Video Games IRL

Image by María_Alberto from Pixabay

Cindy Shutts crushes another teen program on the Teen Librarian Toolbox blog! She covers a couple fandoms with ideas for Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, and Among Us programs for teens and tweens.

Read the whole post here. And let us know if you try out any of these ideas!

[Cindy Crushes Programming: Video Games in Real Life . Cindy Shutts. Teen Librarian Toolbox blog. October 30, 2025.]

Kid's Craft Fair!

Photo from Middleton Public Libray

This weekend the Middleton Public Library hosted around 50 kids for the 7th annual Young Entrepreneur Craft Fair. This was the biggest year yet with 40 different tables of kids selling their homemade creations. This event takes place on the main floor of the library drawing in patrons who are there for shopping and catching those who are there for their typical library business. 

We've finally gotten this event down to a science, making it easy and repeatable. 

1. An application goes out September 1st asking for age, type of craft, and availability on the date. 

2. Kids who are selected are notified October 1st and are required to confirm attendance.

3. Our sale takes place in November to coincide with a craft fair that takes place at the senior center across the street. 

It's truly amazing to see the work that the kids have put into creating their crafts. Many have created business names and signage about their businesses. They bring decor to set up their tables with tablecloths, lights, price menus and more. 

This program is becoming increasingly popular, and I will need to figure out how to limit the amount of kids next year. So far, we've been able to accommodate all the kids who apply and fit the criteria, but we've maxed out our space this year, and will need to change up the application process a bit next year.

See a video highlighting the fun on Facebook or Instagram. 

Tuesday Tips - Faux Stained Glass

Sam Jones is the Youth Services Librarian at the Beaver Dam Public Library. She shares tips to make your job easier in her Tuesday posts.

Over the years, I have seen many ways to create a stained glass craft project. The way I did it last month was super simple. 

You'll need: 

• A picture frame (I got mine from the Dollar Store)
• Sharpies
• Aluminum foil
• Optional: stained glass inspired coloring sheets for people to trace

First, you'll use a Sharpie to outline the design you want on the picture frame's glass. If you want to trace a coloring sheet, put the coloring sheet below the glass before you start tracing. Once the tracing is done, you'll color in the rest of the glass. 

Next, you'll take a piece of aluminum foil, crinkle it, uncrinkle it, and then put it in between the glass and the frame. Before putting the frame together, you'll want to flip the glass over so the part you colored on is facing the aluminum foil.

All ages and abilities enjoyed this craft. During the promotion of the program, many people  complimented the sample and said it looked like real stained glass.

Intergenerational Art Program Success

Shelly Colins Fuerbringer

Recently in the IFLS Keeping Up with Kids blog, Shelly Collins Fuerbringer from the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire shared some great art ideas that, while targeted towards youth, actually engaged all ages.

Click here to get the scoop. [Inspiring Intergenerational Community Art Projects. Fuerbringer, Shelly Collins. Keeping Up with Kids blog. August 27, 2025.]

Let's Get Crafty!

In a recent ALSC blog post, Alicia Hulten, writing for the ALSC Library Service to Underserved Children and Their Caregivers, wrote a really helpful post on combining crafts with learning opportunities. for youth ages 3-12.

Alicia writes: "Youth library programs play an important role in enriching young minds by providing a wide range of inclusive activities that promote learning and fun. Key components of these programs are the crafts and activities as they help children explore new ideas and express their creativity all in a warm, welcoming environment. Let’s take a look at some tips that will help you choose engaging crafts and activities for youth library programs. "

To read her handy tips, please stop here. [Crafting Joy for Everyone: Selecting Crafts and Activities for Youth Library Programs. Hulten, Alicia ALSC blog. April 5, 2025]

Mini-Book Shelf Making Program for Teens

Image - Cindy Shutts

Ever wonder what to do with all those Altoid mints tins you and other library staff have been collecting? Well, your wait is over. Cindy Schutts who writes the "Cindy Crushes Programming" column over at SLJ's Teen Librarian Toolbox has the answer. She created a DIY program for teens that helps them create tiny bookshelves inside each box.

Read on to find out what you need and how to prep for this fun and crafty program for teens. [Cindy Crushes Programming: Mini Bookshelves. Shutts, Cindy. Teen Librarian Toolbox blog. School Library Journal. January 1, 2025.]

Terrible Teddy Bear Programs

Photo: Ricky Elliot

Lindsey Krabbenhoft at Jbrary blog recently lent her blog to Samuel Elkind, a recent MLIS grad. He shared  his huggable monstrosity crafting program "that encourages mistake-making, that positions the program leader as learner, and that brings a sense of silliness and fun kids love."

Please stop here to read the details of how Samuel created this program and the results! [Create Your Own Huggable Monstrosity. Elkind, Samuel. Jbrary blog. May 21, 2024.]

ALL.THE.THINGS. with Jonathan Dolce SLP 2023 Edition

We haven't heard from our favorite link- and info- crazy colleague Johnathan in a while but he popped up on the ALSC blog recently sounding the clarion call of getting ready for SLP 2022 with a zillion ideas to get you revved up and motivated.

He writes: : "But It’s Still Winter…Believe it or not, this is my 20th year working – as a paid employee – in Central Florida libraries. If you include volunteering…well…that’d be most of my life. From all I’ve ever experienced, you can never be fully or overly prepared for a season of summer reading programming. As a matter of fact, I am known for ALWAYS having a backup plan for each program, right down to duplicates of mission critical equipment. Sounds like a military operation, doesn’t it?

So, yes, it’s January and we are talkin’ All Together Now, our 2023 Summer Reading Program!"

To read the full post, please stop here. [All Together Now 2023 SRP. Dolce, Johnathan. ALSC blog. January 19, 2023.]

Tuesday Tips - Craft Magic

Image by 200 Degrees from Pixabay

Sam Jones is the Youth Services Librarian at the Beaver Dam Public Library. She shares tips to make your job easier in her Tuesday posts.

Ever since I was a child, I knew I wasn't crafty or artistic. It just isn't in me, so this blog post really spoke to me. It is called Library Crafts for the Craft-Phobic Children’s Librarian by Katie Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald suggests crafts such as friendship wristbands, sticker scenes, and paper plate crafts.  

They say to "keep things simple, focus on process over product, and watch as young artists surprise you with what they are able to create." It really is amazing what someone can come up with. 

I helped run a program this summer called Friday Fun, where anyone could come and do a craft. Every Friday, I was amazed at what everyone came up with and how different they all were- even though they were creating the same thing. 

Quick Craft Bite: Binary Code Bookmarks

Looking for a fun, adaptable craft using supplies you likely already have on hand?

Why not make binary code bookmarks?  

Thanks to Cat P. for sharing this easy, brainy idea on the Storytime Solidarity Facebook group!

"Just wanted to share this fun STEAM Valentine’s Day project. It is a binary code bookmark. This one spells out LOVE. A paperclip 📎 is supposed to be sandwiched between the two adhesive stickers. Place the clip on your book page and the beaded section is outside of the book. Fun, easy, inexpensive and brainy!! ❤️"

Other commenters mentioned they've done similar activities in the past with participants spelling out their names or favorite words, making this a simple but effective project that you and your patrons can truly make your own.

Happy crafting!

ALL.THE.THINGS. With Jonathan Dolce - November

Are you thinking about your holiday programming coming up as the year winds down? 

You're in luck. The regular idea and info tsunami written by Jonathan Dolce that the ALSC blog publishes monthly is here again. I like to share Jonathan’s posts of ideas because who knows what will spark your creativity?

This month the focus is on end of the year programming. Stop here to access this great post!

ALL.THE. THINGS. with Jonathan Dolce - October 2021

It's time to link to wunderkind Jonathan Dolce and his monthly mega-share from the ALSC blog. His focus is on fall and he shares what he has...which is alot!!

You'll find grant opportunities, craft ideas for the season, ideas for parents, inclusion ideas, a boatload of teen content, media tie-ins, children's program ideas, STEAM ideas, juicy news from the youth publishing field and SO.MUCH.MORE.

Don't hesitate, click here and start grabbing up his freely shared ideas!

ALL.THE.THINGS. with Jonathan Dolce - January 2021

ALSC blog's Jonathan Dolce is an inspired blogger and a favorite here at the YSS blog. 

His most recent post is full of fun information/inspiration for you to delve into for programs, sanity and fun for kids. From kids and hygge though room designs, new media for kids, crafts and YA ideas and trivia, this is a great resource post.

He writes: "So, we get another shot. The celestial odometer ticks one more trip around the sun. And here goes: some inspo for you to make your 2021 sunny and bright, youth services style!"

Check out the fun here in the full blog post!

Get Crafty at Home with Picture Books

Maureen Schlosser over at Knowledge Quest has shared a great list of picture book-inspired crafts and ideas for families to keep busy during stay at home.  From Susan L. Roth's Birds of a Feather: Bower Birds and Me to A Life Made By Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa, Schlosser's suggestions could easily be translated into take and make kits or craft video follow-alongs for the families in your community!  Check out the full article HERE.

Galaxy Tees OR Using Bleach in Your Library Without Disastrous Consequences

If you are like me, you try to avoid any major craft disasters in the work place.  This has led me to actively ignore 64% of Pinterest children's crafts (no painted handprints for my no-tile-all-carpet program area thank you very much), and to err on the side of skepticism for messy teen programs. (I have one very large, very yellow splotch of slime stubbornly refusing to be scrubbed off a wall.)  However, after reading Pamela Penza's recent post over at the Teen Service Underground blog, I am feeling more confident in the possibility of bringing bleach into a teen program.  Check out her step-by-step guide to epic Galaxy Tees using bleach and paint.  The results are pretty awesome!

DIY Ugly Sweaters

Oodles of holiday baubles and craft supplies hanging around?  You are already well on your way to hosting your very own DIY Ugly Sweater program!

In fact, let's be honest, you're pretty much there, save for set up, tear down, and advertising--and maybe some sweet holiday tune-age to keep the party vibe alive.

This program is really fun and ridiculously easy!  I provided tons of craft supplies and holiday doo-dads (think tinsel, bells, bows, ribbons, and glittery ornaments) and let everyone go crazy!
                             

                             

While the participants were encouraged to bring their own article of clothing to decorate, I did have a few sweaters on hand, in case folks forgot.  (Thanks, Goodwill!)  

 

Beyond that, it was mostly encouraging silliness and being available to help operate the hot glue gun, if anyone needed assistance.

Easy peasy and a definite hit with the kids?  Check and check.  

Craft Stick Harmonica DIY

Super simple musical craft alert!

I just had a DIY Instruments program and the far-and-away winner was the Craft Stick Harmonica!  I used instructions found on the Housing a Forest blog.

It was simple, fun...and--chances are--you already have all the materials necessary on your craft shelves! 

Materials Needed:

• craft sticks
• paper
• rubber bands or string
• toothpicks
• scissors

Each patron will need two craft sticks.  We used the wide ones, so I can't speak for the success of the skinnier ones.  Cut a piece of paper the same size as your craft sticks and sandwich the paper strip between the two.

Wrap a rubber band or some string around one end until it is snug.  Then, slide a toothpick--cut to the approximate width of the craft sticks--to the inside of the rubber band/string.  Repeat with an identical toothpick at the other end and wrap with a rubber band/string. 

And THAT'S IT.

Simply have the kiddos exhale or inhale to make a unique noise.  They can also try pinching the sticks together to see how the noises and vibrations change!  There was a bit of a learning curve, but once they figured out the technique, it was a symphony of buzzing and giggles.

Rockin' Crafts

Rocks rock.  Let's be frank. 

You can paint them, draw on them with Sharpies and/or crayons, or just use them as they are!  If you're planning a large program and need oodles of supplies, you can always buy bags of rocks from a hardware store or a garden center.  Otherwise, go on an adventure (take the kids on a nature walk, rock out a scavenger hunt, etc.) and gather your supplies!

What do you do with all these rocks once you have them?  I'm glad you asked!

How about Kindness Rocks?  Sprinkle kindness around like confetti!

Story Rocks (or Story Stones) are a super fun and easy activity that will encourage continued play and exploration!  Give the kiddos the stones, a simple prompt--for example: "Choose 5 stones and write a story that incorporates all of them."--and watch them go!

If you're looking for inspiration on additional ways to use your Story Rocks, simply Google and you shall receive what you seek in abundance.

Here's another fun option: Land Art!  

This can incorporate rocks, of course, but the possibilities are endless!  Check out this article found on The Artful Parent blog where they spoke with Richard Shilling, the author of the Land Art for Kids book series.

You can also create games!  Tic-Tac-Toe, Dominos, you name it!  Or perhaps a matching game is more your speed?  You could decorate stones--or have the patrons decorate stones--to create games to work on matching colors, upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and more!

Here's an adorable fish rock craft from the Hello, Wonderful website:

And another goodie from The Artful Parent: Making Faces with Rocks!

Programs Inside the Box, Vol. 1: Cardboard Box Drive-In

Cardboard boxes...here, there, EVERYWHERE.  Regardless of the size of your library, you likely find yourself inundated with oodles of boxes at some point or another.  Of course, you could always recycle them, but why not re-purpose them for programs first?

One idea: you could host a Cardboard Box Drive-In!  

Each attendee gets a box and some fun craft materials to transform into their own sweet ride!  Then, once the vehicles are completed, they can sit in their respective cars, watching a short film and eating delicious drive-in snacks.

As you might imagine, things like paper, scissors, duct tape, and markers are always well-utilized.  Here are a few other materials to consider having available:

  *craft sticks - great for license plate covers!

  *pipe cleaners - antennas and windshield wipers, galore!

  *paper plates - tires and steering wheels!

  *cupcake wrappers + bracelet-sized glowsticks = super sweet  headlights!

Given that cardboard boxes can be rather bulky and take up quite a bit of space, you can always consider having registration and ask folks to secure their parking space ahead of time.

What's great about this program is that it can be relatively low-cost, provided you plan ahead: most of the materials necessary can be found on your craft shelves or--in terms of boxes--saved as orders come in.

This program has been quite popular here at my library and is something that I've revisited often.  To add a bit of extra excitement for our next installment, I've been in contact with our fire station to see if they'd be interested in hosting a firehouse tour and Cardboard Box Drive-In at the station for SRP 2018 - - we'll transform our boxes into firetrucks and other emergency vehicles and have the chance to watch a movie with real live firefighters!

Ladies and gentlemen, let's all go to the drive-in!

C'mon, Get Crafty! Circulating Craft Kits

Do you find yourself sitting on oodles of prepared crafts without a purpose?  Perhaps they're leftover from a story time or program and--while there aren't enough to utilize again in a different setting--you still would like to find a use for them?  (After all, you did all the hard work of creating and prepping things!)  What's a Youth Services Librarian to do?

Consider making them into circulating craft kits!

At a system-wide Youth Services meeting last spring, the lovely Tricia from Waterford mentioned that they had started circulating pre-made craft kits and had seen an amazing response from their patrons!  Right then, I knew I wanted to implement something like this at my library.  (Our patrons are avid crafters.)  What's really great about this particular offering is that, other than staff time and the initial set up, you can do it at practically no cost!  SAY WHAT?!

Here's the basic idea:

Patrons check out a bag (or envelope or what-have-you) that contains all the pieces necessary to create a particular craft.  They take the craft home, make it, and return the bag to the library.  Then, the bag is refilled with a new craft and the cycle starts all over again.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

You can tweak the bag--and its contents--to suit the needs of your individual library, both in terms of patron ease, budget, and craft reproduction.  Some libraries may opt to give step by step instructions; whereas our library chose to include a picture of the completed craft, along with both a title and the suggestion to check out other books or materials to complement the project.

 

You may also opt to include glue sticks or other materials with your kit, or to instead choose to provide them with the necessary pieces specific to the project and have them use glue/scissors/etc. from home.

There are so many ways you can customize this special collection, should you opt to incorporate it in your library!  Don't be afraid to experiment and have fun!