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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

February’s ‘Programs to Go’ invites patrons grades 4-6 to paint and decorate a Chinese New Year Horse ornament, and learn how to write horse in simplified strokes. Chinese New Year begins Tuesday, February 17, 2026! Available all month, or until supplies run out. #Library #ChineseNewYear

Finished Chinese New Year Horse decoration. Horse woodcut painted red with gold decorations, including the simplified symbol for horse. Artificial plum blossoms adorn the string tied to its back.

Rows of Programs to Go: Chinese New Year Horse Ornament kits in green library bags with a red horse Ellison die cut paper horse stapled to the outside.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

These Yeti and Christmas tree fleece tie pillows are a huge hit! At 18 inches tall, they’re a great little pillow to read with. They would also make a terrific in-house program. Programs to Go; Grades 4-6. #Library #LibraryProgram #TakeAndMake

Display of two rows of tie pillows, the top row are Yetis, the second row are Christmas trees

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 04/12/2025

What do you get in your ‘Candy Cane Challenge 2025’ bag? Five different flavored candy canes, an answer key including interesting candy cane facts, and a whole lot of fun! Family program. Each kit includes one wild flavor such as Pickle, Mac&Cheese, or Gravy.😛⁉️😝 #Library #LibraryProgram #Skybrarian

Candy Cane Challenge 2025 includes five different flavored candy canes of different colors and stripes, and an answer key. Contents are sealed in a padded envelope.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

November’s theme is ‘Gratitude’ at our local intermediate school, so we made some knot board kits for the students; Knots can symbolize gratitude and interconnectedness. Kits include a knot board made in our own Makerspace, a skein of color thread, and a few beads to tie onto their board. #Library

Poster with instructions on how to use the knot boards.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Check out these awesome centerpieces for our ‘Mini Fall Garden: Gnomes, Turkeys, and Mayhem’ program!🍁🐿️Grades 4-6 #Library #LibraryProgram

Fairy garden centerpiece in a colorful plastic bowl, featuring resin gnomes, squirrels, and assortment of other fall items.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Some painted Fox lamps from our ‘Nocturnal Creatures Luminaries’ program. We painted fox, owl, and cat lamps, exchanged fox and owl sighting stories, and learned a little bit about different nocturnal animals. Grades 4-6. #LibraryProgram #Library

Three lamps, left to right a fox, a purple cat, and another fox.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

Hosted our ‘GO, Othello, and Ice Cream Sandwiches’ program yesterday. Hopefully introduced some new lifelong fans to the games! Grades 4-6. #BoardGame #GO #LibraryProgram #Library

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

I KIZUNA, and you can too! Developing a tween Spider-Man: Kizuna, Vol. 1 book talk where we make string doll versions of the characters while discussing the manga. 🧵🕷️ #Library #LibraryProgram #Manga #SpiderMan #BookTalk

Picture showing Spider-Man: Kizuna, Vol. 1 manga, a string doll, and some materials used to make it including string, glue, and a marker.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Simple gardening kit you can adapt depending on the season. Good for tweens/teens. We’ve tried different versions, all usually include seeds, seedling pots, one additional tool, and basic instructions/considerations. Happy gardening!🌱 #Library #LibraryProgram #Gardening #Skybrarians #ProgramKits

Gardening kit including three packs of seeds, seedling pots, seed sorter, and a watering cap. A sheet of instructions or gardening considerations.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

A ‘Wellbeing Area’ is a great idea! An invitation to downshift for a while, using the library space and resources. #LibrarySpaces #Wellness

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Just playing around with the PRIXEL Press - a Venus Flytrap (with curious snack). 🌱🪰 #Library #Skybrarians #Prints #LibraryProgram

PRIXEL Press stamp print of a green Venus Flytrap and a red fly.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Twenty-five mouths to feed! Our Venus Flytraps for next week’s ‘Return of the Monster Plants!’ program. Now I just have to keep them alive and healthy for a week. For Grades 4-6. #Library #Summer #VenusFlytrap

Twenty-five Venus flytraps on a sunny windowsill.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Walked in from the weekend to see this box of goodies on my desk; We ordered six PRIXEL presses and tons of expansion packs for our PRIXEL press holiday card programs in Oct and Dec. l'd like to try it for zines next. I first learned about PRIXEL from a review by @meganroseruiz.bsky.social Thanks!

Shipment of PRIXEL press and expansion module rubber types of different shapes.

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Reposted by The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian

iNaturalist @inaturalist.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

It’s Moth Wall Season! 👀 #NationalMothWeek starts July 19, you can help scientists study and protect moths around the world by sharing your photos of them to iNaturalist. Learn more: tr.ee/yDkjsW 🌙✨ 📷 Luna Moth (Actias luna) by iNaturalist user annawinge

A bunch of green, brown, and white moths of all different sizes perch on a white sheet that's been hung up and lit with an external light.

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Reposted by The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian

National Moth Week @mothweek.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

National Moth Week 2025 STARTS TODAY! This year, photograph the littlest moths you can find -micro moths! Make sure you register your mothing activities www.nationalmothweek.org so we can include you in the project and send your certificate! #NationalMothWeek #MothWeek2025 #MothWeek

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Check out these Godzilla Dioramas! Students learn a few facts about a city location of their choice - then they get to populate it with rampaging Kaiju! Great for grades 6+. A winning combination of education and mischief.💚🦖 #Godzilla #Library #LibraryProgram

Godzilla diorama: Godzilla vs King Ghidorah.

Godzilla diorama: Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

A huge THANK YOU to @outsetgames.bsky.social for sending this awesome selection of family games! Hours and hours of fun ahead - can’t wait to try these out at some programs. #Library #LibraryProgram #BoardGames #Games #Skybrarians

A selection of seven family board games on a yellow background. Titles include Keys to the Castle, Baffled, Pickles to Penguins, Lambada, Karate Grannies, The Crooked Crown, and Word Thief.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Cute Shark Week inspired grab bag for Summer Reading. Sharks are always a big draw for our young patrons - and a fascinating animal to be curious about.🩵🦈📘

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Little DIY bat houses from a few Octobers ago. Teen patrons assembled and painted their bat homes, and learned about proper placement, bat facts, etc. More craft than functional roost - although they could be fortified. Would like to make these again.🤎🦇 #Library #LibraryProgram #Skybrarians

DIY Bat house for fall teen library program.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

These LEGO Classic ‘Creative Food Friends’ kits are a perfect summer build for tweens or families. Each kit comes in under $10, so depending on your budget, patrons can either get their own set, or work together to build multiple foods. #LEGO #skybrarians #libraryprogram

Completed LEGO set including a taco, watermelon ice-pop, a milk shake, and an avocado.

Multiple LEGO kits during library program.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

HPL was a proud recipient of @lilrc.bsky.social 2024 Innovative Project Grant for our ‘Digital Music Literacy Project.’ We used 20 Pocket Operators, little synthesizers, to host a series of programs, and to lend out to local zone libraries, schools, and other partners. #EduSky #Library

Twenty Pocket Operators divided into two 'fleets' of ten in red and blue. Each fleet had one unit in yellow for the instructor.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Our library’s Pride giveaways craft kit for the Pride Parade and our table. Enough beads to make a Pride bracelet. Enough variation of colors that each bracelet will be a little different. #Pride #library #craft

Selection of beads for a Pride bracelet. Beads spell out Pride and represent the rainbow colors

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Librarians: If you need any last minute inspiration for YA/Tween summer programs, this is an abridged version of the ‘Color Our World’ summer programming presentation I gave in March. Materials links should still work. Any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Good luck! #library tinyurl.com/6WorldColors

tinyurl.com

World Colors 2025.pptx

World Colors Six program kits inspired by culture, history, and social movements.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Compelling manga hack for deeper shelves - - may have to give this a try! #manga #mangacollection #library

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Another collab with our intermediate school. This was a quick and easy one for June; An invitation for students to reflect on ‘Pride,’ and make customized charm bracelets to highlight their individuality and interests. #Library #SchoolLibrary #EduSky #Skybrarians

Silicone charm bracelets, poster invitation/instructions, lots of different charms.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

What are we building tonight at the library? HG RX-78-2 GUNDAM! A solid “high grade” model kit for beginners or pros.🤖✨Grades 6-12. #libraryprogram #gundam

HG RX-78-2 GUNDAM model. Box open with pieces.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

A ‘Throw a Moth Party’ kit program encourages patrons to attract and catalogue moths in their own backyard for Moth Week! National Moth Week 2025 runs July 19-27. Learn more @mothweek.bsky.social #libraryprogram #mothing

‘Throw a Moth Party’ kit includes some gear and information to get families started.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Formulating the idea for a tween, dungeon-crawler adventure book club. Maybe we solve a puzzle inspired by each book at the end of the discussion. Gaming, but as another way to dig into the text and art. Just a thought - but crystallizing. #libraryprogram #bookclub

Table Titans Club
Dragon Forged: Sword of the Champion
D&D Dungeon Club: Roll Call
Dungeon Crawlers Academy: Into the Portal

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

I’d be eager to attempt something similar with our own patrons and Makerspace. Possibly a multiple session “Board Gaming Workshop” program - maybe for families. Concept, design, and fabrication! We could even add their board games to our collection for circulation. #games #makerspace #LibraryProgram

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Fun pop culture display we had in our library; Items lent by library staff’s own personal collections. CDs, books, toys, and even beverages from the 80s & 90s. Big hit with multiple generations of patrons! Compliments a lot of newer, nostalgia items in our collection. #80s #90s #vintage #popculture

Display case shows many different items from the 80s and 90s including Surge soda, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, Goosebumps paperbacks, CDs, and more.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

This thread is phenomenal (you really need to scroll through them all) Would make for an amazing, ongoing YA Book/Crochet Club. Imagine all the young adult titles you could turn into a blanket - then display in your library! #libraryprogram #bookclub #crochet

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Plenty of cool Stitch craft kits available for any last minute/drop in craft, or Lilo & Stitch library craft programs. These are just a few examples - many come in under $10. And of course, there are tons of free crafts available online. #Lilo&Stitch #crafts #libraryprogram

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Who wants Candy Kebobs!? Quick little summer program, good for an afternoon drop in or even a kit. If you want to ‘skewer’ on the educational side, walk them through the history of kebabs and why food is prepared certain ways. For tweens, teens, or family. #library #libraryprogram #skybrarians

Stages of building a Candy Kebob. Marshmallow on a skewer.

Stages of building a Candy Kebob. Sour candy ribbon is added on top of the marshmallow.

Stages of building a Candy Kebob. Gummy seahorse is added on top of the candy ribbon.

Finished Candy Kebob shows layers of marshmallow, candy ribbon, and gummies. Designs are drawn on marshmallow face using edible markers. This Candy Kebob had a summery, sea-life theme.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Our intermediate school’s ‘Learners Who Lead’ students made dozens of seed bombs, then our high school’s ‘Life Skills’ students compiled them into neat packets for patrons to take home. A perfect partnership across two schools, multiple grades, and our own public library. #EduSky #library

Each pack contains three seed bombs with a north eastern mix of wildflower seeds. Seed bombs consist of seeds, soil, and air dry clay.

Dozens of seed bomb packets ready for our seed library.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Full house of Mario games, ready for the weekend rush. Also some new titles and a few replacements for well-circulated classics. Ninetendo Switch family games going strong! What games are you playing or psyched for?🎮 #gamelibrary #nintendo #videogames

Various Nintendo Switch video games library display.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

I mean, it looks like a hoot! Must investigate for our own MakerSpace, or just for our own YPS programs. #makerspace #libraryprogram

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Alebrijes inspired art for Hispanic Heritage Month; The first program in our partnership with our local middle school. We developed the kit and compiled materials at our public library, then the students made the craft at their school library with the guidance of their school librarian. #edusky

Alebrijes inspired animal wood cutouts include (left to right) coyote, llama (or alpaca), armadillo, hummingbird, butterfly and parrot.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

We ran our first ‘LEGO Minecraft’ program almost five years ago - and it’s still a crowd pleaser. The only trick is keeping your Minecraft LEGO pieces separate from the rest of your bricks…or not! Fun for tweens, teens, and family. #lego #minecraft #library #libraryprogram

LEGO Minecraft bricks, loosely organized.

Cart with selection of library Minecraft books, and monitor with program information.

Close-up of selection of library Minecraft books on a cart.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

We usually roll out a variation of our ‘Amateur Birding/Naturalist’ Programs to Go library kit around this time of year. Contains a bunch of tools a young naturalist needs to get started. Grades 6-12.🦋 #naturalist #birding #libraryprogram #programstogo

Amateur Birding/Naturalist kit contains:
1 Drawstring pack with reflective strip, 1 foldable set of binoculars (that you can draw on to customize), 1 Field Book journal, 1 Bic “Xtra Strong” mechanical pencil, 1 Birds of NY State checklist, “Why Birding/Naturalist”.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

‘You’d Better Knot!’ knotting program kit. Comes with everything you need to start knotting. Perfect for a summer season of adventuring! Grades 6-12. 🪢 #libraryprogram #programstogo #library

Programs to Go: ‘You’d Better Knot!’ program flyer. Contains information on kit contents and some book recommendations from our collection.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Incidentally, this is what a horde of goblins look like as they plunder their way through a map on Canva Pro. An easy technique I’ll be using again for future D&D campaigns.🗺️ #dnd #d&d #dungeonsanddragons #map #libraryprogram (or maybe they were orcs?..)

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Mini Pokémon diorama kit we put out a while back. Will need to revisit and expand it for the next big Pokémon event! #pokemon #libraryprogram

Miniature Pokémon diorama featuring Zangoose and Growlithe.

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The Serious Fun Stuff Librarian @seriousfunstuff.bsky.social · 17/05/2025

Great idea - may have to debut our own at our next Family Jigsaw Puzzle Competition. 🧩👍 #libraries

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