Art Club was one of the most personal programs I ever created so this will be the first of a multi-part series on this blog. My undergraduate degree is in art, and for a long time, I thought I would become an art teacher. Life took me to the the library instead—but as youth services librarians know, the library is a place where you can make almost anything happen. Art Club became my way of bringing those two passions together. Each month, we explored a different artist or art

If you’re looking for a high-energy program that will have your registration list filled within hours and kids talking about the library long after they leave, Nerf Wars is it. During my time in youth services, this was hands-down one of our most popular after-hours events. It transformed the library into something magical—a place where kids could laugh, run, strategize, and connect with each other in a space they already loved. Programs like this matter. Not every family has

Looking for a fun, engaging program for young children that combines storytime with hands-on learning? A Stuffed Animal Storytime followed by a “Stuffed Animal Clinic” is the perfect way to spark imagination, build early literacy, and teach social-emotional skills! We found this program to be well-loved by preschool-aged children and their grownups, alike! Why This Program Works This activity does more than entertain—it supports social-emotional learning and early literacy. C

If you’re looking for a passive program that keeps kids engaged, builds critical thinking skills, and practically runs itself, let me introduce you to one of my all-time favorite passive activities I've created: Break-In Bags , also featured in School Library Journal ! This program quickly became one of the most talked-about activities in the youth department. Kids would come in just to see if they could crack the code—and the best part? It requires minimal staff time once it

Teens are one of the hardest age groups to reach at the library—at least, they were for me at the beginning. When I started as Youth Services Librarian serving ages 0–18, teen involvement was almost non-existent. They came in, grabbed what they needed, and left. My After School Snack Initiative helped get more kids in the door—teens included—but it raised an important question: How do I keep them in the building and engaged after they’ve collected their snack? The answer, it

If you work with tweens and teens, you already know this universal truth: They are always hungry after school. They walk into the library at 3:15 with backpacks, stories from the day, and the kind of hunger that could level a vending machine. And if your library is anything like mine, snacks instantly become social currency. So instead of fighting it, I built a program around it. Gutsy Gourmet is a monthly themed tasting program where kids try foods (and drinks!) they might

Lo-Fi Lab, and its purpose was simple: give teens in grades 7–12 a place to decompress after school.

Our Back to School Bash was loud, joyful, and a little chaotic in the best way possible. Music filled the air. Kids ran from games to giveaways. Families left with backpacks full of school supplies, fresh haircuts, faces painted, and big smiles. But what made this event truly special wasn’t just what happened that day—it was everything that led up to it. This bash didn’t come from a budget line or a single sponsor. With the exception of the foam entertainment (which was heav

Sometimes the best library programs are the ones that let participants get a little messy, a little creative, and leave with something they actually want to keep.

When I stepped into my Youth Services role, one thing quickly became clear: our children’s collection was missing a critical foundation— phonics. There were no phonics-specific books at all, and while we did technically have leveled readers, the way materials were organized made independent browsing difficult for both children and their caregivers. Leveled readers were shelved in a very small, underdeveloped section. Leveled nonfiction titles were mixed into the general nonf

Not every library program needs instructions, worksheets, or a finished project. Some of the most successful programs we’ve offered were built around one simple idea: free play . Free play gives children the space to explore, experiment, and problem-solve on their own terms. It encourages creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking without the pressure of doing something “right.” While many libraries have embraced free play through programs like Lego Club or another free

How to host a fun, educational class trip to your library

*post includes affiliate links to help support this blog Hey there, beautiful programming people!! This is a program that I have been wanting to do for a long time and FINALLY got around to doing it not once, but TWICE! I've fine tuned it enough to be comfortable sharing it with you all. This is a long post, but bear with me. I've tried to cram ALLLL of the details in so your program goes well, too! *image from https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/among-us Program Description

An updated Home Ec class for your library!

Tween/Teen Bracelet Making!

Try Shibori Dyeing at your next Anime Club!

A fun sensory play program!

Passive programming for all ages!

Spa Day! A winning teen program!