More Ideas from the WAPL Idea Swap
Leah Langby
May 24, 2012
Keeping Up With Kids

Here are some more ideas I got from the programming-for-elementary-ages- idea swap, held at the Wisconsin Association of Public Librarians Conference earlier this month (look for more coming up!)

  • From Waupaca:  Jousting using library stools as mounts and swim noodles as swords–the goal is to knock a ball off a cone held in the non-noodle hand.
  • From Algoma and other places:  Chocolate program included:
    • Personality test, based on what kind of chocolate bar was your favorite
    • Chocolate tasting
    • Photos of cross-sections of candy bars, guessing
    • Microwave candy bars, then guess what kind they are
  • From Rhinelander:  Worm racing!
    • Teams of 2
    • Worms (nightcrawlers) from the bait shop
    • Give the worms a wet surface to traverse
    • They always have a local vet there, with worm ambulance for very, very tired worms
    • Someone else was reminded of minnow racing in gutters
  • Kite programs!  Very popular, especially if you have a place to take kids to fly them
    • Wisconsin Kiter’s Club is a good resource–here in western WI, we might have better luck with the Minnesota Kite Society (it looks like they do educational events)
      • Several folks mentioned having great success with 20 minute kites, and how fun it is to see families and individual kids out flying their kits for weeks after the program!                         
  • A How-Does-It-Work program:  get donations of old computers, radios, and other.  Let kids take them apart and examine how they work.  BYOS (Bring Your Own Screwdriver).  Most cities have a recycling program for electronics–make sure you aren’t stuck with a huge fee for recycling these before accepting donations!

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