Humans vs. Zombies

October 26, 2015April 26, 2016Leave a comment

So I asked my TLAB (Teen Library Advisory Board) students what they wanted to do for Halloween this year. And the verdict was unanimous: Humans vs. Zombies. With NERF guns. After hours. In the library.

*Cue hysterical laughter*

Don’t get me wrong: I love crazy, off-the-wall programs. But the prospect of hosting a full-fledged NERF war in the stacks after dark made me a little nervous. Would the Director go for it? Would people show up? Would we actually be able to pull it off?

Fortunately, the answer to all of those questions was yes. 🙂

In the weeks leading up to the event, we marketed our program. Hard. My volunteers made a commercial that was broadcast at the local high school and handed out flyers to all of their friends. Teens had to register in advance and fill out a liability waiver. I bought ten Zombie Strike NERF guns (since that’s all our budget would allow). The first ten registrants were guaranteed a gun; anyone else had to bring their own.

The night of, the teens arrived early. They “zombified” their shirts, did their makeup, and helped decorate the library. We used red paint to to create “blood splatter” on plastic tablecloths and hung caution tape. Then I turned them loose and had them shuffle around as our “starter” zombies. They snarled and lurched as the “human” participants arrived at the library. 🙂

The game play was pretty simple. We herded all the visiting teens into the survival shelter (aka our meeting room) for review of the rules.

Everyone, except my volunteers, started out as humans. Humans could shoot zombies anywhere but the head (our zombies were a special mutation). A zombie who got shot by a human had to go to a penalty box for 1 minute before rejoining the game. Any human who got two-hand touched by a zombie was “turned,” had to surrender their gun, and don a green “zombie” bandana. Myself, our director, and another adult served as referees.

In total, we had 24 teens participate in our Humans vs. Zombies Program. This one’s definitely going to be an annual event for us. 🙂

The Project: Teen Film Club

May 30, 2015May 30, 20152 Comments

Sometimes, a good teen program just falls into your lap. Which is precisely what happened just a few weeks ago here at my new library.

I was working on our Teen Summer Reading Program when someone in Circ called for me. I popped out of the back to see four, eager teenagers waiting for me. They said they’s heard I was the new teen librarian and that I was looking for program ideas:

“We love making movies and want a place do to it. Can we do it here? We’ll even bring our own equipment! Please? We could even do promotional videos for the library!”

Um, yes. A thousand times yes.

The program is only a month old, but we already have 5-8 kids who attend regularly. Their first project: making a Summer Learning Club promotional video. And I have to say, I may have started crying the first time I watched it. I’m so stinking proud.

Better yet, aside from benefiting us, this program meets an actual community need: our local high school doesn’t offer a film class, so the library is the only resource for these kids.

I’m so excited to see how this program will develop. 🙂

Drive-in-Movie: Polar Express

December 11, 2014December 11, 2014Leave a comment

Movies are always a big hit at the library but, sometimes, you need to do something different to break up your routine. This month, we decided to host a “Drive-in-Movie” where our kids could decorate a sleigh to sit in while they watched Polar Express.

To make the sleighs, we used old cardboard boxes left over from our quarterly FOL book sale. Our teen volunteers used box cutters to create “curvy” shapes and presto! Insta-sleigh. To keep this activity organized, we assembled all the pieces “buffet” style. That way, each child could gather his or her supplies and take their sleigh away to work on it.

The kids had an absolutely fantastic time. There was glitter, tape, and wrapping paper everywhere! But the mess was half the fun. 🙂 Once the sleighs were built, our kids picked a cozy spot to sit and snuggled up with some popcorn to watch the movie.

In total, we had 25 kids and 12 parents at this event – not too bad for a Wednesday afternoon! We’ll be bringing this one back next year.

Hunger Games Day

November 23, 2014January 8, 20151 Comment

So…confession: I adore The Hunger Games. So do my teenagers which, of course, means programming. This year, though, I decided a single program wasn’t going to be enough. Instead, we planned an entire DAY dedicated to Ms. Everdeen. 🙂

Part 1: Hunger Games Archery Class

Yes. You read that right. Archery. At the library. We partnered with the Tampa Archery School to make this program happen and held it in our large, grassy yard.

Bryce Smith and several of his fellow instructors came out and brought all of the necessary supplies: bows, arrows, targets, etc. Bryce walked our teens through a fifteen minute orientation and lined them up to shoot.

And I have to say, for their first time out the gate, they did a pretty good job! Better than I could’ve done at any rate. 🙂

Part 2: Mockingjay Movie Release Party

Food & Decorations:

Our color scheme was black and yellow, so I created parachutes with each of the twelve District crests and hung them (and some streamers) around the room. At the entrance, I had laminated bookmarks courtesy of Living Locurto. I also had a dystopian book display to encourage additional reading.

Our menu included Cinna Sticks, Nightlock berries (blueberries), Cornucopias (Bugles), Peeta Bread & Hummus, and Catching Fire Cupcakes. The two dozen cupcakes were generously donated by Sweet Ida Mae’s Bakery.

Crafts:

We offered two options for this program: locker magnets and bottle cap keychains/necklaces.

Games:

We had two options available for our adventurers: “Pin the Mockingjay on Katniss” and “suction cup archery.”

Afterwards, we all settled in to watch Catching Fire. I raffled off a copy of the trilogy and tickets to see Mockingjay.

In total we had 23 teens and tweens attend this event. I’m very much looking forward to doing it again next year!

Teen Zombie Prom

October 31, 2014November 23, 2014Leave a comment

Well, we survived: Zombie Prom, that is. 🙂 Here are the highlights for all you undead aficionados.

Decorations and Food:

Our color scheme was red and black, so we decorated with streamers, balloons, and blood spattered banners throughout the meeting room. Our “A Night to Dismember” pennant banner was hung over the food table. We also created cardboard tombstones and surrounded them with severed Dollar Store limbs and moss we collected from outside.

zp6

For food, we offered two main options: severed finger cookies and undead cupcakes (that bled cherry sauce when bitten into). I may or may not have spent about six hours baking the aforementioned treats but, in the end, it was worth it. The teens loved them. We also had a ice brain mold floating in our “blood-filled” punch bowl. 🙂

Most importantly, we also had a teen Zombie book display, featuring novels by Carrie Ryan, Darren Shan, Jonathan Maberry, and other zombie-writing authors. As a library, we strive to promote literacy at all of our events.

Photo Booth:

We wanted to provide a spot for our guys and ghouls to commemorate their eerie evening, so we hung some velvet curtains, a “Zombie Prom” pennant banner, and arranged some extra tombstones for a freaky photo-op.

Craft:

For our craft this year, we decided to keep it simple. We printed out 1-inch circular zombie images and the teens got to make bottle cap necklaces and key chains.

Costume Contest:

Just prior to showing Dance of the Dead, we had a costume contest. Each undead contestant strutted his or her stuff before our three judges. Each zombie was scored using a predesigned rubric. Our Zombie King and Queen each won a $25 Amazon gift card.

In total, we had thirty teens show up for prom this year – a whopping 67% increase over last year! 🙂 I’d say that’s bloody brilliant. Here’s to the zombies!

Sweet Ida Mae’s Treat Decorating Class

October 9, 2014Leave a comment

There’s a universal rule in programming for teens: if you feed them, they will come. So what better way to lure teens to the library then with a program that’s all about food? Thanks to the generosity of the Friends of the Library, I was able to invite our local cupcake bakery to host a cupcake and cake pop decorating class.

It really does pay to reach out to your local “Mom and Pop” shops for programming. Not only are you supporting local business when you do but, in my experience, you tend to receive higher quality programming.

These wonderful ladies brought all the supplies: the food, the frosting, the lesson. All I had to do was set up the tables. It was wonderfully easy and fun.

In total, we had thirteen teenage girls show up for our Sunday afternoon class. Giggles and smiles ran rampant as we all ate FAR too many cupcakes. We’re inviting the ladies of Sweet Ida Mae’s back again in December. We can’t wait to decorate holiday treats with them! Here’s to a sweet program.

Yuck @ The Library: Summer Science Fun

July 21, 2014December 22, 2014Leave a comment

Since our kids’ Summer Reading theme this year is “Fizz, Boom, Read,” we thought having a super messy version of “Yuck @ The Library” would be a perfect fit! Our focus this week was the five senses, so we tried to center our activities around this concept.

Step 1: Story Time To open our program, two of our teen volunteers read Five for a Little One by Chris Rashka. It’s a very lyrical, rhythmic picture book that describes the five senses in a fun and accessible way.

Step 2: Luscious Lollipops Activity To further incorporate the five senses, as well as a literacy component, we had the kids participate in our “Luscious Lollipops Activity.” We gave each child a pencil and a special card with a lollipop attached. We then asked the kids to examine their lollipops, using their senses, and use adjectives to describe their observations.

Step 3: Elephant Toothpaste Experiment

Next, we had the kids use their senses of touch, sight, and smell in our Elephant Toothpaste Experiment. The directions for this activity can be found on ScienceBob.com. I highly recommend using stations for this activity. Also make sure each child has gloves to protect their skin from the chemicals. We started by explaining two scientific terms: catalyst and exothermic reaction. Then we had the kids move to the stations and begin creating their mixtures.
Once our kids had created their chemical concoctions, we took them outside to enjoy the final reaction. Needless to say, they enjoyed the bubbly, foamy, mess we made. 🙂 We also made sure to have them touch the bottles while the exothermic reaction was occurring so they could feel the heat it generated.

Step 4: Oobleck Experiment Finally, we asked our kids to rely on their sense of touch during our Oobleck Experiment, which, of course, gets its name from Dr. Seuss’ Bartholomew and the Oobleck. The directions for creating an Oobleck can be found on the Scientific American website. Oobleck is particularly fascinating for kids because it’s a non-Newtonian fluid. In other words, it’s a fluid that can act both as a liquid and a solid. It all depends on how much force you apply at any given time.

We encouraged the kids to experiment by applying varying amounts of force. Ex: “What happens when you touch the Oobleck gently? What happens when you poke it as hard as you can?” Our kids had a wonderful, gloppy time playing with their slimy creations. At the end of the program, we gave them all ziplock baggies so they could take their Ooblecks home.

In total, we had 30 kids and 8 parents attend this program. 🙂 We’re all looking forward to having another messy science day again soon!

Doctor Who Day

July 20, 2014December 28, 2016Leave a comment

We did it! After over a month of preparation, hours of painting, printing, and planning, our “Doctor Who Day” was a complete success!

We had 54 tweens, teens, and their parents attend our event. Many came in costume, dressed as their favorite Doctor or Companion.

At the end of the day, we raffled off all seven seasons of Doctor Who. We also raffled off a TARDIS mug as a runner-up prize.

This program was possible solely through the generosity of the Friends of the Library. I am tremendously thankful for their support. So are all my Whovians! 🙂

Decorations

As always, I wanted this event to feel immersive. I tried to include as many specific details from the series as possible.

Most of my decorations were inspired by various Doctor Who episodes, including our “Badwolf” and “Cassandra” posters, as well as our K-9 and Weeping Angel standees. We also hung a number of famous Doctor Who quotes from the ceiling.

Food

We had four main dishes at our Doctor Who program: Sonic Screwdrivers (chocolate covered pretzel rods), Adipose Babies (marshmallows), bananas (because, as the Doctor said, “Always bring a banana to a party”), and Dalek cupcakes. The cupcake wrappers were ridiculously cute and can be found on Deviant Art. We also had bow-tie shaped lollipops from Oriental Trading, as well as popcorn.

Book Station

Even though Doctor Who is a TV show, as a library, we still want to promote literacy. So I made sure to pull every Doctor Who book I could get my hands on to put on display. I also made some custom bookmarks in Publisher and had them laminated. Our teens were excited by the wide selection. Suffice to say, we kept the circulation desk very, very busy. 😉

Crafts

I wanted to make sure we had plenty for our teens to do. So I came up with several crafts for them to enjoy.

Felt Bow-Ties

Alien Masks

Bottle Cap necklaces and TARDIS keys

Games

I wanted to provide a variety of games for our teens to enjoy. So we had two board games: Doctor Who Jenga and Doctor Who Yahtzee.

We also had two carnival-style games: “Time Lord Toss” and “Pin the Plunger on the Dalek.”

At the end of the day, everyone had a fantastic time. This was our best attended teen event yet. Here’s to the Doctor! Allons-y!

Star Wars Day

July 9, 2014December 22, 20141 Comment

Our Summer Reading Program for both kids and teens this year is science-based, so what better way to encourage an interest in science than by tapping into one of the greatest sci-fi stories of all time: Star Wars!

Lord Vader did not approve of my “Rebel” T-shirt. 😉

We decided to make Star Wars Day a multi-age event, with programs for little ones in the morning and activities for tweens and teens in the afternoon. In essence, we hosted an all-day Star Wars book bash.

The Food & Decorations

I really wanted our patrons to to feel immersed in the Star Wars universe when they walked in the door, so we hung tie-fighters and x-wings from the ceiling. We created them by printing mirror images on cardstock; then we glued the images together, punched a hole in the top of them, and strung them up using thin, white, thread (which looks invisible to the naked eye). We also made a paper mache Death Star, but it ended up looking more like a Death Egg. We’ll have to blow the balloon smaller next time! 😉

Other decorations included blue and black star balloons and a homemade pennant banner. And, by some strange stroke of luck, my boyfriend’s mother stumbled across his childhood Star Wars action figures, which we used to help add character to each of our tables. And, of course, we had cardboard standees of R2D2, C3PO, and Yoda.

We wanted the food to be as “themed” as possible, but with a limited budget and time constraints we had to get creative. So I hunted through Pinterest, naturally, and found dozens of cute ideas. I used Microsoft Publisher to create custom labels for all our foods. We ended up going with Wookie Cookies (Star Crunches), Leia Buns (Honey Buns), Ewok Treats (Teddy Grahams), and Thermal Detonators (Whoppers). We also had popcorn and Yoda Soda (Mountain Dew) for the older kids.

Children’s Activities

Station 1: Crafts

We had three basic craft options available for our kids. They could color/make a Yoda Mask or Princess Amidala crown, they could make a space-themed door hanger, or they could enjoy some of our Star Wars coloring sheets. Station 2: Games

We had two posters drawn up by some of our lovely teen volunteers so that the kids could play “Pin the Bun on Leia” and “Pin the Lightsaber on Yoda.” We also had a Star Wars Ring Toss, in which we taped printed images of various characters on to 2 liter bottles and lined them up.

Station 3: Jedi Academy

I borrowed this idea from Kelly on Here Comes the Sun. Her DIY lightsaber idea has been shared numerous times on Pinterest. So easy. So brilliant. Grab a few pool noodles, cut them in half, wrap the ends in duct tape and voila! Instant, kid-safe lightsaber.

We decided to kick things up a notch by putting our padawans through their paces at the Jedi Academy. We blew up about twenty balloons (no helium) and gave one to each child. Then, after counting to three, we had the kids throw the balloons in the air! The kiddos then had to keep their balloons in the air for two minutes using only their lightsaber. When they finished, each child got a Jedi Knight Certificate and a piece of candy.

Station 4: Video Games

Simple, easy, and effective. We hooked our Wii system up to the projector and let the kiddos go to town on Lego Star Wars and Star Wars Angry Birds.

Teen Activities

Crafts

Our teens had a choice between two crafts:

1) A Star Wars Marble Magnet

2) A Star Wars Bottle Cap Key Chain

These crafts and dozens more can be found in the Star Wars Craft Book, which proved to be an invaluable resource while planning this event!

Light Saber Dueling Lessons

I wanted the teen program to be “edgier” than the one we provided for the kids, so what better way to spice things up than with a professional sword fighting lesson?

Paul Stonebridge, a local librarian who happens to be skilled in swordsmanship and martial arts, graciously came to our branch to teach our tweens and teens. They learned the eight basic sword fighting moves and four basic blocks commonly used in the movies.

The teens had an absolute blast. We’re extremely grateful to Paul for making our event so special.

The 501st Legion: Vader’s Fist

Even Darth Vader enjoys the occasional selfie.

Finally, this post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the 501st Legion. For those of you who are unfamiliar with them, the 501st is a nonprofit group dedicated to promoting an interest in Star Wars – namely through dressing up as some of its most famous villains. 🙂

The 501st came to our branch free of charge and posed for pictures, interacted with our patrons, and answered Star Wars questions. Our event would not have been the same without them! They were a simply phenomenal addition to our program.

In total, we had over 120 patrons attend this program – not bad for a small library! We had a fantastic time and we can’t wait to do it again.

Spiderella (aka “The Fractured Fairy Puppet Show”)

April 30, 2014October 7, 2014Leave a comment

One of my favorite programs at our library is our “Starlight Puppet Show & Story-time.” During this event, we invite all of our kids (ages 10 & under) to come to the library at night. Everyone dresses up in their pjs and brings their favorite stuffed animal or blanket. Then they all settle in for 30 minutes of puppets and story telling.

It truly is a special and dearly loved program. Despite the late hour, we still average 15-20 little ones in attendance.

It’s also exciting because it gives our teen volunteers an opportunity to lead. Our more charismatic teens help serve as puppeteers and interact with the kids.

Our most recent puppet show featured the story of Spiderella: a retelling of the Cinderella story. With bugs. 🙂 It was a tremendous hit with our kids. Afterwards, we read a few Miss Spider picture books.

I think we’ll continue to use fractured fairy tales as part of our puppet shows in the future. If you’re looking for ideas, I highly recommend 12 Fabulous Funny Fairy Tale Plays as a resource.

	theloudmouthlibraria… on How to Make A Cardboard S…
	Jasmine on How to Make A Cardboard S…
	Fitness Friday #5: T… on Fitness Friday #3: Zen Ga…
	theloudmouthlibraria… on The Project: Teen Film Cl…
	L. Marie on The Project: Teen Film Cl…

The Loudmouth Librarian

the noisy, messy, unruly adventures of a Teen Services librarian

Category: Programs