Summer Reading 2025 Program Ideas

The following is a list of program ideas compiled by Beth Yates, Children’s Consultant at the Indiana State Library, as they were shared with her at summer reading trainings across the state in winter 2024-25.

 

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Resources for summer planning:

 

Program Ideas for All Ages/Any Age
  • Community Art Project:  Develop a project that lasts the summer and that is open for anyone to participate in, or just do one specific program where everyone works together to create a piece of art. This could look many different ways!  Examples:
    • Sticker color by number – These are premade banner-sized papers with a collage style picture on them similar to color-by-number; participants earn or receive small colored stickers and slowly fill in the numbered spaces until a picture emerges!  Most commonly used versions come from Letsticktogether.com, and can be purchased through DEMCO.
    • Handprint art – Hang butcher paper with “Color Our World” decoratively written on it, and invite patrons to add their handprint.  Washable ink pads are great for this.
  • Messy Art Program: Offer a program or series focused on the messy art folks are less likely to do at home.  Many ages may be interested in this program, and most ideas can be scaled up or down depending on the abilities of the audience. Examples of art projects could include:
    • Pour & Paint art – pour multiple colors of paint into a cup and carefully pour the cup over a canvas, moving the canvas to distribute the color–can also be done one color at a time.
    • Make homemade puffy paint with shaving cream and glue
    • Put a piece of heavy paper, beans, and up to 3 colors of paint into a jar (such as a large peanut butter jar).  Stand on a tarp and shake the containers till the paper is covered in paint, then pull them out and hang them to dry!  Could play music while shaking.
    • Make sand art using table salt mixed with food coloring in a sandwich bag, then layer the “sand” into various bottles (new or recycled) to create beautiful layered designs.  Resource: https://www.thebestideasforkids.com/colored-salt/
  • Art Reception:  Invite patrons of all ages to submit 1-2 art pieces that they have created on their own, display them in your community room, and invite everyone to an art gallery style reception with cheese trays, mocktails, etc.  Alternatively, art could be created in a series or variety of programs throughout summer, and folks could choose to submit those pieces, or they could be selected to be displayed by guest artists.  Many ways this could be done!
  • Tie Dye:  Patrons can bring their own shirts, or library can provide (see the CSLP shop for white “Color Our World” shirts or bandanas)
    • Variations:
      • One library would like to do a water balloon fight where people where white shirts and the balloons are filled with water and skin friendly dye.
      • One library plans to tie dye tote bags.
  • Canvas Backpack Decorating:  Use fabric paint and have kids, teens, or even adults decorate their own canvas backpack.  If you cannot purchase backpacks for everyone, ask attendees to bring their own to decorate.
  • DIY Diamond/Crystal Art Paintings:  Diamond painting involves applying tiny rhinestones to a patterned adhesive board to create mosaic art.  Kits can be purchased through Amazon and elsewhere online, you get the design, diamonds, and a tool to apply the jewels to the picture. Various scenes are available, and this is a super popular program at the library that shared the idea.  Best for tweens and older.
  • Cincinnati Opera House: For those in southeast Indiana, the Cincinnati Opera House may be willing to do a presentation about opera at your library.  Some will do it with a storytime, demonstrate singing, etc.
  • Breakout Room: Breakout Rooms are still very popular! Or, “break-in” to a box using a Breakout EDU box with multiple types of locks on it–they must solve mysteries to figure out the various combinations or where the keys are located. Can google for many different ideas, and Breakout EDU also has many.
  • D&D/TTRPG for Families:  Teach families to play together!  DnDBeyond.com has some useful tips for teaching kids.  Can make fantasy maps by scattering random small materials (beans, rice, etc.) on paper and outlining them to create landmasses and islands.
  • Pressed Flower Art: Ask local florist or grocery to donate flowers that are about to be thrown away; can press these on fabric and it leaves color behind.  Or, can use flowers or other natural materials (leaves, etc.) on cyanotype paper and it leaves behind the shape on the paper when exposed to sun.  Or, do a program about pressing flowers to preserve them.
  • Talent Show: This could be structured a number of different ways and depends on your available space.  Consider partnering with a local theater with a stage to lend this more gravitas and make it a community-wide contest.  Could be for one specific age group or for any age (consider separating into age-based categories).  Or, it could be a family talent contest!
  • Interactive Movies:  Interactive movies involve watching a movie and leading the audience in certain activities at certain points of the movie (Examples: During the movie Elf, everyone shouts “I know him!” when Santa appears on screen; when there is a snowball fight on screen, everyone throws paper snowballs, etc.) Make sure library has proper license to show (there are a few companies that own various movies, if your library already has a license, verify that the movie you want to show falls under that license).  List of Interactive Movie Experience Scripts compiled by Minerva Public Library, OH.  Select any movie that is about an adventure to fit the theme!
  • Back-to-School Backpack Party: Hold a community event for kids to pick up backpacks filled with school supplies; consider partnering with schools or a local organization, and/or doing a supply drive through the summer at the library, to collect supplies for this.
  • Public Art Scavenger Hunt:  Most towns have at least a few public art pieces, if not many! Create a scavenger hunt where people of all ages are given a guide with locations to visit with facts about the art pieces and simple questions to answer. Once completed they can turn it in for a prize or prize entry.
  • Art of Cooking: Many ways to do a cooking program, and it can work with any age!  One librarian plans to focus on teaching teens about sustainability, whole foods/macronutrients, and general cooking skills, and will incorporate Color Our World by discussing the importance of eating the rainbow.  Alternatively, partner with your local Purdue Extension and ask them to lead the cooking program.
  • Origami Chain:  Divide into two groups and see who can make the longest chain. One library gives folks a month to take the materials and bring them in later; could also see how many they can make in an hour.  Instructions on YouTube: Origami Magic Cube Spiral-Easy Paper Transformer Toy
  • Taste Tasting: Gather many flavors of Oreos (or any other food that is available in multiple flavors) and have a taste test!  Participants can vote on their favorites.  Could do more than one type of food to fill out the program.
    • Variation: Collect both the brand name and store version of a variety of treats (cookies, chips, pretzels, Kool-Aid, etc.) and have folks do a blind taste test, ranking their favorites.  Each type of food gets a table, with “A” on one side and “B” on the other side; participants taste each and rank, votes are tallied and winners are declared!
  • Pick a Mystery Book: Wrap up books in butcher or wrapping paper and folks can select one to try!  You can mark them with genres or clues if you want folks to have more agency in their selections.
  • No Pressure Book Club:  Patrons are invited to bring a book they’ve recently read and enjoyed to tell others about it/recommend it.  Takes pressure off of everyone reading the same book.
  • Polluck Potluck: Families bring in an art inspired dish and while they eat the librarian can discuss Jackson Polluck’s art. After eating, move to a space with many drop cloths, give everyone ponchos and goggles, and create a Polluck inspired painting!  (May want to do the painting outside!)
  • Community Coloring Book:  Hold a program where participants are encouraged to draw black-outline pictures (or teach them how to do this in Canva), collect art (during or in the weeks after the program) and put them together to create a coloring book.

 

Program Ideas for Early Childhood
  • Cardboard Cars: Use spare cardboard boxes and let young children decorate them with paper plates for wheels and steering wheel, plus paint, markers, or other craft materials to decorate. Especially fun if you are planning a movie or movie series–can be used for a “drive-in movie” complete with a popcorn snack!
  • Musical Chairs with Books: When the music stops, there’s a book in each chair, and that’s the book they read/check-out!  Could be part of a full program or storytime.
  • Birdwatching: Listen to birds on an app (Merlin Bird ID) and try to identify birds outside of the library. Use binoculars for added fun!
  • Michelangelo Under Table Art: Tape butcher paper to the underside of tables or chairs, and invite young children to lay on the floor to draw or paint as Michelangelo did.
  • Pinkalicious Party (Pink Party):  Attendees can dress in pink, read the Pinkalicious books, decorate pink cupcakes/pink decor, offer photo opps.
  • Bubbles, Ball Pit, & Bounce House Party:  One library will use small ball pits/bounce house for a free-play program for toddlers.
  • Bluey Storytime: Use resources from the Bluey website and general internet to throw a Blue themed program. Include games like “keepy uppy,” make Bluey and Bingo headbands, offer snacks, read Bluey stories, and decorate with a Bluey theme!
  • Puzzle Piece Mural: Use large blank puzzle pieces (can buy on Amazon) and have children decorate them. Put them together to form a mural that can be posted in the library!  Can also do this with older kids.

 

Program Ideas for School Age Children
  • Bookmark Design Contest: Invite elementary aged kids to design a bookmark that the library will print. Consider dividing into younger (Grades K-2) and older (Grades 3-5) to make it a little more fair. Library staff can judge. Recommend the application includes a template for the dimensions of the bookmark so everyone works in same limits.
  • Future Librarian Classes: Modeled off of North Manchester PL’s program series, one library would like to try offering classes that help children learn/experience what librarians do day to day. Could also work for teens.
  • Art Workshops for Children:  Offer a series of art programs; one library highly recommends using the book “Art Workshops for Children” by Herve Tullet, ISBN: 978-0714869735, which contains many excellent ideas.
    • Similar idea: “Artist Club”–read a short story about a featured artist, make a piece of art using the techniques the artist used.  Ideal as a series.
  • Be a Zookeeper: Each child chooses an animal and learns about their needs. Then they build a habitat for their animal using LEGOs or recycled materials. Great STEM challenge!
  • Aluminum Foil Printing: Use crumpled foil, washable markers, and spray bottles with water to create art prints. Librarian recommends a YouTube video called “The Infinite Art Hunt: Foil Printing” for ideas.
  • Book Buddies: Pair a teen with a child and the child reads to the teen for 20 minutes.  This could be a designated hour when several teens are available and kids sign up for slots (like a reading to dogs program)!
  • Wacky Warblers Karaoke: Project “Sing Along” versions of Disney movie songs and invite kids and families to sling along karaoke style.
  • International Dot Day: Takes place on or around September 15, based on Peter H. Reynolds book Dot.  Read the book and offer activities to celebrate. One library gave kids styrofoam balls to paint/decorate as a craft.  https://www.internationaldotday.org/

 

Program Ideas for Tweens & Teens
  • Carol Johnson of Delphi Public Library offered up this list of craft and activity ideas for teens:  Color Your World Programming Ideas from Carol Johnson
  • Blacklight Paint & Sip:  Buy blacklights, set up canvases and neon paints and let them paint!  Could set up a sample but even just abstract shapes look cool.
  • Mini Canvas Painting: Purchase mini canvases and teens can paint freehand/abstract or use stencils.
  • Life Hacks 101/How to Adult: Program series featuring basic cooking skills, cleaning hacks, how to sew by hand, preserve food (canning, freezing), how to change a tire/basic car maintenance, etc.
  • Theater Club: Put on a production that is created, produced, and directed by the teens for a library event.  If your area doesn’t have a community theater, this is a great opportunity for the drama/theater club to have an outlet during the summer!  Could hold production at the library if you have space, or seek out a partner with space for this.
  • Prop Building/Cosplay Costumes: Hold one or more sessions on props for cosplay. Make foam swords, armor, etc.  Lots of resources online for this.
  • Make Your Own Lip Scrub: Use simple ingredients like sugar, coconut oil, and essential oils/flavorings to create lip scrubs.  One variation uses Kool-Aid powder mixed with sugar and coconut oil (watch out for staining!). Many recipes online.  Also a great program for adults!
  • Nerf Night: After hours program–divide the kids into two teams. Game is run like capture the flag/freeze tag combo.  Library provides Nerf ammo and attendees bring their own Nerf weapons. Kids try to collect items around the library; if frozen, a “medic” from each team can go unfreeze them.  One library does this for ages 8 and up, including some caregivers!
  • Franken Toys: Take old/broken/discarded toys (one librarian found a bunch at Goodwill), then let the kids take them apart (provide safety goggles, glue guns, basic tools–no hammers!) and put them back together in crazy ways!
  • Journal Your Summer: Make personalized journals to keep track of their summer adventures.  Many ways to create the journals, search on Pinterest, etc. for ideas.  Offer sample writing prompts that participants can add into their journals, so they aren’t stumped on what to write each day/week.
  • Escape Room: Create an escape room that can be run either in a room within the library, or even around the whole library.  Break into groups of 5-6 kids.  Ideas can be found on Breakout EDU website, or by googling!
  • Character Building: Teach kids how to make characters using examples and guidelines from table top role playing games, or analyze/model them after favorite book characters or movies. This could involve what they look like but also aspects of their personality, thinking about what story they may be in, etc.!  What are their motivations?  What is important to them?  Imagination exercise for teens!
  • Window Painting: Invite teens you trust to paint the windows of the library for summer.  Tempera Paint is good for this and can be scraped off/washed off with soap and water later.

 

Program Ideas for Adults
  • Needle Felting/Sewing/Quilting/Knitting/Embroidery/Crocheting Programs:  If you or one of your coworkers has one of these skills, or if you can find some one local who does–they often generate a lot of interest, especially if you are teaching the basics.  One librarian recommends “Hooked by Robin” YouTube channel and website for crocheting ideas.
  • Paint Chip Poetry: Participants create fun/unique poetry from the paint names on paint chips–could also add magnets to the backs and create fridge poems. Also works well with teens!
  • Mini Art Show: Provide mini canvases to patrons, they use a medium of their choice to create a work of art the size of the canvas. This could be a summer-long project with an art show or contest at the end, or it can be a one-day program where patrons work during the program to complete the art piece.
  • Coffee/Chocolate/Cookies and Canvas:  Invite a local artist (or talented coworker) to lead others in painting a simple piece of art on canvas while enjoying treats.  There are a few of these on YouTube. Local artists may be able to provide supplies for a fee.

 

The above ideas were shared by Indiana library staff at Adventure Begins at Your Library trainings across the state in the winter of 2024-25.  Some ideas were combined or amended to better fit the format.  Please note that not every idea could be included.