Ideas - 2012 Summer Library Program

The 2012 themes:

• Children:  Dream Big - Read
• Teen: Own the Night
• Adult: Between the Covers

Shared Ideas ...

• West Branch Public Library - We are planning to do a light painting program for the teens. Here is a link with instructions:  http://www.diyphotography.net/painting_with_light
• Cambridge Public Library - We have a woman that is a cake designer from HyVee in Ames that comes for programs three or four times a year    She always does a really neat one in the summer for our Summer Program, also in the Fall she does one around Halloween, and one for the Spring. Her name is Sara Vanderheyden & works in  HyVee at 640 Lincoln way.

• Wilson Memorial Library - Keota: "Own the Night" – We have a very dedicated group of teen readers so this was fairly easy...The kids are going to be reading "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" and will meet one day a week for 4 weeks. When they finish the month if they have read the book completely they will have an opportunity to see the movie, with permission of course, since it is being released the end of June.
• Churdan Public Library - A cute and easy idea is to buy an inexpensive plastic table cloth (dark blue or black).  Take a push pin and punch holes in it.  Put it over a table and the kids can get under it and see "stars".  If you want to make constellations, you would have to take the time to unfold it and put holes where the specific stars would be.

• Program Ideas for Summer Library Program 2012 from the California Library Association (suggested by Merri Monks)
• Add some modern grave sites to your Famous Crypts display (see p. 78 of the teen manual) by searching online sites such as http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-visited-famous-grave-sites.php.

Crafts & Activities

• Photos of crafts from the fall workshops with Jerri Heid and Val Donnell of Ames Public Library.
• Corner Bookmarks at http://www.livingandlearningathome.com/2012/01/paper-hats-and-cute-corner-bookmarks.html and http://nheilke.com/blog/2011/02/corner-page-bookmarks-3/ (posted to the list by Kristin at Williamsburg).
• Make a flashlight from a soda can and cereal box:  http://www.instructables.com/id/Torch-made-from-coke-can-and-cereal-box/.
• Kitchen Owls:  http://findmakedo.blogspot.com/2010/08/focus-on-art.html (make owls from all sorts of lids and discarded gadgets)
• Summer Library Program on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pippi/2012-dream-big-read-collaborative-boards/.
• Teen Library Program Ideas:  http://pinterest.com/mammabird12/teen-library-program-ideas/
• Val Donnell's Pinterest page:  http://pinterest.com/vdonnell/library-summer-program-2012/
• Owl Poems – action and counting rhymes for summer storyhours:  Go to http://www.readinglady.com/ and search for “owl poems.”
• Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead coloring pages (use “advanced” for teens):  http://www.coloringcastle.com/diadelosmuertos_coloring_pages.html or http://karenmichel.com/blog/2010/10/dia-de-los-muertos-for-kids/.

• Other Day of the Dead crafts:  http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-crafts.html.
• Papel Picado for Day of the Dead Decorating:  see http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/mexico/mpapel_picado.htm or http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/mexico/mpapel_picado.htm
• "Little Guiding Stars:"  http://blog.creativekismet.com/2011/01/06/little-guiding-stars/
• "Little Inspiration Booklet:"  http://blog.creativekismet.com/2010/02/17/open-paper-bag-inspiration-booklet/
• Firefly Drawing Lesson:  :  http://www.how-to-draw-cartoons-online.com/cartoon-firefly.html
• Star Sun Catchers/Mobiles:  http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/star-sun-catcher-665500/
• Rope Bracelets (from shopping bag handles):  http://sideoatsandscribbles.wumple.com/2011/06/01/diy-rope-bracelet-from-a-jcrew-shopping-bag/
• How to Draw an Owl:  http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/2011/03/kids-vintage-printable-draw-some-owls.html
• Firefly Crafts:  Plastic Egg Fireflies (shared by Erin at Waukee ); Firefly with glow-in-the-dark paint (shared by Kelly at Cedar Falls/Waterloo); Thumbprint Fireflies (shared by Linda at Webster City); Firefly from a soda bottle (shared by Katie at Pella).

"Printables"

• Space Bookmarks to color
• Dream Catcher to color
• Crayola's Dream Catcher
• Several Nocturnal Animals bookmarks
• Owl Paper Bag Puppet or Another Owl Puppet
• Owl Lover's Calendar:  Print a custom calendar for the rest of the year -- or use the artwork for a bulletin board, etc.

Die Cut Shapes (from your District Offices)

Visit our die cut page for more information about ordering cut-outs from your District Office.  Here are a few of the shapes we have for this summer's theme:

• bats
• moon
• clouds
• firefly
• flashlight
• teddy bears & teddy bear finger puppet
• astronaut
• spider
• rabbit
• sheep
• door hanger
• stars & star bookmarks
• Saturn

Community Service Ideas for Teens

• Collect teddy bears for a local charity.  (Some police and fire fighters keep them on hand to comfort children.)
• Project Linus – http://www.projectlinus.org/ -- some fleece blankets require no sewing.
• ConKerr – http://conkerrcancer.org/home/ -- if you have teens who can sew a bit, making pillow cases for this charity is a good project.

Discussion Starters about Light Pollution (might also be used for a bulletin board or display)

• “Bring Back the Night” at http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/jul/13/neuroscience-biology
• “The End of Night: Why We Need Darkness,” National Geographic, November 2008
• “Five Ways to Bring Back the Night” at http://green.yahoo.com/blog/amorylovins/26/five-ways-to-bring-back-the-night.html
• Website of the International Dark Sky Association at http://www.darksky.org/