CHILDREN’S PROGRAMING: IDEAS, TIPS, & TRICKS

PRESENTED BY JILL BURKET RAGASE

OVERVIEW

• The latest programming trends and ideas for

incorporating them with limited time/budget

• New ideas for low cost programs

• Ideas for tapping into your local community for free or

low cost programs

• How to utilize your patrons and parents for free or low

cost programming

• Programming ideas that work with the National

Summer Reading theme for 2017

TRENDS: POKEMAN

• Gotta Read ‘Em All

• Earn Every Badge

• Design Your Own Pokeball

• Pokeman Post-It Displays

• Pokeman Crafts for every age and price

point!

TRENDS: MAKER SPACES

• Makey Makey

• Dash and Dot

• Newspaper or Marshmellow

Building Challenges

• K’Nex

• Sewing Machines

• Options for every budget!

TRENDS: KINDNESS PROGRAMS

• Operation Gratitude

• Girls love mail

• Cards and drawings for local

senior or housebound programs

• Kindness “Bingo”

• Kindness Calendars

• Kindness Trees

TRENDS: MAKE A MESS

• A Natural Outgrowth of Pinterest

• Over the top

• The Messier, the Better

TRENDS: STEM

• Marble Roller Coasters

• Newspaper Challenge

• Marshmallow Launchers

• Pool Noodle Structures

• Straw Building

• Edible Architecture

TRENDS: STOP MOTION ANIMATION WORKSHOP

• Low Cost

• High Interest

• Great for Elementary- Teens

TREND: BOTTLE CAP MURALS

• Individual or Large Scale

• Fits with the 2017 Summer

Reading Theme: Make a Better

World

• Appealing for ages 4-94

WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU CURIOUS TO TRY?

I’M NOT CHEAP, I’M FRUGAL!

• Water Sports Day

• Paper Airplane Tournament

• Summer Snowball Fight

• Treasure/Scavenger Hunt- expand to be community wide

• Trivia Night

• Picnic in the Library

• Field Day

• Library Jenga

• Cardboard Construction

FRUGAL PROUD- SHARE YOUR SUCCESSES!

COMMUNITY PROGRAMS

• Park Rangers

• Search Dogs

• Therapy/Reading Dogs

• Energy Companies

• Recycling/Waste Disposal

Companies

• Sign Making

• Sports Demos

• Pet Adoptions

• Local/Regional Team Mascots-

don’t forget Community

Agencies

• Home Depot

• Don’t forget local dance

teams, bmx teams,

• Big Rig Show and Tell- fire

truck, ambulance, SWAT,

energy company, cable

company

SHOUT OUT FOR COMMUNITY RESOURCES

PARENTS, STAFF, AND PATRONS

• All call via social media- make a

dream list

• Mad Scientist Toy Challenge

• Lego, K’Nex, Magna Tiles

• People love to help, give them a

chance to do so

HOW DO YOU LEVERAGE THE SKILLS OF YOUR PATRONS AND STAFF?

PASSIVE PROGRAMS

• Reading without Walls Challenge

• Reading Bingo

• Blind Date with a Book

• Book Bundles

• Scrabble Wall

• Lego Check Out Build

HITS AND MISSES- TELL US ABOUT YOUR PASSIVE PROGRAMS

SUMMER READING 2017: BUILD A BETTER WORLD

• Community planning for kids

• Environmentalism

• Kindness

• Maker Space

• Invention Clubs

• Box City/Community

• Food/Toiletry/School Supply Drives

• Community Garden, even container gardening

• Volunteer Fair

WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SUMMER?

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? ADDITIONS?

• Jill Burket Ragase

• jill@jumbleofjill.com