A Recap of Recaps

Submitted by Kim Ottesen

Here is a sampling of recaps from July 14 through July 22: 

Craft with Me: Build a Bookmark! - A Craft Program for Families and Friends at Post Road Library

34 children, 16 adults

"This "Craft with Me" program was everything we hoped it would be: families filled the room and had a lovely time working together; everyone was able to make several bookmarks; they were proud of their work and they asked over and over that we do this program again. Before the program, we set up tables of different sizes around the room so family/friend groups of different sizes could sit together. We put supplies at the front and back of the room, to give easy access. During the program, Melissa and I manned the laminator and paper cutter, finishing up the bookmarks as patrons brought them up. Supplies included different papers, washi tape, stickers, wrapping paper, special scissors and hole punches, ribbons and tassels and laminating film. The comments were overwhelmingly positive. A mom of teens told us she never attends adult programs because she wants to do things with her kids. She really appreciated the opportunity to craft with them today. Her girls also loved the program; they told me that they wish we would do the exact same program again, so they could make more bookmarks! Several Dads came to the program and each of them really got into the craft. One dad, an engineer, made very intricate designs. We were shocked to hear that he never crafts at home, because he really enjoyed it! One family of five just happened on the program, and expressed great delight at having done so. The father in that family made a bookmark with each of the family members' names and the date on it. He told us it was a keepsake! Another family told us they had been looking forward to the program for weeks and made this their Saturday family activity. I am pretty sure that every single child in the program made a point to thank us at the end. We polled patrons who asked us to repeat the program to gauge whether they just want to craft with friends and family, or whether they want to build bookmarks again. Everyone wanted more multi-age craft programs and several wanted this exact program again."

–Jane Elizabeth Sewell

MakerDay: Metal Embossing at Post Road Library

0 children, 23 adults

"Wow! We had a nice line of people who were interested in this program. We had enough supplies for 23 people and we ran out of tickets. I had cut the disposable cookie sheets into even sizes, provided stencils, a handout with step-by-step instructions, felt sheets, and various tools that could be found around the house. I began by telling those who were in attendance that we were going to be working with simple disposable aluminum pans. They couldn't believe that the material was so easily accessible. I also told them that they could use the same process with aluminum cans and aluminum foil. I showed them a short video explaining the types of embossing to give them an idea of what they were going to be doing before they dove into marking their aluminum sheet. Once we started and everyone had their designs, I turned on the ELMO and did a demonstration on how to use different objects as tools (end of a paint brush, end of a marker, stylus, bamboo skewer) to make marks on their metal sheet. They seemed to get the hang of it and once they saw a piece mounted on a black canvas board, they became very excited. The contrast of the black background and the light metal made their pieces really pop. They experimented with multiple stencils in their designs, added color to others, and even used negative space to highlight some dainty butterflies. A couple of them were talking about using this idea to make gifts for the holidays, weddings, graduations, etc. After most everyone had gone, one mother brought her teenage daughter in from the Teen Room to help her color her piece. She was so pleased with it and couldn't wait to put it up somewhere in her house. "

–Alison Carling

Animals Around the World with Wildlife Wonders at Cumming Library

142 children, 82 adults

"We had a full house for Wildlife Wonders! Tom from the North Georgia Zoo and his daughter Grace Lynn came out to show patrons some cool animals. He brought a chinchilla, young alligator, snake, armadillo, and a capuchin monkey. He got each animal out individually, presented facts about it, and then walked it around the room for the kids to see it close up. The program was PACKED - we gave out all tickets and Julie encouraged patrons we had to turn away to attend the other Wildlife Wonders programs at PR and HP. We had three Volunteens helping with tickets, clickers, etc. The highlight of the program was when Tom had the kids get in a line at end to pet animals. Tom held the snake and Grace Lynn held the chinchilla (later swapped out for the armadillo because it was getting antsy). I briefly promoted summer reading at the end. My favorite fact -- I learned that capuchin monkeys live to be in their 40s." –Alexa Martin

Once Upon a Tale Escape Room at Hampton Park Library

134 children, 98 adults

"Our "Once Upon a Tale" Escape room has been much anticipated by staff as well as patrons. Our participants showed up early and eager to embark on their fairytale adventure for each of our 21 sessions. The participants were tasked with using their fairy tale knowledge, skills of observation, and puzzle solving ability to unlock four locks on our BreakOut Box. Once the locks were open, inside the box they found an Escape Room button and a magic wand and were told to recite the famous phrases found at the beginning and the end of a fairy tale story to open the secret panel and escape. The children along with the adults had a great time and were able to break out in the allotted time. We received so many wonderful comments regarding the decor, creativity, and puzzles and riddles. There were several families that are already voicing their anticipation for the next one! This program is a true testament to the "All Together Now" summer spirit as we had Adult info, Youth Services, VolunTeens, and even outside staff members (thanks Steph Gardner) come together to create an amazing Fairy Tale Land! I loved how everyone's creative spirit worked together to make something so fun and engaging for our patrons, both young and young at heart!" –LeAnne Craig

For the Love of Lego at Sharon Forks Library

67 children, 46 adults

"Our young patrons had such a great time exploring Legos in new and familiar ways alike! I altered the beginning of this program from my original thoughts/plan and I think it worked very well. While we were letting everyone make their nametag and settle in I welcomed the group and asked what is it that they love about Lego. The answers were awesome and all about creativity and discovery! One of my first slides was a shot of loose Legos and I asked what possibilities the kids saw. Again, the answers were great, picking out a piece or two and imagining how it could be used! I told the group I could tell they were just as passionate about Legos as I am and how excited I was to share this program with them. Then I asked if they had ever had an idea of something they were going to make, but the actual creation didn't quite measure up to their idea. Lots of hands went up and I admitted that it happens to me all the time! I shared the book "The Most Magnificent Thing" by Ashley Spires and asked several questions throughout. We encouraged the kids to remember this book the next time they are facing a challenge. Stations Lego Marble Run - Using the rolling Lego wall, patrons were invited to make a marble run. I loved seeing the groups of kids working on this, testing it out and making adjustments. They had several problems to solve and explained their process to me each time I stopped by. Lego Mystery Build - Stations were set up with 12 identical Lego pieces and a visual screen between the pairs. Some teams gave directions as they built and some built first and then gave directions, but they all seemed to enjoy the challenge of giving verbal directions to their partner and many came very close to an identical build! I really loved seeing how many patrons visited this station! Lego Art - We had foam trays with 5 different colors of washable paint and bowls of Duplo and Standard Legos. The kids used the Legos as stamps and made all sorts of cool art! Ms. Amy was super busy keeping paper and paint stocked and I was so thankful to know she had it under control so I could visit the other stations and encourage our young friends! Lego Tower Game - I created a game board and invited patrons to roll the dice and find out how many Giant Lego blocks they would get to add or have to take away from their tower. The player with the tallest tower at the end won the game! We had several games played, but in the end our friends could not resist the awesomeness of the giant Legos and it turned into a building zone full of wonderful creations! Stop Motion Animation - We had 3 scenes, 2 iPads and lots of Lego people available for patrons to explore Stop Motion Animation and explore they did! I shared a short movie I had made to show what was possible and our two volunteens also made a short movie they could share so patrons could see how it looks in the app. I chatted with many film directors about their movies and also many parents about the free app. We had encouraged people to download the app and so many were so excited about having the ability for their kiddos to make movies with their favorite toys at home! Build a Rube Goldberg Machine - Lego and other supplies were available for patrons to build a Rube Goldberg machine. We shared a video and a small machine I had built on the front table, which thankfully worked! When the kids applauded I knew the station would be a popular one, and it was! So many creations and determined builders! I got to see many machines in process and several complete a successful run! I allowed recycled materials to go home with the patrons who asked and have a feeling the creating continued! Free Build/Challenge Cards - We had 3 free build stations which were very popular, of course! I loved seeing the creations as they grew and developed and the kiddos loved sharing what they were making!" –Steph Gardner

Chestatee Elementary School Visit with Outreach

19 children, 10 adults

"On Tuesday we had our second summer visit to Chestatee Elementary School. Each year we work with the family engagement coordinator, Meg Killingsworth and Kim Sarfaty, special education teacher to bring bookmobile services to their families. The teachers and families always enjoy our visit and tell us repeatedly how grateful they are for the opportunity to offer some summer fun to their students.  School personnel had a great time with the families doing the crafts and playing with the library's selection of big games. " –Lorraine Lane 

Photo of the week:

Escapees from the Once Upon a Tale Escape Room at Hampton Park Library.