I have been working on an idea to provide inexpensive or free entertainment for family night at the library - a time where people of various ages can get together to learn and play new games; a night when people can be “Loud @ Your Library” with a four week rotation that includes the following types of family game nights:
1) “Board games @ Your Library,” where everyone plays board games like: Sorry, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, etc. , based on the National Gaming Day @ your Library (November 12, this year; see: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/gaming/ ). More information is listed below under children’s programming ideas.
2) “Card night @ Your Library” with a focus of peer based style of teaching: each on teach one. The adults teach other adults, the children teach other children. This includes games such as: Gin, Euchre, War, Go Fish, and for toddlers, a matching card game. (Poker is not recommended since gambling or other issues might arise). Other quiet paper games are possible, like Tic-Tac-Toe or even popular games such as Magic: The Gathering. This week can have groups separated by skill levels, allowing parents time to spend with their children or with other local adults.
3) “Playground night @ Your Library”: here, the main focus is games that require movement but not many additional resources such as: Red Light/Green Light, Mother May I?, Simon Says, etc. Local cultural or social groups could be included to teach hand clapping, cheerleading, or stepping to the patrons. Red Rover might not be acceptable, but Four Square, Hopscotch, and Double Dutch or jumping ropes could be considered.
4) “Video Game Night @ Your Library”: an employee or patron may bring in an appropriate video game that is meant for multiple players to enjoy moving and teamwork such as: Wii’s Mario Party. The audience would be toddlers to adults. The initial outcome would vary, depending on how well the night was planned and organized and if enough people were interested in participating. Librarians should be prepared for problems that cannot be avoided: arguing (need rules of use for video game night), people leaving children and not staying (under a certain age, child must be accompanied by an adult), and other problems that relate to local community that the library already might already be trying to address.
Expected outcome: this type of program could provide a night when families can laugh and enjoy time together, a time for patrons to make new friends, an increase in the number of people who return on an non-game night, a chance for the library to inform the community of other ways the library can benefit the patron, and the community could feel closer through learning old favorites and new games that stitch cultures and generations together.
Success would be measured not only in the number of people who show up for the event but also if the amount of materials being checked out rises or if there is an increase in memberships. Marketing is very important to the success of this program.
Four innovative ideas for children’s programming.
1) Same Story/Different Story. Read The Three Little Pigs and then read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. Or read Little Red Riding Hood and then Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood by Mike Artell. There are many variations to the same story, usually from different cultures. A great way to discuss the differences and understanding that there are different points of views.
2) Board @ the Library. Where everyone plays board games like: Sorry, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, etc. , based on the National Gaming Day @ your Library (November 12, this year; see: http://www.ilovelibraries.org/gaming/ ). Or playing card games with a focus of peers as teachers: each on teach one. The adults teach other adults, the children teach other children. This includes games such as: Gin, Euchre, War, Go Fish, and for toddlers, a matching card game. (Poker is not recommended since gambling or other issues might arise). Other quiet paper games are possible, like Tic-Tac-Toe or even popular games such as Magic: The Gathering.
3) LOL @ the Library. The main focus is games that require movement but not many additional resources such as: Red Light/Green Light, Mother May I?, Simon Says, etc. Local cultural or social groups could be included to teach hand clapping, cheerleading, or stepping to the patrons. Red Rover might not be acceptable, but Four Square, Hopscotch, and Double Dutch or jumping ropes could be considered.
4) Pirate Party. Especially good for “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (September 19 this year; see: http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html). Bring out the pirate and buccaneers books (and movies) and get ready for some fun.
Three creative ideas for promoting a library and/or children services.
1) Create an icon that will grab attention and place in local community- at church, daycares, grocery stores, and local attractions that parents and children visit. Children are able to understand that the double arches for McDonalds symbolizes the location and fond memories before they can say the word “McDonalds”. By creating an icon (preferably with some information “See you @ Your Library”) will draw curiosity as well as provide memories and acknowledgement.
2) A survey hidden as a prize. Ask that children from the age of 5 to 12 write to your library and tell the library what they would like at the library and why. Free suggestions, possible out come of the idea being in place. But implement local community by the prize fitting in the community. Free passes to local theaters or restaurant (preferably) not owned by a chain.
3) Bookmark contest. Children or Teens come up with an idea to create a bookmark that implements something in the library that they hadn’t known before. Such as: audio books, reference desk assistance with tough homework questions, etc.
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