How to Host A Drive-in Movie Night

Pinterest to Program!

Alrighty then...we're back!  Just that like that!  

We've wanted to do this program, in the library, for more than two years and alas, we made it happen.  SO. MUCH. FUN.  I mean it.  You need to do this for the cute factor alone.

I pinned this idea to my pinterest page ages ago.  Promoted the idea in a department meeting in January and by July our kids were zooming around the program room. O.M.Goodness!

My plan began with boxes, supplies and a movie.  

Paper plate tires from Target

Volunteers cut out yellow construction paper headlights/taillights before the program

Assortment of stickers

Blue paper and white chalk for you license plate (obviously I have a Vanity Plate! JANE12 )

Mounting squares to stick on tires and lights

Big red paper for front of car and sticky spray to make it stay (this was done before program)

I decided on a movie ahead of time.  Corduroy.  20 minutes.  Perfection.  A wonderfully retro movie that I adore with just the right amount of suspense for all ages..  Kids were ages 3-5 with siblings on both sides of that.  Parents were assorted ages!  

Boxes came from everywhere.  You know, it takes a village!  Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, our local Family Resource Center and our branch manager. We had plenty of boxes.

Twenty minutes of car building...parents really enjoyed helping with this.  One table featured tire installation!

Headlights and detailing on two other tables.  

License plates were of your own design on the backside of the car.  White chalk on blue rectangles.  

Eventually we all pulled into parking places.  Some even backed in!  The sun set in the story time room and the movie began. (please take a note here: my colleague, Joe, saved the day on the movie with tech set up while I ran off for refreshments.  I owe him big.  My advice - set up the tech FIRST to be sure all systems are go.  Remember this and thank me later!)  

  

We had a great time and sent our beautiful families home with sporty new cars...oh, and one MONSTER car!  Indeed!  

FYI: This is an easy program.  There are a few things I would change or tweak when I do it again.

Show two movies: one 20 minutes and one 10 minutes with refreshments in between.  Our kids ate in their cars - easy clean up. 

Have teen volunteers prep the boxes with the color paper and license plate.  I also fortified the back of each car with book tape.  Teens could do that too.  Car prep was time consuming.

Warm up aka settle down the crowd with a song once they're in their cars...tell it as a story..."okay, here we are at the drive-in...I think there's a cool song on the radio...quick, quick...turn on your radios!  Can you hear it???"...Steve's Songs - Drivin' In My Car would be excellent here!  

I offered chalk in many colors if anyone wanted to draw on their cars, some did.

I asked parents to sign photo release forms - they all did!

Let your director know you did a really amazing program. (hopefully she's reading this)

Eat ice cream after clean up! You deserve it.  

Oh, I also handed over all of my leftover supplies to Miss Dee.  She's hosting the program at our Main Library and no doubt she will tweak it before it makes it to Bailey!  Have fun my friends.  (original idea credit was Christina Ho on Pinterest)

Piper says hello.  We hope to return to weekly blog posts soon. We miss our Flannel Friday friends.   #librariestransform #summerreadingisExhausting.  

Thanks for stopping by.  

peace ~ piper and jane  

  

Community Art - Maker Space - in YOUR Library

Community Art in the Library

El Dia de los Muertos will be celebrated in our little branch library with an invitation to the community to participate in an art project.  All the supplies will be out to make paper Sugar Skulls.  We hope that our patrons will leave their artwork for the month - but we recognize that sometimes they want to take their masterpiece home.  It's all good.  

My colleague Joe and I made the sugar skulls in the photo and we cut out about 40 plain skulls from paper plates.  We'll let everyone go to town with the markers.  The display area is set up with the title : Mexican Sugar Skulls to honor El Dia de los Muertos  

Over the past few years we have done a number of community art projects.  We've discovered that our families enjoy being part of the art on the walls of their library.  Moms, Dads, grandparents, teens, tweens, little ones - all particpate - we include everyone.  It's not the product - it's the belonging and the process of creating something bigger.  

This past July we asked our community members to color a firefly...they were shy at first and then...wow!  So this was day one:

Be a Reading Bug and Light the Night

And here we are at the end of the week.  Colors!

This project was tremendous fun and we kept it on display through September.  Senior citizens loved coloring a firefly or a flower and shared stories of their youth - who knew? Accidental engagement ...or the power of art.  Loved it!  This piece is 30"x 40"

We did another Community Art Project to remember 9/11. 

 I asked the staff to paint sheets of medium weight watercolor paper on both sides.  They did this over two days.  I explained to them what we were working on and everyone wanted to paint.  Honestly, it makes you feel good to know that we are doing something meaningful.  I located a butterfly template on-line and with the help of our teen volunteers - we traced lots of butterflies.  Library patrons were invited to cut out a butterfly of their choice fold the wings up and glue the butterfly wherever they wanted on our foam-core board. 

Many little ones brought their butterflies home and a number of families took photos of their children standing with this piece of art. 




Something like this...it does a heart good.    

One holiday season we decorated our very large tree - a live tree, (not a Christmas tree) inside the library with pre-cut card stock birds.  Our patrons were encouraged to color the birds,  thread a ribbon through them and hang them on the tree.  Take a look:

They did it.

This was another "feel good" project.  And many birds with home with their artists.

When we do these projects I always invite the staff to participate first.  Our circulation staff is great - they will then follow through with the patrons inquiring if they would like to color a bird for our Peace Tree. One of my colleagues likes to take birds, butterflies, flowers, etc; home for her grandchildren to make - we build connections - in and out of the building.  

I'm not sure what the holiday project will be this year but I do know one project we'll do in the new year. 

Inspired by  Eleanor Estes' book, A Hundred Dresses, we shall invite our patrons to make dresses.  Sort of Origami, paper folding dresses with embellishments.

Here's dress #1 ...only 99 more to go!

I think I see a clothesline with those tiny decorative clothespins holding up the dresses. Maybe I should invite libraries across the country to contribute little paper dresses in February.  Hmm, I'm going to think about this.  We could have hundreds of dresses! 

Over the summer we made these beautiful flower vases in one of our kids' programs.  I did not have enough materials to offer it to the entire community but I did offer it to the staff.  Yennesse took her's home to create and totally rocked it. Just look at it!

 Let me say, when you are in the middle of Summer Reading and your staff is working "all out" ... Art Therapy is a nice change of pace.  Providing all the materials in one place where they can work on their own masterpiece and complete it - well, it's priceless!

The biggest reward in all of this is ownership and pride in your very own library.  It's your space patron people - and this, these community art projects,  are but one small part of the maker space movement in libraries across the country.  

We love comments and questions. Talk to us!  Thanks for reading. ~ jane

Common Ground - Art Smart

Introducing "our very own original idea" 

Colorizing a Caldecott 

Written and illustrated by the very talented Kevin Henkes

Common Ground Art Smart is a program designed to inspire adult and child creativity, side-by-side.   We intentionally use the language and the books from the Common Core State Standards. We feel that the town library shares common ground with our schools and our families in many areas and in this case, we share and support literacy and the arts.

 If you follow Piper Loves The Library you know we've used this book before in Common Ground Art Smart.  It's a favorite!   Mr Henkes might like to know that his book was the #1 most circulated children's book in our little branch in 2013.  Pretty cool, don't you think?

We moved the program from one of our branches to our Main Library children's room this summer.  Nice program room with kid-size and adult-size sinks!   This is the sort of thing that makes my day...details of the sinks!   We invited 4-6 yr olds with an adult.

The program met once a week for three weeks.  Each time we created something colorful from Kitten's First Full Moon.  I had  10 copies of the book.  Following a brief introduction of the story and the author/illustrator's style - each parent/child pairing could browse the book and decide how they wanted to approach their work.  Communication is key.

Week #1  Flowers

Just look - so many different styles!  We all talked about color combinations.  After drawing with sharpies & coloring with oil pastels they cut out their pieces for a new layout, a new and cleaner composition.

Week #2 The Kitten 

(I passed around some of Laurel Birch's designs to inspire COLOR!)

Made with oil pastels and sharpies

Week # 3  The Full Moon

(if you follow our blog you've seen this before - in giant size!)

We created these with sharpie and colored chalk and triple matted! 

 That's it.  I adore doing this program.  Watching parent and child talk about their artwork, think about it, plan the colors and layout, make a sketch - it inspires me.   Introducing oil pastels to a whole room - it's a rush.  Letting everyone discover the sparkle that metallic sharpies bring to their creation  - very very exciting!  I mean it.  Discovery, creativity, collaboration, inspiration - these are my words people.  Amen!

P.S. Piper Script: Lucky for me, someone wanted to draw "puppy's first full moon." Hmmm.  I wonder...maybe we should contact Mr Henkes!

Thanks for visiting Piper Loves the Library.

She loves your comments too.  

Not a flannel Firefly

Firefly July

At the beginning  of time of the month I saw fireflies in North Carolina and knew I wanted to create a community art project with fireflies back in my Connecticut library.   I was looking at Kevin Henke's award winning book - Kitten's First Full Moon for a different library program, when  suddenly I knew. Here's the firefly idea!    It's wonderful when the moon aligns with Jupiter and Mars and the idea is just there.  There!  Here!

I started with a large piece of gorgeous blue paper from the fantastic Jerry's Art-orama, the neighborhood art store.  I recycled, (and who doesn't love some free-re-cycle?) a piece of black foam board for the backing.  I had a big fat black sharpie on hand and some great colored chalk pastels.  I drew the moon, the fireflies and some flowers with the black sharpie and placed the piece on display.  

Our patrons, old and young alike, were invited to color one firefly.  And they did.  On the first day we had lots of bright yellow fireflies and a couple of yellow flowers.  We titled the piece "Be a Reading Bug and Light The Night"  In one week's time the mural was done.  Look at all the colors!  And all the fireflies!  It's magical...and our community loved being invited into the artwork.

Are you a reading bug?

P.S.(Piper Script): Enjoy your summer reading...and watch for fireflies!  We'll be looking to the heavens for inspiration for the next community art project.  

For the LOVE of BOOKS

Celebrate Picture Book Month with a PARTY
                                         ....or maybe a Wild Rumpus?

       

Oh yes we did! ... an evening to remember!   Our recipe for success included: a red carpet, fancy stanchions, shinny streamers..balloons! refreshments...glitz, glam, swag bags, stories, songs and picture books galore!  

  

November is Picture Book Month and the Caldecott Award is 75 years old, whoa!  This deserved a party.  Agreed?  Of course!  And we thought... fancy party, fancy dress, fancy pants, fancy fancy!  Check out this fancy, handsome young man...simply perfect

We set up a "Walk the Red" PRESS BOX for interviews and family photos...it was the best!   Everyone sat in the director's chairs.  Take a look!  Straight from the Faxon Library's BNN (Book News Network) where I had the microphone and they answered the questions....we have a charming mom and son...

talkin' books and monkeyin' around!

Knuffle Bunny and Sarah, (photo bombed by a monkey)

Oh my! A fancy-dressed princess in the press box with mom and dad!

Two of the evening's prize winners!  (watercolor paint sets)

...and, well, what can I say?  Hey hey we're the monkeys!

We set up the Library's Community Room with spotlights on the Caldecott Books.  We dimmed the overhead lights, turned on the music and our families walked that red carpet.  I must confess...I walked it like a runway...fancy me!!  My friend Isabella "walked the red" and announced,  "Mrs Breen, I love this party already!"  

Within minutes I realized that the parents and grand parents were excited to see Caldecott Award winning books from their youth.  This was incredible and it both surprised and delighted me.  A common thread, a common joy...these beautiful, beautiful books held meaning and memories for the children and THE ADULTS!  The adults loved revisiting their favorites.  WOW!  (and just saying...I don't think you'll ever get that feeling from a Kindle... like I said...just saying, absolutely no judgement here!)

Max and his Wild Things were front and center in our decorations for the evening.  Everyone recognized them and identified with the story in some way.  My thanks to the incredibly talented author/illustrator Maurice Sendak.   I had the honor of sharing the stage with him in 1988 reading books to children.  It was spectacular - but alas, I was so completely in awe...I could not manage to speak a single word to him! *sigh*

YOUR LIBRARY

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

 Anyway, back to the party..to help everyone settle into our event we provided a maker's table for designing and making pipe cleaner flower corsages, bracelets, crowns and hair jewelry! Once decked-out with personalized designer accessories we slowly organized into the story time area.  Here are two of the evening's beautiful young ladies...one is stylin' a Disney designer gown, crown and cherry lollipop, and the other sweet heart is politely waiting for the story!

Before reading our book we just had to have a conversation on background information for the round gold medal on the book cover.  The author writes the book...do you like to write? Raise your hand.  The illustrator does the drawing and painting and creating pictures for the book.  Ah, the work of the illustrator is as cool and as important as the author's words. And the illustrator wins this award!  "Please raise your hand if you like to draw and paint and make beautiful pictures" .   Hands went up...adults and children's hands stretched into the air with pride.  This is the best!  Twenty-six years in Children's Services and it's always a delight when the parents "buy into" the deal.  Yep - many of our parents like to draw and paint and make messes!   They raised their hands!  Good listeners!  Great audience!  Thank you for being the best role model for your children.  

We read Kitten's First Full Moon - written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes.  Oh what fun!  Everyone loves kittens!  And this one is really thirsty...but why, oh why is the bowl of milk in the sky?  Wait!  Milk in the sky?  That can't be...hmm.  No spoiler to be found on this blog - you'll need to read the book!  

But for now, just look at the expression on her little face.  Ut-oh!

The book is darling and silly and we learned that many of our families own it. (YAY!)

We did a cute flannel board game too.

Little Cat, Little Cat are you in THIS party hat? 

Just hide that kitty behind a hat and you have a suspenseful game with a giggling group!

Then we all stood up and did a freeze dance...we needed a stretch!  And more giggles!

                     And finally refreshments!  (inspired by books!)

Hollywood had the Rat Pack - and we had the SNACK PACK.

These happy children were outstanding...

 ...and beautiful.

Parents proudly talked about Caldecott books they read and remembered.  We had a couple of moms in the press box who recalled some very classic folk and fairy tales while growing up in other countries.  Again, to hear children and parents discuss their particular favorite book and books they love to share with each other just made my night.

I told the crowd early on that I hoped they would all go home with a Caldecott medal (aka borrow a book!)  - they did!!  As we wrapped up the evening we had a swag bag for each child - it's just what happens in the glamorous red carpet life...you get a swag bag!  Honestly!   And on top of that...a touch of gold!  We had Little Golden Books, (donated) for each child - again, a home run!

Here's my friend Isabella bundled up to go home but FYI: she wore a golden dress!

 One of the party go-ers received her very first library card on this special night and I just have to say...Sofia...Girl On Fire!  You rocked it!!  And congratulations!

I am grateful to all who attended the Faxon Library Special "Walk the Caldecott Carpet" on Monday the 25th of November.  The love and joy you have for your children is contagious.  Reading, sharing and celebrating books with your little ones is PRICELESS. Just keep doing it.  And many thanks for letting me be a part of this journey. 

  

Read * Share * Celebrate

It's a wrap!  November has come to a close.  It was a pleasure to serve as an Ambassador for Children's Picture Book Month.  I am grateful for our community and their love of picture books.  We'll have to get together soon and talk books again.  Yes?

P.S. (Piper Script)  We're reading all of the Caldecott Award winning books from now til Christmas. You can too!  Pick them up at The Faxon Library in West Hartford, CT.