Summer Reading 2024 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 2023-24.

 

To search for keywords or program titles, use Ctrl-F. 

Resources for summer planning:

 

Program Ideas for All Ages/Any Age
  • Smokey Bear Reading Challenge – A project of the USDA Forest Service, Smokey Bear is celebrating its 80th anniversary as the symbol for preventing forest fires in 2024.  To celebrate, the USDA worked with the Georgia State Library to create a reading program that compliments the Adventure Begins theme.  Kids ages 4-10 can complete challenges to earn a prize (provided by your library); the reading log and other supporting materials are located in their online toolkit and can be printed for free.  Some of the activities could be easily incorporated/adapted to be challenges kids can do to get credit towards their summer reading goals, depend on what your library does.
  • Community Scavenger Hunt: “Fun Facts” are displayed at various locations throughout the city in local business windows or landmarks, or even within the library.  (One library uses Beanstack to direct patrons to the locations but you could also create a handout.)  Patrons enter a highlighted word or number from the “Fun Fact” at each location into Beanstack, but again, you could have them fill out a worksheet and list the “answer code word/number” on the sheet.
    • Variations:
      • Use geocaches for the scavenger hunt (give them the coordinates/hints); use parks department, local businesses, and free library locations.
      • “Road Race” or “Amazing Race” theme–families/teams were given clues to locations in town where they could get their next clue. First to cross finish won a “big” prize and others who finished received something smaller.
      • Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (or mascot, or Smokey Bear)
      • Create a passport to landmarks, organizations, or businesses in your town. When they visit, they can stamp their passport (provide location with stamps).  If it’s an unmanned landmark, perhaps they could take their picture with it and show a library staff person for a stamp?
      • Incorporate map reading, especially if you do a version of this geared towards elementary aged kids or teens–hold a session on how to read a map, practice with a map of your town.
  • 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!
  • Leave No Trace:  An informational program for any age (best for upper elementary and older) about hiking, backpacking, and camping skills.  Ask a local park ranger or (well informed) local camping/outdoors enthusiast to speak and possibly lead participants through relevant basic skills.
  • 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.
  • International Food Festival:  Invite restaurants with cuisines from around the world to set up a booth and offer samples of one of their dishes.  Could also possibly do this yourself if you carefully source dishes/ingredients from an international grocery store.
  • Adventures in Eating: Offer snacks from around the world to try, could be a one-time multi-country program, or a series with a focus on each individual country.  When possible, try to include someone from your community (a patron you know, a local restaurant) with lived experience in the country you’ll be discussing in the planning and presentation.
  • Know Your Neighbor Series: Invite local individuals or businesses who do interesting things or have interesting backgrounds to be guest speakers at a weekly or monthly program.  Examples from one community include someone who runs a guinea pig rescue, someone who rescues and rehabs birds, and an elementary school music teacher, as well as the usual community helpers (firefighters, police, etc.).
  • Where in (Insert Your Town Name)?:  Take close up pictures of “famous” locations in your town. Print out the pictures and display them and/or post on social media, and give people a set amount of time (hours, days, weeks) to locate or name them correctly.  Could fill out a sheet with their answers and turn that in.
  • Where in the World is the Library Mascot?:  Insert name of library mascot into title! Take several photos of the mascot around town and post one each week on social media. Direct patrons to go to library and tell them where they think it is that week and correct guesses get a prize.
  • 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.
  • Late Night in the Library OR Family Fort Night: Could be done for families or specific ages (in particular, teens).  Allow folks to stay after hours on a Friday (when normally close early), for instance 6-9pm.  Build forts with blankets in the aisles of the library, or set up tents in your community room; offer snacks like “walking s’mores” (Golden Grahams with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows); read stories; older kids can tell spooky stories or play glow-in-the-dark Nerf War.
  • 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.
  • International Mud Day: June 29th, 2024 – set up various mud stations, for instance in baby pools and tubs, and let kids play with toys in it!  Can set up a “car wash” with a hose and pvc pipes to wash kids off (or just use a sprinkler).  Mud Day website has information and resources.
  • Stargazing/Adventures in the Dark: Reach out to a local university or institution and invite an astronomer to instruct/lead, getting whole family involved. (Can also check with Indiana Astronomical Society.)
  • Chopped at the Library: This can be done for teens, adults, or families. Each individual or team is given the same 4 random-seeming ingredients, which they must repurpose into a cohesive dish. Can use a “pantry” of staple items to supplement.  One library held this outside!  The first round was savory, several of the teams were “chopped,” and then the second/final round was dessert.  It was hugely popular and drew a crowd.
  • Cupcake Wars: Small groups split into teams, are given supplies to decorate a cupcake (or multiple cupcakes).  Photos can be taken and posted on social media or in the library for people to vote on, or library staff can come in and act as judges. Can sometimes get discounted undecorated cupcakes at your local grocery store.
    • Variation: Cake/cookie decorating – invite an expert cake or cookie decorator to demonstrate techniques, let participants practice with piping bags, decorate cupcakes or cookies. One library had kids decorate two cookies each–they took one home and gave one to their local fire dept.
  • Camp Friendship: Drop-in program with stations including a make your own trail mix station, friendship book display with s’more scented bookmarks, decorate a luminary bag (use battery-powered tea lights inside, not real flames!), and a friendship bracelet making station.
  • Ice Cream Social/Party: Could be for any/all ages. Make ice cream in a bag (various ways to do this, search online for ideas; steampoweredfamily.com also has some info). Have an ice cream sundae bar. (Make sure you have some pre-made ice cream as back-up!)
  • 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.
  • Library Cookbook: Ask patrons to submit family favorite recipes; perhaps hold a program series to test them? Publish the recipes in a library cookbook! This could be a great project for your Friends of the Library group, they could sell the cookbooks to pay for the publishing and to raise a little money.  Could run a simultaneous contest for kids to decorate the cover.
  • Family Puzzle Contest:  Set out puzzles of equal challenge levels and time families.  Fastest to solve wins a prize.
  • A Buzzing Adventure: Invite a local beekeeper to talk about bees–some have mobile hives they could bring (outside of course), give a presentation about beekeeping and honey processing. This can be scaled based on age. Younger kids could learn about bees/honey and end with a bee craft, adults could learn how to keep bees, etc.
  • Taylor Swift Party: Make friendship bracelets, sing and dance to her songs, take selfies with a life-sized Taylor cut-out, lots of ideas for this on the internet.  Could offer snacks based on her song titles if you get creative!
  • Live Action Oregon Trail: Use one of the Oregon Trail card games to base this on; enlarge the cards using a copier, print on cardstock and/or laminate for sturdiness. Any age would enjoy this!
  • 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!
  • Life-Sized Candyland: One library set up a Candyland game board throughout the library and people of all age participated in playing!  Printed out 8.5×11 replicas of the game cards for people to draw; they recommend laminating these if possible so they last longer.  Could do this with other games, too!

 

Program Ideas for Early Childhood
  • Firefly Fridays: One library focused each of their storytimes on a Firefly Award nominee.  Use the Activity Guide created by the Firefly Award Committee for ideas to round out the storytime.
  • Tot Prom:  Invite toddlers and their caregivers to dress in their finest and come to the library for dancing and other activities.  One library offered a sensory floor (different textures of blankets, mats, etc.), a sensory bin, and action songs.  They also make little corsages and did a tambourine craft to use while dancing.
  • Loose Parts Play Series: Loose parts play is when children are presented with a collection of small objects to encourage creativity and engagement as they rearranged, redesign, and tinker. This could be a series and each one could have a topic related to adventure, such as nature, building and tools, or travel.
  • Stuffed Animal Sleepover: Children drop off their second favorite toy animal at the library, staff take pictures of them doing fun things throughout the library; can post pictures of the animals on social media.  Variation: Stuffed Animal Sleepaway Camp – take pictures of them reading books by a ‘campfire,’ making s’mores, and doing other adventurous things–bonus to this idea is you can keep the animals over several days, reducing the pressure on staff to take and post pictures in one evening!  One library even photoshopped the animals riding horses and climbing a rock wall!
  • Bluey Brunch:  Themed snacks while answering Bluey trivia, play games like “Keepy Uppy” and “Find the Long Dog.” Put out DVDs and books that feature Bluey for check-out.  Blue website (www.bluey.tv) was a great resource.  This can similarly be done with other characters, such as Paw Patrol (hold a Paw Patrol Picnic!), or with Spider-man or any other Marvel or popular figures.
  • Tapetown or Adventure Roadtrip: Use colorful painters tape to make “roads” throughout the children’s department. Loan the kids matchbox or other small cars to “drive” through various “stops” around the department, where they can have adventures–adventures can be free play at your play kitchen, stopping to color a coloring sheet or play with blocks, picking out a book, etc.
  • Touch a Truck: Invite local fire department, police, farmers, EMTs, etc. to bring their vehicles, park them in the library parking lot in a blocked-off area, and allow kids to tour them.  Alternatively, sometimes fire departments will have educational trucks they can bring and simulate how to escape a burning home, demonstrate how a firefighter puts on their equipment (they look scary if kids don’t know what’s underneath), etc.
  • Parachute Party: Pull out a few parachutes and create a parachute music playlist, then shake away! Can play games like “popcorn” (shake a ball or toy in the middle), make it into an air-filled tent, and other classic parachute games. For very littles, it would help to have caregivers assisting.
  • Sensory Play Day:  Set up bins and things with items like slimy pasta noodles, sand, water, dirt, etc. and let the little ones play in them. Can make a sensory touch and feel board by gluing different textures to cardboard (cotton balls, sand paper, felt, small beads) and allow the children to walk on it barefoot (may want to make one for each child).  Could make homemade kinetic sand or homemade playdough to play with (lots of recipes online).
  • Teddy Bear Picnic: July 10th is always Teddy Bear Picnic Day.  Invite kids to join you in a picnic either inside or outside your library with snacks, juice, picnic blankets and rugs, kids can bring a stuffed animal and listen to stories, sing teddy bear songs and play games.

 

Program Ideas for School Age Children
  • Travelers Club:  Kids can explore different countries, time periods, or historical events through crafts, food, facts, and games.  (Best practice is to, when possible, invite someone with lived experience in another country to present, share, or advise when planning a program that involves exploring other countries.  Be careful to not only highlight stereotypical examples of other cultures.)
  • Field Day:  Set up various activities like a 3-legged race, relay races, obstacle course, events for young children like a rubber duckie pool/water table, parachute, or play tunnel, etc.  Inside obstacle courses are option for those without space outside–set up items so they have to go over and under them (example–set up a string with bells attached that ring if they hit the string), crawl through large cardboard boxes, step into shallow boxes to avoid touching the floor, weave in and out of chairs.0
  • Minute to Win It:  Present the kids with a variety of timed challenges; Google “Minute to Win It games” for lots of ideas.  (Also good for tweens/teens.)
  • Pokemon Club – Informal gathering with multiple stations, all centered around Pokemon. Each session would include a simple craft, a game, time to share/swap cards, and time to watch an episode of a Pokemon TV show.
  • Adventure Writing Club: One library did this as a three session series, focusing on different types of writing–travel writing, nature writing, and creative writing.  They started with some basic writing instruction and writing exercises, then spent time writing, saving time at the end for sharing what they wrote. Also included some illustration/drawing instruction.
  • Astronaut Training Camp or Deep Space Challenge: Set up challenges to test your ‘astronauts’ readiness for space. Space walk simulation, practice putting on their ‘equipment’ (could be oven mitts, jumpsuit, motorcycle helmet, etc. to simulate the actual spacesuit).  Offer challenges like the space walk (they have to leap a long distance).  Could also do this as an ocean-themed program called Explore the Ocean Depths, similarly trying on equipment (flippers, goggles, etc.) and completing tasks or examining items.
  • Pirate Camp: Kids choose their pirate name and learn how to talk like a pirate. Can dress like a pirate by decorating a craft pirate hat and telescope. Set up a pirate obstacle course (walk the tape-on-the-floor plank, etc.). Treasure hunt – solve simple riddles and last clue takes them to a treasure chest filled with goodies. This librarian found fun a free “talk like a pirate” sheet on freehomeschooldeals.com.
  • Design It! Build It! Create It!: Set up various supplies such as tubes, cardboard, and matchbox car tracks. Let kids build marble runs with this.  Can also build domino chain reactions and get creative with Rube Goldberg devices.
  • Destination Imagination: Attendees are given STEAM based challenges – one they can prepare for in advance and another “instant” challenge they must compete in the day of the competition. This would be a series of mini competitions with a final “global” competition at the end of the series.  Details and additional ideas on the website: https://www.destinationimagination.org/
  • Table Top Role Playing Games for Elementary Age Kids: There are a variety of TTRPGs designed for elementary aged kids.  Examples: BFF: Best Friends Forever; No Thank You, Evil; Power Outage; Magical Kitties Save the Day; Wanderhome.
  • DIY Crayons: Melt down unwrapped leftover/broken pieces of crayons. Put them in silicone molds (can use various fun shapes!), put in oven and they will melt into multi-colored crayons!  Cool quickly so they can be taken home. Can talk about history of crayons or how they are made, too.
  • Paper Airplane Testing: Choose a few paper airplane designs, set up stations/demo them and allow kids to try making them. Let them test flight distances by laying tape down to mark various distances.  Discuss flight mechanics beforehand.
  • LEGO Guy Balloon Adventure: Send a LEGO guy up in a weather balloon with a GPS tracker and see where he goes!  Have a launch event and follow up on social media.
  • 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.
  • Wonka Party: Played the 1971 movie Charlie & the Chocolate Factory in the background, had stations with candy necklaces, Fruit Loops, Lifesavers, gummy candies; did a Golden Egg Hunt (could do Golden Ticket instead), ping pong relay game, bean bag toss, served pizza and lots of candy.
  • Book Box Subscription: Participants fill out interest forms when they sign up and staff creates a monthly box of library books for them to check out. They use pizza boxes to put the books in.  They do these for 2nd-5th grade and include 1 picture book, 1 nonfiction book, and 1 chapter book plus a few goodies like a fruit snack and a water bottle sticker.  They have two sets of pizza boxes so they can put together the next month while the current month is checked out.
  • Book Tasting: Set out a variety of books and create a printed list for them with the titles. They can spend 30 seconds or so per book, get their first impressions, then mark on the guide whether it looks interesting to them. Books should be of all types and spread around the room so kids can go from table to table / book to book. One library pretended they were a Starbucks by asking the coffee shop for branded cups, then offered a beverage for them to walk around with. They felt very grown up! Picking a limited age range works best for this so the books are on similar levels.
  • Winter Adventure in Summer: Make a big batch of indoor snow (3 cups baking soda & 1/2 cup white hair conditioner), put it in tubs with sand toys, use Mr. Potato Head pieces to put faces on the snowmen they can build (the indoor snow can be packed like real snow), the kids love this every time and are entertained for quite a while.  Can also incorporate cutting snowflakes from paper, play keep the “snow” off the ground with white balloons, and other winter themed activities.
  • Messtival: Set up stations with activities like water table/kiddie pool, slime, paint with ice or pudding, actual mud (see International Mud Day, in All Ages section)

 

Program Ideas for Tweens & Teens
  • Write Your Own Adventure: Hold a young writer’s workshop.  In addition to leading tweens/teens in writing activities, you could set up a Zoom interview/Q&A with a local (or national, especially those who are very new are more likely to be affordable) author.  Literary or writing professors, or even a local high school English/Writing teacher are other possible resources. Talk about publishing tools, offer writing prompts, etc.
  • Digital Art:  Load iPads with the Procreate program app and teach kids how to use it by creating simple projects.  The librarian who submitted taught themself by watching instructional videos on YouTube and from the Procreate website.  They projected their own iPad on a screen and the kids followed along.
  • Tween Time:  During storytimes, one library offered a “tween time” program for kids whose younger siblings were in storytime. They aimed it at ages 7-12 and offered activities like trivia, sand art, bath bombs, and rock painting.
  • 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.
  • After Hours Glow Party: Set up blacklights around the room, set up glow toys, obstacle course on the floor with glow tape, break out the glow sticks, and have the teens help you build a good music playlist.
  • Teen Storytime: One library has had success holding storytimes for teens.  They read a story, watch a video (such as a SciShow for Kids video, and do a craft.
    • Variation: Spooky Campfire Storytime for teens.  Sit around a fake campfire, real fireplace, or real campfire outside and tell spooky stories.
  • Camp 48: One library did a series for kids in grades 4-8 and each session had a different theme.  They did yoga, invited a wilderness survival expert to speak, did a garbology program with their local recycling department, and held a session on first aid and hiking safety. Utillized their 4-H Extension office and other community resources.
  • Choose Your Adventurous Career: Invite women from fields that are marketed to women less often, such as air traffic controller, assistant warden at a prison, or a race car driver.  One library did this as a panel discussion.
  • Zombie Apocalypse Training: STEM course for teens; teens learn survival skills with a zombie twist.  JK Stewart (pairedoutdoors.com) is a wilderness survival expert that this library hired to teach the kids.
    • Related: Zombie Doll Head Planters – Buy doll heads (zombie doll heads are available!) and let the teens paint them and then “plant” plastic plants in the heads. These were hilarious and very popular!
  • Nerf Night: Can do this after hours through the whole library – could make it glow in the dark, or themed in another way–one library mentioned trying an Indiana Jones adventure theme (cutouts/images of Indiana or enemies, etc.)
  • Break the Record: Set up stations to try to break records.  Station ideas: Alphabetize a can of alphabet soup as fast as possible; eat as much jello with chopsticks under 1 minute; most sticky notes stuck to a face in under 1 minutes; color coordinate M&Ms with chopsticks as fast as possible.  These are also great Minute to Win It activities!
  • Adventures in the Upside-Down: Use hand mirrors to “walk” on the ceiling of the library!  Instructions can be found here. Once everyone receives instructions and practices (while sitting down!), small groups of 3-5 can be led around the library by staff or helpers who have been trained in where to go and what to do. Remind folks to walk slowly and carefully! Guide should help them avoid obstacles. The groups could draw a map of what they experience during or after the ‘upside down walk.’ Can incorporate more talk of maps, how to read a compass rose (could have them draw one as a craft), and could incorporate this into a larger Stranger Things themed program.
  • 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.
  • Secrets & Truths: Program for teens or tweens with lots of “how well do you know your friends” activities like Two Truths & a Lie, Whose Secret is it?, Would You Rather?, The Great Wind Blows, and other bond building/bluffing games.
  • Adventures in Wonderland Tea Party: History of tea, info about the Alice in Wonderland Books, have a Mad Hatter style tea party (and talk about why the hatter was mad – mercury was used in making hats and hat makers were exposed to a lot of it!), play Bingo and other games.
  • Relax at the Library: make zen sand gardens, mini fountains, invite a yoga or meditation instructor to do a session, etc. Could be one program that incorporates a few of these, or each could be its own program.
  • Game Day:  Hold video and/or board game tournaments or just designate a day (consider Saturdays) for teens to come and play games together.
  • 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.

 

Program Ideas for Adults
  • Simple Sewing Projects:  Single session or series program that provides materials, patterns, and assistance making something–ideas include a book jacket, hot pads/pot holders, etc.
  • Mocktails Class:  Work in small groups to mix various non-alcoholic drinks.  Provide simple snacks to enjoy, too.  Recipes can easily be found by googling.  Could also do this with alcoholic drinks if held at a local bar (be sure to check on legalities/liabilities with your lawyer, and ideally it would be off-site in a licensed bar with a licensed server/mixologist).
  • Mystery Book Passport:  Spin-off of “Blind Date with a Book” program where the books are wrapped in paper, and the description written on the wrapping focuses on the book’s setting.  This allows folks to go on an “mystery adventure” to another location when they read the book!
  • What to Know Before You Go: Travel program; could invite travel agents or very seasoned travelers to share info about various types of trips (cruises, etc.) and/or could provide tips and tricks to prepare for them. Discuss how to get your passport, when visas are needed, travel safety.
  • Yoga at the Library: Ask a local instructor if they’d be willing to hold weekly yoga classes (or a one-time program) at the library.  If weekly, may need to arrange compensation for them.  Variation on this – offer Chair Yoga for those who many benefit from an adapted practice.  Chair exercises for Seniors is also a great option. Please note it’s best to have a licensed instructor lead these classes; check with your library’s lawyer if you plan on leading these yourselves to make sure you have the proper release forms, etc.
  • Book Fair for Adults: Just like the classic Scholastic Book Fair for kids, only adult version. Bring Friends of the Library books to local bar and allow people to browse and trade books.  This brought a lot of business to their local bar and owner said he’d be glad to host again, and library got a lot of interest and exposure.
  • Instant Pot Class: Gather several Instant Pots to use for the program. Go over some basics on how to use them safely, highlight useful accessories, and then cook a few basic recipes such as hard boiled eggs, applesauce, shredded chicken, and chicken rice soup.
  • DIY Cleaning Products: Make homemade laundry soap, cleaning solution with oranges, etc. Find recipes online.
  • Fermentation Adventures: Explore making sourdough, kombucha, and other fermented foods from scratch.  https://fermentationadventure.com/
  • 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.
  • Walking Field Trip: Set up a walking route around your town that stops by important/notable landmarks. This could work especially well in some small towns. Could be self-guided (create a guide they can pick up) or an officially led tour with a local guide.
  • Foraging: Find a local expert who can take a group out foraging!  (Don’t try to do this yourself unless you’ve been trained!)
  • Bird Watching: There is a bird watching program in the CSLP manual, or you could do it as a passive program with the guidebooks and binoculars next to a window facing nature in your library.
  • Lord of the Rings (or other) Walking Challenge:  Folks can track the miles they walk with the goal of walking “from the Shire to Rivendell,” or go further with a group challenge that allows groups of people to add their miles together to walk all the way to Mordor.  Could theme this in a variety of other ways.
  • Candle Making: Brush up on your own candle making skills or invite a local hobbyist to lead a candle making program for adults.
  • Ghosthunters: Ghost hunting speakers are often very popular!
  • Unsolved Case Files: Buy a “Hunt a Killer” or similar mystery kit and attendees must work together to solve the mystery based on the clues provided.  One library suggested that a library staff person be the ‘game master’/host/guide and read the clues, facilitate showing any video or audio files included, and to give hints if needed.
    • Similar: Murder Mystery Dinner – One library did this as a fundraiser for their Friends group and sold tickets to attend.  The performers were volunteers, meal was catered by local restaurant, attendees came dressed in the “roaring 20s” theme.  They purchased script from Red Herring Games.
  • Books & Brews: Bring your own book club, held a local brewery, bar, or restaurant. Ask everyone to bring their favorite book for the first one, can pick a theme for following months. Library suggests selecting a few general genre/theme based questions to keep the discussion going.

 

The above ideas were shared by Indiana library staff at Adventure Begins at Your Library trainings across the state in the winter of 2023-24.  Some ideas were combined or amended to better fit the format.  Please note that not every idea could be included.