800 Minute Party

Summer has wrapped up and with it all the reading and crazy programs (well, mostly) To celebrate, we had an 800 Minute Reader Party. At this party we had food, fun, and crafts that included perler beads, bottle cap pins, and yarn beards. It was pretty cool! We also had an Easter egg hunt with candy that turned into a potato hunt because the teens said that it was not the time for eggs. (They were right) So we had to hide actual potatoes and the teens got to run around and look for them. The potatoes were the grand prize. It was a blast! Read on to see some pictures from the event!

Capt. Dargo!

We got to meet an awesome police dog this week! Captain Dargo is with the York City Police Force and is a specially trained canine who can do everything from locating bombs to finding a missing child. Not only is his nose super sharp, so is his mind! Captain Dargo was definitely a joy to meet and hear about, and his partner Lieutenant Godfrey did a great job describing not only what Captain Dargo does, but also his personality. (Apparently Captain Dargo likes getting chicken, bacon, and other various treats at the local market, and is very spoiled there!)  Captain Dargo does visits throughout the county to get people familiar with him and his unique abilities. Here is his facebook page, check it out! https://www.facebook.com/K9Dargo I really enjoyed having Captain Dargo here, and I hope to have him visit again! This is a cool program that encourages cross-promoting with an important public presence and figure, and is something I would encourage other librarians to consider doing in their libraries! Service animals have so much to teach us and are appealing to a wide audience.
Dawn states: Service cats: not a thing because everyone knows cats do what they want.

Email me for more info! dstates@yorklibraries.org. Check out these cool pictures of the teens and I and Captain Dargo!

Food Science: Smoothies

Think that smoothies are just a yummy, fruity treat? Think again! Smoothies can actually be really scientific! We studied this in the most recent Food Science program and find out about some of the ingredients in smoothies and how these ingredients have scientific properties that impact our bodies.
The first thing that the teens did was create a control sample that they would use for later comparison and analysis on the ingredients of the smoothies. They took a small cup of water and a glucose test strip and tested the water for any trace of sugars. (Thankfully and of course, there were none) They then used a glucose strip and tested the sugars of a glucose tab that was dissolved in a cup of water. These brought back results of high sugars! These strips were saved for later looking at with the results from the smoothies.

Control Strips 

Next, the teens divided in two groups and each made a different smoothie recipe. The one group made a sugar packed smoothie and the other group made a not so sugary smoothie. They took glucose strips and tested the contents of their smoothies and found out how high or low each was in glucose and then compared this to their control samples earlier. The results surprised them! We were then able to talk about what glucose is and how it interacts in the body. We were also able to discuss what lactose was because the one smoothie recipe called for milk. There was a great deal of science involved, and at the end the teens created their own smoothie recipe. It was pretty cool!
Dawn states: I love smoothies!
Email me for information, the handout used, or any other smoothie information! dstates@yorklibraries.org

smoothie making and science! 

Art Club: Galaxy jars

Ever wish you could keep a galaxy in a jar? Well now you can,! (or sort of.) For this Art Club, we took tiny jars and filled them with cotton ball fluff, glitter, water and food coloring. The teens got super creative with how they styled their jars, and I think the results are out of this world!
This is basic thing to do and the art part involves the mixing of colors and which colors compliment each other.
Each teen made two jars and they had a stellar time too! It is a really easy activity to pull together, but there are so many wonderful elements that can be tied in besides art, such as science and outer space. Be creative and most importantly, let the teens be creative, it is always otherworldly what they will come up with!
Dawn states; I remember when Pluto was a planet! Leave a comment if you do too!
dstates@yorklibraries.org

Open Write Night

The teens and I had the awesome experience of hearing and speaking to Elijah Cross, local singer/songwriter for our program Open Write Night. Elijah is a truly talented person and was kind enough to come share his experiences as a sing and songwriter with the teens. He talked about what made him start writing songs, how perseverance and hard work are important, and how to always be yourself. Not only was this a great message for the teens, he was also able to provide practical information to them on how to record their own songs, write music, and go out there and get noticed.
Programs like this are good for teens who are already interested in music but maybe just need some extra direction, or for teens that are not interested in music but just need to hear something positive in their day. Music is a universal thing, and it is not always something that teens get exposed to on a firsthand level like this. Providing this can really help a teen decide if they want to pursue music to another level. Look around your community, what local musicians might be there who would be willing to share their time, talent, and experience with the next group of rising musicians? Reach out and see who you can connect with! It will be a cool event for both you and the teens.
Dawn states: Here is Elijah's Facebook page! Check it out! Listen to his songs! Super awesome! https://www.facebook.com/ElijahCrossOfficial
Email me for any questions or additional information! dstates@yorklibraries.org

Stuffed Animal Sleepover

A unique way to get teens involved with the rest of the library and a fun way for them to volunteer is to have them assist with the implementation of children's programs! While it is necessary and fun for them to be involved with planning their own programs and parties, it is nice when the opportunity arises to present them with helping in other areas. The Stuffed Animal Sleepover was a great crossover for this type of involvement and it was cool and amusing for the teens to help with this!

The Children's Department at the Library was hosting the Stuffed Animal Sleepover and relied on the teens to implement it. Children dropped off their stuffed animals and were given name tags with information for each child's animal. Each animal kept the name tags on during the program, ensuring no lost animals, and in the morning the children return to pick up their animals and have breakfast and watch a slideshow of what their stuffed animals did during their sleepover in the library.  This is the part the teens got to help out with: placing the stuffed animals in various places of the library and making them do various activities and then taking pictures of the stuffed animals. Each teen picked two animals to pose and this made sure that every animal got equal attention. The results were really epic and the teens had a great time helping with the Stuffed Animal Sleepover. Here are some pics!

Dawn states: My favorite stuffed animal growing up was a pink flamingo! What was yours? Leave a comment!

The animals wave at each other across the building. 

Diva Kitty

Good Friends

Piano time!

Perry, in the chandelier. 

Puppet show! 

Hanging out in the house! 

Perry in time out.

Nap time with a bedtime story

Fish tank! 

Saying hello to the cow!

Fishes! 

Jam time! 

Outside! 

Not stuffed animals. Librarians. 

Video games!