Passive Craft Table: Colorful Crocs

 This past summer, I put out a craft table that was available all day long.  The intention of this passive table was to walk up and help yourself to the intended craft.  

 

Inspired by something I saw online, these easy to make crocodiles were made with supplies already on my craft supply shelves.  

Supplies:

• Large craft sticks
• Pipe cleaners 
• Coloring pens
• Googly eyes
• White scratch paper
• Serrated scissors (for cutting teeth)
• Glue sticks 

Staff and children had lots of fun creating these crocs!    

Homeschool Meet-Up: Lucky Rocks and Microscopes

A monthly Thursday morning library program for homeschool families. 

Goals:

·                     Opportunity to explore STEAM concepts in a relaxed setting.

·                     Participants can socialize and connect with other homeschool families.

·                     Students build confidence and cooperative skills by completing tasks together.  

 

 

Activities of the day:

 “A” is for art: Paint Lucky Rocks

I spray painted some rocks gold.  I also bought some St. Patrick’s Day shamrock temporary tattoos.  I encouraged the children to paint the rocks or add the tattoos to the rocks.  Apparently temporary tattoos can be applied to rocks the same way they go on skin. 

  

 

“S” is for Science: Microscopes

I got the microscope kit from my library!  The kit includes traditional microscopes as well as a few hand-held microscopes.  The kit also comes with a variety of prepared slides.  The children enjoyed seeing cat fur, carrot skin, and a bunch of other everyday items at the microscopic level.   

 

 

“E” is for Engineering: Build with Blocks

I opened up the wood block cabinet for some creative building. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paper Hoop Glider - Passive Craft Table

 

What do you do when you find tons of plastic straws in your craft supply storage?  You create a craft table to use them up!  I created this passive craft table last summer to help use up all the straws I found.  This was a supper cheap craft table since I already had the paper, tape and coloring pens already on hand.  I found super easy instructions for this activity on the Instructables site at https://www.instructables.com/Hoop-Gliders-Galore/.  On another page they even explained the science of lift for these fun to make gliders at https://www.instructables.com/Hoop-GliderAirplane-STEAM-Activity/.  

Winter Solstice Family Celebration

 An inter-generational party to celebrate the longest night of the year!  There was plenty to keep all ages entertained.  

Music: The adult services librarian found a talented cellist to perform a concert in our meeting room.

Art: I found some lanterns to to decorate.  Gluing the colored plastic onto the punched out holes was difficult for the younger children, so I set out silver Sharpie Pens to decorate the black lanterns.  Everyone also received a tea-lite battery operated candle to place inside their lantern.  

Engineering: I brought out the wood block cabinet and some polar animal toys.  I invited the children to build a playground for the animals.  

Passive Craft Table: Winter Penguins

 

For this passive program, I set up a craft table on a no school day in December.  I found these penguin craft kits online at Baker Ross.  These kits were simple to put together and decorate.  I added gem stickers, coloring pens, and googly eyes for more decorating options.          

Supplies:

-         Penguin craft kits

-         Coloring pens

-         White glue

-         Gem stickers

-         Googly eyes

-         Tablecloth

Passive Craft Table: Flamboyant Snails

What do you do when a coworker finds a large stack of old writable CDs in the storage closet?  You create a craft table to use them up! 

For this passive program, I created a craft project to set up on a no school day.  I set out the CDs along with tons of other craft supplies.  Not a lot of people showed up for this all day craft table, but the resulting snails looked fabulous!          

Supplies:

-         CDs to recycle

-         White glue

-         Scissors

-         Scotch tape

-         Yarn

-         Pipe cleaners

-         Ribbon

-         Googly eyes

-         Stickers

-         Fun and colorful paper

-         Tablecloth

Passive Craft Table - Parachuting Dinosaurs

 

For this passive program, I wanted to set up a craft table on an early release day during our Dinovember celebrations.  I found these unique parachuting dinosaurs made from craft foam online at Baker Ross.  These fun dinosaurs that can really parachute down to earth were a fun addition to all of our dinosaur activities.      

 Supplies:

-         Parachuting dinosaurs craft kits

-         Coloring pens

-         White glue

-         Glitter glue

-         Googly eyes

-         Tablecloth

Passive Craft Table - Dino Racers

 

For this passive program, I wanted to set up a craft table on an early release day during our Dinovember celebrations.  I found these unique wooden dinosaurs with wheels online at Baker Ross.  These fun dinosaurs that can really roll were a fun addition to all of our dinosaur activities.      

 Supplies:

-         Dinosaur rollers craft kits

-         Coloring pens

-         White glue

-         Stickers

-         Googly eyes

-         Feathers

-         Tablecloth

Passive Craft Table: Autumn Trees

 

 

For this passive program, I wanted to use up a huge supply of Halloween and Autumn Leaves craft foam shapes that I found in a closet.  The intention of this craft table was for children to walk up and help themselves to the intended craft using the supplies provided.  

Supplies:

-         Wood tree decoration I found online

-         Craft foam shapes

-         Colorful Sharpie pens

-         Silk leaves

-         White glue

 

This was a low staff event with some fun results. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passive Craft Table: Basket Weaving

 

For this passive program, I wanted to set up a craft table on a no school day.  I also had some leftover basket weaving craft kits from a previous program (from Baker Ross) that I wanted to use up.  Since I did not think I had enough kits, I did some internet searching and found a template for mini paper basket templates (https://butfirstwecraft.com/2021/01/14/mini-basket-weaving/) that can be done with yarn.  I had plenty of yarn!          

Supplies:

-         Paper weaving craft kits

-         Printed mini basket weaving templates on cardstock

-         Scissors

-         Scotch tape

-         Yarn

-         Tablecloth

  

 

 

Chemical Reactions - A Story and STEAM Event

This program was intended to introduce STEAM concepts through stories and exploration activity stations to families with children ages 3-8 years old.    

Intro song:  Hello Friends (sign language action song for the words hello, friends, math, fun, and time)

Hello friends,
Hello friends,
Hello friends,
It's time to say hello.

Hello science,
Hello science,
Hello science,
It's time to have some fun.   

 

Demonstration and Storytime:

 

·         Read the book Every Day, Chemistry by Julia Sooy, illustrated by Bonnie Pang  

·         Show the word card for chemical reaction and chemistry.  Talk about what these words mean.    

·         Demonstrate a baking soda and vinegar chemical reaction by making and setting off a chemical volcano in a jar. 

·         Instruct on how to use the stations. 

Stations: 

 

Station #1- Playdough

The children measured and mixed this two ingredient version of playdough as inspired by the recipe found at https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/playdough-recipe/. 

Station #2 – Color changing lemonade

The children changed the color of a butterfly tea mixture by adding lemon juice from sliced lemons or baking soda; as seen at https://www.thesteamachine.org/projects/color-changing-lemonade. 

 

Station #3 – Lava Lamp

The children created chemical lava lamps with vegetable oil, water, and Alka-Seltzer tablets; as seen at https://www.teachstarter.com/us/blog/science-experiments-for-kids-water-density-temperature-us/. 

  

Station #4 – Art with lemon juice and watercolor paints

After painting a piece of paper with watercolor paints, the children then used a pipette to drop lemon juice onto the paper.  As seen at https://www.friendsartlab.com/lemon-and-watercolor-science/.