Animal Zines
Chapter 6 Amazing Creatures, Craft, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2228 downloads
Zines are back! Many teens will already be familiar with the eight-page mini zines made out of a single sheet of printer paper, but anyone from children to adults can have fun making larger zines too. Let teens peruse some age-appropriate zine samples, then give them some topic ideas. Zines can be as simple or complex as participants want to make them. If your library (or another local library) has a zine collection, be sure to tell teens about it.
Animal Heroes Scavenger Hunt
15-30 Mins, Chapter 6 Amazing Creatures, Children, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Passive/Display
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2134 downloads
Animal heroes everywhere you turn! Every week or two, hide a new animal hero somewhere in the library. When children find that animal, they take one of its trading cards (see Printables for template). They must come to the library throughout the summer to collect the whole set. You can also have them vote for their favorite animal hero, which you can display at the end of the summer. This is a great program to adapt to whichever animal heroes you have in your collection.
Animal Heroes Movie Fundraiser
60 Mins+, Adults, Chapter 6 Amazing Creatures, Children, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Multigenerational, Outreach, Outdoors, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 3146 downloads
Help your local animal shelter or Humane Society and entertain families at the same time! Contact the shelter to see what types of items they need. Then screen a fun movie that features pets or animal heroes; encourage patrons to donate one item from the shelter’s list of needs. Remember the book display related to the movie, animal heroes, and/or shelter pets.
Axolotl And Other Weirdos
Chapter 6 Amazing Creatures, Children, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Passive/Display
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2514 downloads
Passive games about weird animals! Children can either hunt for axolotl or answer T/F facts about weird animals to decode a secret word. For the axolotl-only version, hide four axolotl pictures throughout the library, one fact associated with each picture. After children fill in their answer keys with all four facts, they bring their finished sheets to a librarian for a small prize. For a more challenging, multiple-animal version, children decide whether a series of animal facts are true or false; the right answers decode a special word. Once they complete the word, they get a small prize.
Pet Expo
60 Mins+, Adults, Chapter 5 Read, Connect, Protect, Children, Low Cost, Outdoors, Multigenerational, Outside Presenter, Teens, Passive/Display
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 3219 downloads
Pet expo day at the library! This great family program is for anyone who has ever wanted a pet. Invite local rescue organizations to bring adoptable pets and local experts to give pet care tips. You could also modify this program
to focus on the care of unusual pets (such as reptiles or birds), and ask patrons to bring in their unusual pets for show and tell. For an expo-style event, guest organizations set up information tables for participants to peruse
at their leisure; they could also give short presentations. You can tailor the program to focus on adoption tips, pet health and nutrition, pet first aid, and/or pet training.
Scrub A Dub Dub
45 - 90 Mins, Chapter 5 Read, Connect, Protect, Children, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Outdoors, STEAM
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2166 downloads
Oil spill sensory play! Discuss pollution and demonstrate an “oil spill,” followed by a cleanup effort to clear the polluted water. This is a great way to show how our actions affect the environment, including animal habitats. Another activity demonstrates how polar bears stay warm in water. Children stick their bare fingers in ice water, then dip their fingers again after coating them in Crisco. Discuss how blubber keeps polar bears warm.
Backyard Animal Farming
60 Mins+, Adults, Chapter 5 Read, Connect, Protect, Children, Low Cost, Multigenerational, Outdoors, Outside Presenter, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 3206 downloads
A guest speaker teaches participants how to care for backyard animals such as chickens, rabbits, ducks, goats, or bees. If possible, they bring live creatures for demonstration. Check with local regulations (zoning, animal welfare, public health, and nuisance laws) to confirm what types of backyard animals are allowed within your municipality or county. Remember the book display on small animal farming and/or homesteading!
Wild Jeopardy
60 Mins+, Chapter 5 Read, Connect, Protect, Children, Low Cost, Game/Activity, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2539 downloads
Run a game of Jeopardy using a free online template! You can adapt the questions for any age group or animal theme. The rules follow the traditional TV game show, and contestants get points for every correctly answered question. Remember prizes for the winning teams.
Animal Napkin Folding
60 Mins+, Adults, Chapter 4 No Place Like Home, Craft, Low Cost
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 1877 downloads
Participants fold towels or napkins into animal shapes to give their house guests that five-star hotel feel! Make copies of instructions for them to follow along and/or take home. A quick, low-cost program that is easily adapted to different age groups.
Create A Creature
60 Mins+, Adults, Chapter 4 No Place Like Home, Children, Craft, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Multigenerational, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 3145 downloads
There is no place like home! And that home. And that home. In this program, children learn about habitats and how animals adapt to them. Read Listen to our World (2016) and/or show a brief video, such as “Animal Habitats” by Learning Junction. Show habitat cards and discuss which animals live in each habitat and why, then let participants get creative! Their task is to create a brand new animal that would thrive in a particular habitat. You can have them draw habitat cards, let them choose whichever habitat they like, or base the whole program around a specific habitat. Ask everyone to present their new animal—and describe what makes it perfectly suited to its habitat—at the end of the program.
We Rate Pets
Adults, 60 Mins+, Game/Activity, Chapter 4 No Place Like Home, Children, Low Cost, Multigenerational, Passive/Display, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2776 downloads
Participants share their funniest pet stories! They bring in pictures of their pets (or draw the pets they wish they had) and write funny captions. You can run this as a show-and-tell, or create a display and leave out templates and instructions for a passive program. Patrons vote on the funniest (or fluffiest/grumpiest/etc.) pets; the winners get pet-themed prize at the end of the summer.
Career Dogs
45 - 90 Mins, Adults, Chapter 3 Animal Caretakers and Friends, Outdoors, Low Cost, Teens, Outreach, Outside Presenter
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2824 downloads
Search and rescue dogs, K9 units, and therapy dogs! A local organization presents about working dogs’ jobs and training process. Ideally, they also bring dogs to demonstrate some of their working tasks and/or commands. Be sure to ask them to talk about volunteer opportunities suitable for teens. Can be modified for any age group.
Teen Volunteer Fair
60 Mins+, Chapter 3 Animal Caretakers and Friends, Children, Low Cost, Passive/Display, Outside Presenter, Outreach, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2926 downloads
Match teens with animal-related volunteer opportunities in your area, such as humane societies, animal shelters, or even veterinarian offices! Local organizations could give presentations about the work they do, then set up behind tables around the room with more information about how to start volunteering. This could also be a fully passive program in which you display local volunteer opportunities and information cards/flyers for teens to take.
Who Helped Me
45 - 90 Mins, Adults, Chapter 3 Animal Caretakers and Friends, Children, Low Cost, Multigenerational, Passive/Display, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2440 downloads
Do your patrons love trivia? If so, they will get a kick out of this lift-the-flap display. Glue pictures of different animals on flaps; underneath each flap is a photograph of the scientist who helped them. More importantly, there is a list of books or movies about this scientist and/or animal based on your library’s resources. Can be adapted for any age group.
Skype A Scientist
60 Mins+, Chapter 3 Animal Caretakers and Friends, Children, Low Cost, Outside Presenter, STEAM
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2422 downloads
Children learn from animal scientists during a Skype interview! From the Skype a Scientist website, choose from almost any kind of scientist, including zoologists, ecologists, marine biologists, evolutionary biologists, veterinarians,
and paleontologists. Before the interview, consider reading a book related to your topic. Then lead a quick discussion to generate questions that the children might want to ask. If you have time, include a craft or experiment after the interview. For example, if you have a scientist discuss working with bats, do a simple bat craft and/or echolocation experiment. Or pass out coloring sheets to complete in the library or take home. You can tailor the content to any age group. The recommended donation for an interview is $1.
A Horse Is A Horse Of Course
60 Mins+, Adults, Chapter 3 Animal Caretakers and Friends, Low Cost, Multigenerational, Outreach, Outside Presenter, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2582 downloads
Invite trainers and/or horses from a local horse rehabilitation group to talk about horse rehabilitation. Teens get meaningful exposure to these beautiful animals and learn about how they might get involved. This could be an educational event, an opportunity to raise awareness and find volunteers, or a multigenerational program.
Ask Me About Wildlife Conservation
60 Mins+, Chapter 3 Animal Caretakers and Friends, Adults, Low Cost, Outside Presenter, STEAM
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2022 downloads
A library take on the popular Reddit AMA* (Ask Me Anything), this is a chance for participants to ask their burning questions of local animal conservationists (or any animal experts). Host one expert to give a presentation with a Q&A, or host a panel moderated by library staff or a community volunteer. For a passive component, make a comment box for patrons to submit questions beforehand. Adapt to your patrons’ interests and available time/space.
Eons Making Prehistory
60 Mins+, Chapter 2 The Wild Side, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Outside Presenter, STEAM, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2450 downloads
See prehistoric life in virtual reality! Or choose short videos about the earliest life on earth from the PBS Eons YouTube channel. Optionally, let teens destress with prehistoric coloring sheets while watching the videos.
Storytime Safari
60 Mins+, Chapter 2 The Wild Side, Children, Craft, Low Cost, Game/Activity
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2212 downloads
After a wild animal storytime, children roam around a room that has been set up as a safari! Craft options include simple binoculars and paper plate masks. For the safari, you will need to print and display photos of the featured animals; puppets or stuffed animals could also be used instead of photos. Depending on time and resources, consider adding habitats for each animal.
Adult Storytime The Genius Of Birds
60 Mins+, Chapter 2 The Wild Side, Adults, Low Cost, Game/Activity, Passive/Display
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 1832 downloads
Storytime is for everyone! Invite adults to the library for a bird-themed readaloud. While you read excerpts from popular bird nonfiction (see Resources for suggestions), participants have the option to color bird coloring sheets. For bonus birding atmosphere, livestream a bird video. Pass out the Bird-Watching 101 handout and create a birding book display to inspire adults to keep learning. Program can be adapted to any age group by varying resource choices.
Creepy Crawlies
45 - 90 Mins, Chapter 2 The Wild Side, Adults, Children, Low Cost, Outside Presenter, STEAM, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2714 downloads
An insect expert gives a presentation with a Q&A period and an interactive component. Your local Audubon Society branch may have free information packets about insects, and you could hold a show-and-tell event for patrons who have pet insects. Can be adapted for any age group or run as a multigenerational program.
A Tale With Tails
Chapter 1 Bookish Beasts, Children, Game/Activity, 15-30 Mins, Low Cost, Passive/Display
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 1914 downloads
Have children supply the missing nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. from the stories provided: “A Trip to the Zoo,” “A Backyard Adventure,” and “A Kooky Animal Tale.” Then read the tale(s) out loud. This could be a fun icebreaker before another program, or copies could simply be placed with other library flyers. See Resources for a list of fiction with animal protagonists.
Beastly Letters
60 Mins+, Chapter 1 Bookish Beasts, Children, Craft, Low Cost, Passive/Display
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2461 downloads
Turn everyday letters into something beastly! Children turn the first initial of their names into animal drawings. Alternatively, they find an animal that begins with the same letter as their first initial, then draw and write about that animal. They might gather fun facts about that animal, or write a story about its best or worst day. Older children can create 3D letters/animals out of construction paper or cardboard. Teens and adults might be interested in creating their own fonts or learning calligraphy. A simple, inexpensive program that can be modified for any age group. Be sure to create a display for the finished letters!
Creating And Coding An Animation
60 Mins+, Chapter 1 Bookish Beasts, Children, Game/Activity, Low Cost, STEAM, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2237 downloads
Using the free online coding program Scratch, teens create an animated cartoon featuring an animal sprite (computer graphic). Teens code instructions to populate their cartoon with words and characters. Scratch is
easy to teach, even for non-coders.
Stuffed Animal Sleepover
45 - 90 Mins, Chapter 1 Bookish Beasts, Children, Game/Activity, Low Cost, Teens
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 2237 downloads
A fun, low-cost event that is easy to modify to suit your library. Children come for a sleepover-themed storytime, bringing their favorite stuffed animal friends with them. They sign permission slips and name tags, and leave their stuffed animals overnight. After storytime, you might hold a stuffed animal show-and-tell, or have children draw portraits of their stuffed animals. When the children come back the next morning to pick them up, they see pictures of what their animal friends were up while they were gone.
Origami Animal Bookmarks
60 Mins+, Chapter 1 Bookish Beasts, Children, Craft, Low Cost
August 24, 2020 0.00 KB 1933 downloads
Origami bookmarks! This is an easy program to modify for any age group or animal theme. Try combining with Chapter 01: Folded Book Animals for a multigenerational paper-folding party.