Spooky Ghost Paintings!

Photo from Middleton Public Library

 Looking for a relatively cheap and fun program that you can do for all ages this month? Try out thrifted ghost paintings. This trend was pretty popular last year, so you've probably seen some great photos. I had originally planned this program as part of my 'Tweens Try It series, but then our teen librarian hopped on board. We're already planning to do this again but for all ages next year! You only need a few supplies and you're ready to go!

Supplies:

1. Thrifted paintings of a wide variety. We used landscapes, photographs, home decor and more. We struggled a bit to find paintings, but if you've got enough thrift stores close to your library, you should not have any trouble. 

2. Paint, brushes, pallets. We included white paint, glow in the dark paint, and some neon paint. We set up some black lights so the kids could see how their finished work would look when it was glowing! Heads up, be sure to tell the kids that the neon paint does not dry clear. We had some unhappy campers when the black lights were turned off and they could still see the paint.

3. Screwdrivers. Some of the paintings might require disassembly. We found some of the older paintings needed tools to remove the backing. Some of the kids didn't want to wait and painted directly on the glass, which worked just fine for them! 

Interactive Hocus Pocus!

Looking for a fun, easy program to celebrate the spooky season?

Why not try your hand at an interactive movie?  (Think Rocky Horror midnight show, but family-friendly.)

A few weeks ago, we held a Hex-a-Long: Interactive Hocus Pocus program at our library!

The program itself was relatively low-cost and low-maintenance.  The most labor-intensive part was deciding on the interactive elements and choosing my bewitching snacks!

I decided that we'd have spooky chocolate covered pretzels, popcorn, candy, and Witch's Brew Punch. (ginger ale + limeade + citrus sherbert = YUM)

I also found some super cute little inflatable brooms and sticky cats on Oriental Trading, so all the witches and warlocks in attendance could fly home with their very own souvenirs.

On the day of the program, I made sure each attendee had a cheat sheet to peek at during the movie and went over each of the prompts and their corresponding responses.  Additionally, I printed off the actions, taped them to the wall, and used my handy dandy pointer (and verbal cues!) to help instruct them along the way.

Once the movie began, the program basically ran itself!  Participants were encouraged to dance, sing, and quote along to their heart's content...  (I know I did!)

Needless to say, this program was such a blast and I definitely plan to repeat it in the coming years!  If anyone is interested in the cheat sheet, wall prompts, or official recipe for the Witch's Brew, send me an email and I'd be happy to share! aramkids @ aramlibrary.org

Happy fall, y'all!