Program: DIY Spa Day

This program is great for a Mother's Day program or just a Pamper Yourself day.  Supplies are easy to acquire and most of these activities are easy to complete in a short amount of time.

SUGAR SCRUB

Sugar scrubs are a great alternative to salt scrubs and leave your skin feeling polished and indulgently soft. Scents can range from commonplace to exotic. To use a sugar scrub, first stir the mixture to redistribute the oil then scoop a small section into hands. Scrub together then wash off with running water. Pat dry.

Supplies:

8oz Wide Mouth Mason Jars

Oil (my preferences are safflower, olive or coconut oil)

Sugar (LOTS)

Essential Oil(s)

Fabric squares (I prefer the pre-cut quilt squares)

Twine

Wooden Taster Spoons (you can get these online for cheap)

Directions:

The general rule is two parts sugar to one part oil. Place sugar and oil (2:1) in a mason jar and stir well. The mixture should be the consistency of wet sand. Add 4-6 drops of essential oil (depending on how fragrant you want the mixture to be). Put on the mason jar's cap (that flat circular bit) and place a quilt square over the cap. Slip a piece of twine about 6 inches long through the band (the part of the lid that screws on) and carefully screw the lid closed. Using that bit of twine tie a Taster Spoon onto the jar and finish off with a bow. Voila!

BATH TEA
Toss one of these into a bath for the ultimate spa experience. Basically, you turn your entire tub into a pot of tea and soak away your troubles!

Supplies:
Large sealing tea bags (I get mine from Herb Affair)
Mixing bowls
Flat Iron (like used on hair) or an Iron or Ironing Board - I've found the flat iron easiest.
Spoons
Resealable Plastic Bags (You can use lunch sacks, but I prefer the 4x6 clear plastic jewelry bags)
Epsom Salt
Dried Lavender (I get mine from Herb Affair)
Dried Chamomile
Dried Lemon Balm
Lavender Essential Oil

Directions: 
The ratio for this mix is: 1.5c Epsom Salt to 1c. Dried Lavender to 1/2c. Dried Chamomile to 3/4c. Dried Lemon Balm.  Quantities needed for this mix with depend on the number of teens attending.  Mix salt and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Open a tea pouch and fill three-quarters full. Use the flat iron to seal the open edge of the tea pouch.

SOAP POUCH
Don't waste your money on those expensive faux sponges at the store! Slip your favorite bar of soap inside one of these for a sudsy good time.

Supplies:
Washclothes
Scissors
Needle
Thread
Ruler

Directions:
Can be found here at One Good Thing by Jillee.

There are TONS of DIY Spa instructions online. Take a look and see what will work for you and your library/school.

Teen Program: Scream-In

One of my most successful programs is the annual Scream-In my library hosts in October.  What, you ask, is a Scream-In?  It is a program adaptable to any library situation and sure to entertain your youth!

For details on my initial Scream-In Program please see the TTR chapter I wrote in 2011.

2012 Ideas Are:

Shadow Pumpkins

Supplies:
Black Oil-Based Paint Pens
Black Puff Paint
Small/Medium White Pumpkins

Directions:  Use paint pens and puff paint to create spooky shadows on small to medium-sized pumpkins.  Print some examples of "spooky eyes", spiders, witches and black cats from the Internet.

Bloody Cupcakes

Supplies:
Cupcakes without icing (If you don't feel like baking, talk to your local grocery store)
White Icing
Red Gel Icing (lots)
Halloween Sprinkles
Plastic knives
Small plates

Directions:
Give each teen at least one cupcake, a knife and a plate.  Have teens ice cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.  Then give each teen a tube of the red gel icing and let them go to town.  They can stick the tip of the tubes into the cupcakes to add "blood" inside the cupcake and decorate the outside.

Program: Zombie-fied Crafts

Courtesy of greyloch

Here are some zombie themed craft suggestions your teens will love:

ZOMBIE MARSHMALLOWS
Supplies:
Edible Markers (can find at Michael's & Joann's as well as online)
Jumbo Marshmallows
Pretzel Sticks
Light Corn Syrup
Sprinkles, Small Candies etc (to decorate with)

Instructions:
Spear Marshmallow on pretzel stick.  Then use Edible Markers to draw faces on the Marshmallows.  Corn syrup is the "glue" to paste on sprinkles and other edible decorations.  When finished take pictures then enjoy a sweet zombie treat!

ZOMBIE SHRUNKEN HEAD APPLE CARVING
Supplies:
1 Apple per person (green or red)
Craft Knives (1 per person)
Paring Knives
Water
Lemon Juice
Salt
Green food dye
Wooden kabob spears
Black beads (for eyes)

Instructions:
Using paring knife carefully peel the apple.  Use craft knives to begin carve a zombie face in apple.  *Be VERY CAREFUL when using craft knives and make sure teens always cut AWAY from themselves.  Eyes should have a slit for beads to be pushed in to when ready.  When finished carving face soak apple in Water, Lemon Juice, Food Dye & Salt mix.  Be prepared to send these home with teens without completely finishing the project.  It can take several days for the apple heads to dry completely. Will feel like sponges when ready for beads to be inserted for eyes.
For tips on apple head carving: http://www.appledolls.org/page2.html

ZOMBIE STRING DOLLS
Supplies:
Embroidery floss
Pipe Cleaners
Glue
Small Beads (for eyes)
Scissors

Instructions:
These string dolls are very popular and inexpensive, so are great for libraries on a budget.  4YA has the best String Doll Tutorial I've come across - just follow her directions and you'll be sure to have a hit program!

Program: Spa Day for Teens

These crafts are perfect for a Gals' Night In, Mother's Day, or Pamper Yourself program.

VANILLA SUGAR SCRUB

Ingredients & Materials: Sugar (fine or coarse depending on preference), Brown Sugar, Olive Oil, Vanilla Extract, Metal/Glass Bowls, Metal Spoons/Whisk, Plastic Containers for finished scrub.

Directions: In bowl mix 1 cup brown sugar with 1 cup white sugar.  Blend well.  Spoon into container (you want container to be pretty full since the oil will compress the sugars).  Add oil and let sink through the sugar until it hits bottom.  Stir gently.  Add more oil until the sugars are the consistency of wet sand.  Stir gently.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir gently.  Seal container and add a pretty ribbon for a finishing touch.  Note: Sugar Scrubs tend to settle over time.  You may need to stir them before giving them as a gift.

To Use: Scoop a small amount of sugar scrub onto hand and massage over rough skin (hands, feet, elbows etc).  Rinse thoroughly and pat dry.  *The oil in sugar scrubs can make bathtubs/tile slippery.

BATH SALTS

Ingredients & Materials: Epsom Salt, Sea Salt, Baking Soda (optional), Essential Oils, Metal/Glass Bowls, Spoons/Spatulas, Containers or Jars for finished salts (you can use glass, but I recommend plastic since these containers will be in bathrooms).

Directions: Scoop 3 cups of of Epsom Salt, 2 cup of Sea Salt and 1 cup of Baking Soda into bowl add 2 drops of essential oil of choice and slowly stir salt, mixing drops completely.  Add several more drops one drop at a time, mixing completely between drops.  (Adding too much oil at once will make the salt begin to dissolve.)  When the oils are completely mixed scoop salts into containers and seal.
Caution: When using Essential Oils use caution.  Oils can irritate skin and eyes, do not apply directly to skin.  Avoid contact with eyes.  Do not ingest.

To Use: While running bath water add a small amount of bath salts to water.  Let them dissolve completely before entering bath.

LAVENDER-PEPPERMINT BATH TEA

Ingredients & Materials: Dried Lavender, Dried Mint, Self-sealing Large Tea Bags, Iron or Hair Straightener, Metal/Glass Bowl, Metal Table Spoons, Sandwich bags.

Directions: Using a 3 parts Lavender, 1 part mint equation mix herbs in bowl until completely integrated.  Spoon 3 table spoons of the mix into a tea bag.  Use the iron (or hair straightener) to seal the open edge of the tea bag following the directions on the tea bag package.  Place completed tea bags in sandwich bag for storage until use.

To Use:  Place pouch in bath as water is running. Let pouch’s contents infuse as the tub fills.





Books to Movies for the YA: List 1

Looking to show some films at your library?  

It's a low-cost, easy program to run with almost guaranteed attendance.  

And here's a way to tie in reading!

Below is a list of books that have been adapted into films with teen appeal.

Please make sure your library has licensing to show films before screening.

MOVIE	BASED ON
Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring	Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Hunger Games	Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe	The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Alice in Wonderland	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
Howl's Moving Castle	Howl's Moving Castle by Diane Wynn Jones
Beastly	Beastly by Alex Flinn
Elektra	Elektra by Frank Miller
Clueless	Emma by Jane Austen
Race to Witch Mountain	Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
Freaky Friday	Freaky Friday by Mary Rogers
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World	Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Stardust	Stardust by Neil Gaimon
The Three Musketeers	The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Teen Program: Reading Challenge

This is a fun, low-cost program that will have your teens talking, blogging and sharing reads!

The "challenge" aspect of this program makes it driven by an individual desire to participate, not by the desire to win a prize, so there is no monetary cost associated with this program.  When designing this challenge make sure to create gender neutral objectives that can be adapted to a variety of reading styles/levels.

Here are some ideas for a 10 Week Reading Challenge
Week 1: Read something blue
Week 2: Read something OTHER than a book
Week 3: Read outside
Week 4: Read a poem
Week 5: Read something without words
Week 6: Read something funny
Week 7: Read something solid
Week 8: Read something active
Week 9: Read a play
Week 10: Read at random

Using whichever Social Media works best for you (Twitter, Blogging, Tumblr, Facebook etc) to promote this program.  Have teens submit what they've read for each objective and watch the communication unfold.  Don't be afraid to start the discussion for each objective.

Before you start: If you want your teens more involved in the planning stages get them to submit ideas for possible challenge objectives.

Good Luck and Good Reading!

Teen Program: Prompting Creativity

An easy, fun passive program can be as easy as posting an image and asking a question:

What is this character's story?

Find an image that provokes thought and contemplation and pose a simple question:

• What is the emotion of this image?
• Where is this character from?
• What is the story behind this image?

Have teens submit their responses via Twitter, Blog comments, or in person.  This can even be a prompt for a Teen Writing Contest (see earlier post for contest 101).

Do your teens need an INCENTIVE?

Try offering tickets to an Art Museum, a community theatre, or even a Roller Derby meet!

Passive Program: Reel Them In

If your library is anything like mine during the summer, it is an absolute madhouse with teens attending events, checking out books and using computers. Here's a passive program you can put together to reach out to your teens when they are hanging out in your teen area!*

Reel to Read - Celebrating the books that inspire the movies.

This summer has a slew of amazing titles that are based on books that can probably be found in your library. I have chosen SIX of these titles with Teen Appeal:

The Avengers - May 4
Snow White and the Huntsman - June 1
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer - June 22
Amazing Spiderman - July 3
Dark Knight Rises - July 20
The Bourne Legacy - August 3

Step 1: Fashion a display or create a poster in your YA Area.  Make sure to link the films back to the novels/graphic novel/fairytale where they were first created - mine looks something like this ---->

Step 2: Make a limited number of buttons for each movie release.

Step 3: As teens ask for the buttons hand them out (the limited number makes them special).

Step 4: Teens who collect all 6 buttons get a entered into a chance to win a fab bit o' SWAG!

Teens love buttons - especially when they have a neat quote or cool graphic.  Tailor your buttons to reflect each specific movie.  Since your buttons can also be used to promote library programs make sure that your library's name or logo appears on there somewhere.

Easy peasy! And, should you actually have some buttons left over, they can go into your Swag Stash for future giveaways.

*This program may even make sure that teens take the time to READ the signage you put up in the YA Area. :)

Teen Program: Holi Water War

The Hindi festival of Holi is one of the more joyous and colorful celebrations of springtime and incorporating this festival into your programming creates a truly multi-cultural program sure to be a hit with teens and tweens.

Traditionally Holi occurs in March, but trying to find a good time to hold an outdoor program can be difficult, so plan your Holi Water War anytime the weather is warm!  We are holding our Holi Water War during June when the weather will be blistering hot and everyone will enjoy a cool program.  Before you begin hurling colored water at each other make sure to go over the roots of Holi and what the different colors traditionally represent.

Supplies:
Holi pigments
Sponge Koosh Balls (much easier that water balloons and better for the environment)
Tubs or buckets for water
Permission Forms (the pigments stain so you will want to have permission forms signed by participants)

Then all you need is a space for the program and a change of clothes for afterward.  Make sure that participants know they will not be allowed back into the library in wet clothing to avoid damage to library furnishings.  For this reason, I recommend holding this program near the end of business hours.
*Mixing the pigments used in Holi with water makes the colors more vivid and messier, so you definitely want to do this program in a park or open space outside your building.

It's Not You, Just the Nature of the Beast

Working with teens and tweens can be one of the most rewarding jobs available.  It can also be the most frustrating.  I have often found myself facing disappointment at the turnout for Teen Programs at my library and, in frustration, reached out to my fellow YA Librarians to figure out the secret to successful Teen Programming.  The results?  We ALL experienced those feelings of failure and frustration - especially when new to the job.

Here's what I've learned in my 5+ years of working with teens - It's not you, it's them.

More often than not it is not you or your program that is the problem, but the teens themselves.  Young Adults often do NOT have control over their schedules.  Commitments to school, extra curricular activities, clubs, church and other activities take up the majority of time for many Young Adults.  This is especially true for teens before they get a drivers licence when they are dependent on friends or family for transportation.  Visiting the library is not a priority for many parents once their children progress out of storytime and school age activities.  If you want a strong Young Adult program, you and your fellow staff members must train parents to keep their offspring involved in library programs beyond childhood.

How does one do this?
Your Children's Department is probably already set up and running - storytimes, after school activities etc.  Libraries tend to start loosing participation of youth in 4th or 5th grade as they age out of the Children's activities and are not presented with appealing alternatives.  Create a Tween Program to address this situation!  Build on popular Children's activities to funnel active youth into feed from Children's programs all the way to Young Adult.  I have found that the more "exclusive" you are the more popular the program will be (i.e. only Tweens are allowed in Tween Programs and only Teens in Young Adult programs).  This way children can look toward the Tween Programs with anticipation while the Tweens look toward the Young Adult Programs.  While exclusivity is essential to building a Tween/Teen program there should be some opportunity for crossover between tweens & teens.  Create some programs that allow the tweens and teens to interact and form bonds.

What kind of programming works?
This is actually a trick question.  Every library and community is different and a variety of programming should be experimented with to determine what works for your library.  Above all: DO NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED!  If you have only three teens at a program that's okay.  If you have 50, even better! 

The secret to working with youth is understanding that it isn't personal.  This is especially hard for me to remember because I AM personally invested in providing the best programming I can for the teens of my community.  If you host an activity that only has a couple teens talk to them, find out what they like/dislike about the program.  Then try the program again in a few months.  I've found that an activity might work great once and utterly flop the next time - and the opposite as well.  Don't be afraid to try new things and to reach out to teens.

DON'T BE AFRAID OF FAILURE, IT IS JUST A PRELUDE TO SUCCESS.

Teen Program: Eyebombing Contest

Looking for an easy, affordable program sure to be a hit with your teens? 
Try an EYEBOMBING Contest!

WHAT?
Eyebombing is a form of street art in which googly eyes are stuck on inanimate objects in the public space.  The object is to humanize the streets and bring a splash of whimsy to the lives of people.  Click here for more information.

SUPPLIES:

Peel and stick googly eyes in various sizes
Teens

THE CONTEST:
Over a period of time have your teens submit pictures of eyebombing they have created.  To get teens started have sheets of peel and stick googly eyes at the library with the rules stapled to the sheet.  Each teen gets one sheet of eyes.  Encourage your teens to get creative, but not destructive.  After the contest ends have staff or the public vote on the winner.

RULES:

1. Must use googly eyes, NOT stickers, to create eyebombing.
2. Eyebombing must be done in a public place, NOT at home.
3. Picture must be of the teens' own creation, NOT something they find.
4. Must use peel and stick googly eyes NOT glue.

Teen Event: Creepy Cute Softies



Pig from spider web patterned sock.

 I LOVE to get creative with my teens.  Watching them tap into their creative juices and work out the "how" of making something is one of the most rewarding points in working with teens.  One program that is always a big hit is a program that I call "Creepy Cute Softies" and is a wonderful creative outlet as well as a way to learn basic sewing skills.






Sock Ness Monster

 Supplies:
Clean mismatched socks or felt squares [You can have a donation drive or look for sales in the dollar section of stores like Target.]
Needles
Cotton thread
Embroidery floss
Buttons/Sequins/Beads etc
Safety Pins
Scissors
Pencils and Pens
Polyfill stuffing

What then?
Set out the supplies on a main table and let the teens choose which socks and supplies they want to use.  Use needle and cotton thread to stitch the basic creature together leaving a hole to stuff creature through.  Fill creature with polyfill.  NOTE: If using socks do not over fill the sock with stuffing as it becomes difficult to sew and not as attractive when finished.  Next use the embroidery floss to add findings such as buttons, beads or machine parts or to stitch on eyes and nose.  You should also have a decent supply of safety pins in stock so that teens who won't or can't sew can still do this craft.  Let your teens make whatever kind of creature they desire - you'll be amazed what they can come up with.

For inspiration put out a few books like Daniel's Stray Sock Sewing, Zombie Felties or Steampunk Softies by Nicola Tedman & Sarah Skeate.  You can also show the movie Coraline in the background to really get to the heart of how creepy dolls can be.

Cyberseams has some great basic instruction for hand stitching.

Ultimate Teen Comic Swap

Trying to plan fun Teen Programs?  Short of staff and money?
Give this one a try:

ULTIMATE TEEN COMIC SWAP

Comics rock!

This is an easy program that's low on the prep. time and high on teen enjoyment.  All you need is a couple tables, plenty of promotion and an hour of time. 

Option 1:
Let your teens know which specific day and time the swap will occur and have them bring in comic in during library hours the week prior to the event.  For each gently used comic they bring in give the teen a "comic buck" or ticket that they will use to "purchase" comics during the swap.  On the day of the program set up the comics spread over the tables and then open to teens.  They can use their "comic bucks" to "purchase" gently used comics.

Option 2:
Advertise the event well in advance so the teens know to bring their comics to trade.  Open the trading site (couple tables in a room) and let the teens trade comics between themselves.  You probably want to stay in the room to mediate some of the trades, but this version is much less staff intensive. :)