Activities to Learn about the Library

What’s in the Library?

Approx. time: 10/15 minutes
Age Appropriateness: All age groups
Materials required: blank pages, pencils, variety of resources found in the library e.g. audio books, DVDs etc.
Groups of Children: Small groups 3/4 for brainstorming ideas, Whole group discussion

Introduction:  In small groups the children will brainstorm words/ideas that come to mind when they think of the library. The children are also encouraged to brainstorm questions they have about the library. The children will share their ideas with the rest of the groups.

Key Questions: Who uses the library? What do people do in the library? Who works in the library? What can you find in the library?

Development: The children are shown a variety of resources such as books/ audio books/DVDs/magazines that can be found in the library.  The children are given the opportunity to ask questions about the resources.

Conclusion: The children can review their initial thoughts and discover the variety of resources that can be found in the library.

 

Library Tour

Age Appropriateness: All age groups

Introduction: The facilitators give the children a guided tour of the library. This can be given in small groups according to the number of facilitators available. The children could be provided with clipboards and map their journey as they go along.

Extension: Secret Mission Activity
Objects could be hidden in the different sections of the library and the children see if they canspot them as they walk along. These items could be recognisable characters from books such as Little Red Riding Hood or Harry Potter. The children will document these and keep them to themselves. This activity may be useful to gain the children’s attention and interest at the beginning of an activity session.

Conclusion: Children share what they found and are given the opportunity to ask questions about the library.

Think Pair Share: The children must select and agree on what they think the most important places in the library are. The children will explain their choices and share with the group.

Key Questions:
What are the most important items/places in the library?
What two pieces of information would you give someone if you were giving them a tour of the library?
What is your favourite place in the library and why?

 

Sad Book/ Glad Book Game

Approx. time: 10/15 minutes
Age Appropriateness: All age groups
Materials required: Large Dice with three happy faces and three sad faces
Groups of Children:  Children divided into smaller groups and can then combine at the conclusion

Introduction:
The children are seated in a circle. Each child will get a turn to roll the dice. If they land on a happy face they must think of one good thing to do in the library. If they roll a sad face they must identify an inappropriate thing to do in the library.

Development:
The actions identified act as a basis for the library session rules. The facilitators can take a turn to address certain rules e.g. how to behave towards and respond to others when sharing opinions and work. 
The children could work in pairs or small groups to create an illustration of the rules and these could be combined to create a visual reminder for the children.
Alternatively the facilitator could create a chart to act as a visual reminder.

Conclusion:
The children agree on which rules they feel are important and an activity session contract can be created.

 

Scavenger Hunt

Approx. time: 40 minutes
Age Appropriateness: All age groups
Materials required: scavenger hunt clue cards (examples in the file link below), lollipop sticks/ribbons/letter cards, (Junior Resources: Gingerbread man cut outs, Gingerbread man cards)
Groups of Children: Small groups 3-4

Introduction:
The children will work in small groups/teams. Each group is given a colour and must select a team name.

Development:
The children are provided with clues based on the different sections of the library and must work out the clue to select the correct location.
Once in the correct location, the children must collect their team’s lollipop stick/ribbon/ letter card. These items have different letters printed on them.  Once these are collected the children must make one word using the letters. This can be the name of a famous character from a story or a word/s related with the library e.g. Gingerbread Man.

Extension:
Early finishers are challenged to make as many different words as possible using the letters.

Conclusion:
The children report back and points can be awarded to different teams for the work completed.

Differentiation:
Children in the junior group can follow The Gingerbread Man Trail. Clue cards can be read to the children and they must brainstorm where to go in order to find him.
Cards could begin with the rhyme ‘Walk, Walk as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man. I’m where you would find ....’ 
The activity could conclude with the reading of the story of the Gingerbread Man and the children could use the cut outs to join in with the story.

Parental Involvement Activity:
The children can give their parents a tour of the library at the end of the activity session.  Facilitators could challenge the children to remember two important facts about the library  in their tour.