Craft Summary

Week of 2/1 We made groundhogs. We had about 2 kids so here are pictures of mine:

The one on the right is a pop-up groundhog, the left is a statue (of sorts). Both were toilet paper roll crafts, which we have plenty of.

Week of 2/8

We made collage Valentines. And since they all took them home, I am pictureless. But I have to tell you it was a pretty fantastic craft because I got to write a love notes for a 7 year old. (He dictated, I wrote).

 Later that week we made Duck Tape Roses with about 5 kids. It was hard for them, but we had 2 of us teaching, so it worked.

Week of 2/15
We had a African American History Month theme going on so we made paper quilts. I found the work sheets on Crayola.com.

Craft Planning (2)

This week: Mardi Gras Masks!

I think I am going to cut the templates out of cardboard. We still have plenty of bling, glitter, feathers and other fun stuff.

Also, to continue the African American History Month activities, I found this star finder. They have one for every month of the year and they fold up like a old school fortune teller. I thought it would be a good a DIY craft (as in I don't have to do it for you or manage you while you're doing it) for the African American Read-In that we're having Friday.

Next week, since Craft Day falls on Leap Day, I think I am going to make scrap bags and have a crazy-invent-your-own-craft-day.

I have already found my St. Patricks Day Craft...

I think it's a little young, but I have decided it was cute, so hopefully they won't make fun of me. Or ask how I celebrate St. Patricks Day.

Olympic Program Brainstorming

I want to have a library Olympics.

I was reading the news, and all of a sudden I remembered the Olympics were this summer, how cool would it be to have a week long, or day long competition? It would be an awesome competition that I think the kids here would really get into. Here is some info on the Olympics, there a list of sports on that page somewhere... I am thinking at the least we could have Table Tennis, Basketball (court right across the street, maybe something simple like a H.O.R.S.E. competition) Archery (Foam darts instead of sharp arrows), Gymnastics, or maybe a dance competition? YES!

Notes on Weeding

I was at work yesterday putting some board books in the book sale. I have been weeding the Children's collection... I started with the picture books, then the non fiction and I got rid of so many books. I was amazed at the titles that stayed, but more so, the titles that left.

First, what I noticed yesterday at work. Under the table, in a box, hidden away was a book I have a clear memory reading: Anastasia's Chosen Career. I got this little smile on my face when I saw the book, and I remember wanting to be a bookstore owner just like Anastasia, I remember finding the book at the library, and other authors on the shelf because I found Lois Lowry. There was a simplicity to my life then, reading, maybe some television now and then, playing outside and with friends. My world was small. I look at the kids now and wonder if their world is too big now. They have access to anything on the internet, and they find it with automatic spell correct. I wish I could share the dreams I found in books with them, but what if they are still small?

Second thing I noticed is about the titles that left. My library is situated in an African American neighborhood, so we try and fill the collections written by African American authors or for the population. While weeding the picture book collection I found that those were the books with the lowest amount of circulation. Some, I understood. They were old, the pictures were outdated, and well, some of the illustrations were just, bad. How many oil painting children's books can there be!?!? But on the other hand, it made me sad, because these are the books they thought they wanted. Ooops, librarian failure #1. Lesson learned: ask more, assume less.