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Program Goals Encourage creativity and using different art styles/materials Help build gross and fine motor skills 25 attendance Project: Sticker resist How it works: The kids are supposed to put stickers on the paper, paint with watercolors, then remove the stickers to leave a shape. It never works quite like I want it to - I think I need better paper and/or stickers. Supplies liquid watercolors paper (need watercolor paper) stickers (still using the shape stickers from 3 years ago!) paint cups, brushes, tablecloths, aprons, paper towels Resources I got this idea from the Artful Parent Project: Tape art and stickers How it works: I collected as many different kinds of tape and stickers as I could. Supplies Stickers - geometrical shapes, small glittery stickers, and everything I could find in the cupboard Tape - colored masking tape, colored craft tape (or washi tape) Markers, Paper Evaluation 4-17-18: Tape art and stickers Attendance: 30 Notes: I was setting up for Eric Carle the next...

This is something from Minecraft, obviously Program Goals:  Engineering! Encourage kids to plan and think ahead Encourage kids to be creative with a limited selection of items 35 kids and adults in attendance Project/Experiment: Cardboard Engineering I usually have a separate project and experiment, but this doesn't lend itself well to that. I had a large board up with instructions for the kids Think: What are you making? Plan: Draw a plan! Collect supplies! Measure = 2, Cut = 1 Build! Don't have what you need? Didn't work? Back to step 1! I've also tried cardboard squares for building - it didn't work quite right, but I probably didn't get the squares cut correctly. Supplies (cardboard engineering) Cardboard (every box for the last month and then some!) Duct tape, packing tape, regular tape Scissors, hole punches, staplers Pencils (I still have about 3500 that were donated) Pencils, scratch paper, rulers Markers and stickers Duct tape. Lots and lots of duct ta...

I'm continuing to work on defining this pop-up library/bookmobile program. I've sent some of the easy readers over to schools a few times, but that part of the program has never really taken off. What I've ended up doing is separating remote circulation, or pop-up libraries, from Library on the Go by whether or not adults are in attendance. If adults are there, I bring actual library materials that require cards to check out. If adults are not present, as in the case of classes, then it's a good venue for Library on the Go. I don't bring crafts to the classroom venues. I've visited a couple classrooms, kindergarten through 2nd grade, and found that these work best when I line the kids up to pick their book, tell them to put it in their cubby or backpack, and make sure each gets a bookmark with the "rules" and schedule. In the spring I set up regular, twice-monthly when I can manage it, visits to OPtions, our local charter/homeschool co-op which is asso...

Program Goals Encourage creativity, problem-solving, and math skills Encourage collaboration and a friendly space for kids and parents to interact Offer a program that fits a variety of ages, needs, and abilities Attendance: 35 Challenges Build a creation with 25 pieces Build a creation from one color Build a vehicle Build a robot Build a city Build a winter vehicle Build a (Star Wars) space ship Build an animal Build a school Build a chicken Lego Club is my longest-running after school club. It's a drop-in program - people can come any time between 3:30 and 5:30 and stay as long as they want. There is a display of Lego and related books that can be checked out, as well as flyers for upcoming programs. I tell kids that it's an "all you can create buffet". They use the plastic bowls to go down the "buffet" and make choices, and then build on the tables. Everyone knows that if it's on the buffet it's fair game, if it's on a table in the rest of the...