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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

Close up of what you get. Low barrier of entry for anyone curious about crafts, sewing, crochet, felt work, etc. Oriental Trading Company. #Crafts

Close up of a completed fleece Yeti pillow. Oriental Trading Company.

Close up of components of Yeti pillow. Two fleece layers and stuffing. Oriental Trading Company.

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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 · 05/12/2025

Can you guess the flavors of these candy canes by sight? I’ll give you a hint from left to right: Hershey’s, Lifesavers, Skittles, Archie McPhee, and Nerds. Good luck! #CandyCanes #Library #LibraryProgram

Five candy canes from left to right, white with red, burgundy, and green stripes. Yellow with green stripes. Candy cane all red, purple, green, yellow, and orange stripes. Candy cane with lime green with whitish green stripes. Red candy cane with purple stripes (wrapping has Nerds mascots on it).

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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

Sample knot board and knot board kits - the background has been removed for clarity. We found these cool animal head beads to include as an extra motivation to complete each knot and to display the board after completion. 🐷🐸🪢🐼🦊 #LibraryProgram #EduSky

Knot Kit shows knot board, skein of string, and beads.

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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 · 29/07/2025

PRIXEL Press Bulbasaur. You can see the stamp pieces, and the “evolution” (or process) in the pics. #PrintMaking #PRIXEL #Pokemon #LibraryPrograms

PRIXEL Press showing stamp piece arrangement for final Bulbasaur print.

Bulbasaur PRIXEL Press print in black and red ink.

Early Bulbasaur PRIXEL Press print in green and gold ink.

Early Bulbasaur PRIXEL Press print in green, gold, and red ink.

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

The process. Lots of fun, with just the right amount of trial and error. #PintMaking #EduSky #DIY

PRIXEL Press with Venus Flytrap rubber stamp arrangement.

PRIXEL Press Venus Flytrap print in red ink with a gold ink fly. Test run print on yellow notepad paper.

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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

In under ten minutes I had the packaging opened and made my first print. Fun and easy - can't wait to see what our creative patrons come up with! #Library #LibraryProgram #Print

Shows PRIXEL press with three modular rubber type shapes to form the word "COOL" in red ink and a star shape in gold ink, pressed on a blank envelope.

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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 · 19/07/2025

So glad you like it! A very popular program kit. If you have any questions please reach out. Thank you!

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

The examples pictured are all of Tokyo (a popular choice!). This program used craft materials and was not a Maker Space project, although you certainly could include Maker Space elements, rendering monuments, buildings, additional kaiju, etc. Hope this helps! Thank you.

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

If they're more interested in Anime and Manga, for instance, discussions while crafting their diorama may lean more into Japanese culture, and manga titles they've read. Or maybe they're just into arts and crafts and never made a diorama before.

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

"If the structure of a bridge could support X amount of weight, would your kaiju of choice be able to demolish it?" Or maybe they just want to recreate a real-life monument to the best of their abilities. How can we accomplish this with materials at hand?

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

Since there's no "one size fits all" method to programming, here is where it helps if you're familiar with the interests of your library's current teen population. If they're interested in STEM - you can focus more on architecture, or get into some fun hypotheticals:

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

This fosters engagement with our collection - and hopefully some circulation. Then invite the attendees to share anything interesting they may have learned - encourage them to include regional elements into the diorama if they can. This is really more to spark conversation among participants.

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

An in-house public library program for teens typically runs an hour. Teens would have fifteen minutes (give or take) to research a desired city and locate a library resource such as a nonfiction book from the shelf or database - ProQuest's CultureGrams is one of my favorites for projects like this.

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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

Cool - “A zine made with excitement and haste” - best way to make a zine!

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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

This would inspire ME to grab a book or two on sharks!👍

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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

Pokémon GO Fest 2025 was another success! We had a bunch of families meet us at the park where we lit up the lures and raided gyms as we could. We had a second part of the program later in the afternoon for teens at our library where we focused more on raids.

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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 · 25/06/2025

bsky.app/profile/wfli... Another great example. Easy!

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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

Some of the various themes as we progressed through the year. #PocketOperator

'Drum-Kicks and Drumsticks' for Nov '24.

We called this one, 'Drop-In Jingles', Dec '24.

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

Over the course of a year, we had tons of fun, made lots of music, and garnered a better understanding of what digital music is, could be, and where it's going. One fleet will be added to our Library of Things, so patrons will have more time with the instruments. #music #LibraryPrograms

Yours truly giving what appears to be a very important speech to a cohort of patient music teachers and faculty.

Standard setup per unit. Includes unit's name, instructions, and song building exercise.

Standard setup for a 'Meet the Fleet Night' 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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