Klebanoff, A. (2009, July 1). "Block Party: Legos in the Library." School Library Journal. Retrieved from: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6666669.html
My tween materials class has been focusing on programming for tweens this last couple of weeks. Through our discussions I read about this article with a fantastic idea for tween programming. Radnor Memorial Library in Pennsylvania has a Lego club that meets once a month. Attendance for this club can some months be as high as 50 kids. The club is open to children and tweens, but they have had an incredible turn out of tween boys. What's awesome about this club is that it isn't just a bunch of kids getting together to play with Legos at their library; the organizers incorporate books into the Lego club as well. The program lasts an hour and a half. A theme has been selected and advertised in advance, there is a book on that theme for each age group represented. Each group is either read to or reads a bit of their book and then goes to creating something that represents that theme out of Legos. Not only does this program get tween boys into the library, it also gets them reading.
Another thing I love about this program is that it makes the library part of the community. It offers a program for kids from different schools within the same community to meet over a shared interest. Libraries have to continue to find programs like these that bring in kids who might not have an interest in reading yet, but they love to create things out of Legos or music or art or any other interest which can be made into a library program. Books can even be incorporated into these programs, like with the Lego club.
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