an edible aquifer, for instance), and also outdoor adventures.  Karen had fun with taking kids on a stream walk, collecting data (on temperature, rate of movement, counting creatures) and sending it in to the DNR.  (This reminds me of a recent well-reviewed book for kids, Citizen Scientists by Loree Griffin Burns–no MORE libraries own this title yet!)

Marilyn in Boyceville talked about their library’s Wrangler Days.  She brought in horse tack, showed kids how to do roping (they were roping chairs), they made brands, told some tall tales and talked about the history of cowboys.  They even did some reader’s theater, with the help of a junior high student who loves drama.  They had one program for 1-3 grades and another for 4-6 grades.  Sounds like fun!


Marilyn also talked about a winter program that has worked well in Boyceville.  In a town that doesn’t have many hang-out spots for teens, their monthly after-school teen coffee time was very well received!  The library served cappuccinos (very swanky), put out storytime-prep projects for them to work on if they felt like it, and pulled a display of science fiction/fantasy titles for them.  Teens loved the chance to hang out (much better–and warmer–than the Cenex station down the street).  They snatched up the books, provided a little help, and just enjoyed each others’ company.

search all blog posts using keywords or title, date, categories

Archives

Categories

Related Articles

Thanksgiving Books

I recently got a question from a librarian who had weeded a lot of Thanksgiving books that perpetuate myths about Thanksgiving that are both historically inaccurate and promote harmful ideas about the Indigenous people already here when the colonists celebrated their...

Marketing to Teens

Thanks to Reb for passing along this sound advice from Angela Hursch about marketing to what can be a very tricky audience:  teens.  Take a look at this short video, Boost Teen Library Attendance,  and see how many of these things you are already doing, and if there...

Art to Calm Squirming Bodies and Minds

I attended an excellent webinar yesterday through Early Childhood Education Webinars with Anna Reyner, an art therapist who is also an early childhood expert.  Wow!  So many wonderful ideas.  The Early Childhood Education Webinars are almost always thought-provoking,...