This document provides a 12-month plan for library programming for K-6 children that aims to nurture them and help them thrive. It includes program ideas for each month of the year focused on reading, literacy, and collaboration with community partners. Suggestions are given for finding inspiration, setting goals, collaborating with schools, and other tips for planning successful library programming for children.

1. 12 MONTHS OF
PROGRAMMING
K-6 LIBRARY PROGRAMS THAT NURTURE CHILDREN
TO THRIVE AND GROW!

2. WHO WE ARE: LISA SHAIA

3. WHO WE ARE: JOANNE MOORE

4. WHERE TO FIND IDEAS
• What’s circulating well?
• What are the children constantly asking for?
• Sometimes I browse the bookstore for series and
titles that I missed along the way. That will spark
an idea.
• Pinterest
• Blogs:
• Thrive Thursday: School age blog hop
• Tiny Tips for Library Fun
• Bryce Don’t Play
• The Show Me Librarian
• Thrive After Three (Lisa’s blog)

5. AGES & TIMES & DAYS
• What age group already uses the library?
• If you expand into different age groups will the work
and money be worth it?
• Is it naturally busy a certain day / time?
Take advantage!
• Saturday or Not to Saturday?
• Do children come when there’s no school, or do
they stay home?
• Can you get the library added as a bus stop for
program days? (see thriveafterthree.com for details)
• Half-Day Programs / Professional Development Days

6. BUS STOP
• See:
http://thriveafterthree.com/2014/03/09/bus-stop-for-prog
for all the gritty details

7. GOALS?
• What are your goals for your department?
• Expand programs
• Increase circulation
• What are your goals for the children?
• To create lifelong readers
• To have children explore different topics
• To expand what children learn in school / complement
curriculum
• What are the goals of the program?
• By the end of this program you will be able to…
• By the end of this series you will be able to…

8. WAYS TO COLLABORATE
• Find one partner
• Don’t be overwhelmed by trying to partner up with every
school or organization in your district! There’s not enough
time!
• Flesh out a calendar year together
• Pencil in important dates together
• Plan programs together
• Involve each other in your summer reading, book fairs, etc.
• If programming together is out, match displays
monthly

9. SETUP A CALENDAR
• Setup a yearly calendar
• Include all important dates:
• School vacation weeks
• Half days for conferences
• Professional development days
• Special programs at library
• One Book program
• Book Fair dates
• Library fundraisers
• Summer reading
• School testing dates
• Graduation
• Time change weeks

10. PROGRAMMING IS SIMILAR TO
CREATING A GARDEN
Rich soil/foundation
Perennials and annuals
Urns and statuary
Time to grow
Theme/Idea/Collaboration
Classics and new/popular
Crafts/activities/games
Patience/adjust/abandon
Requirements Description

11. JANUARY: BOOKS AND S’MORES
•Read aloud program
•No-bake, peanut-free snack
•Guest readers
•Align with Language Arts theme
to build rapport with schools
Cookies & Classics
Milk & Cookies
Books & Cocoa

12. FEBRUARY: MYSTERY PLAY-DATE
WITH A BOOK
•Gift wrap books by age range/grade level
•If You Like____, Then You’ll Love This!
•Use before school breaks

13. MARCH: BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
•Meet 5x during the month of March
(every Monday)
•Read two books aloud at first 4 meetings
•Have extra copies of each book and place children in
teams to look over each title
•Vote on the best book at first 4 meetings
•5th
meeting: Read 4 books aloud and have extra
copies available
•Vote for Best Book
•Publicize the winner so children
feel a sense of “ownership”

14. APRIL: AWARD WINNING BOOKS
•Examine artists’ and authors’ style and discuss
•Craft your own book with construction paper, book
binders, dividers
•Use “school supplies”: crayons, markers, colored
pencils, scissors, tissue paper, clean out your supply
closet!
•Stamp a seal on the front cover
•Have children write and illustrate their
very own book
•Circulate the collection

15. MAY: SCREEN-FREE WEEK
•Develop a script, with narration,
characters to role play, and lines to
perform. Encourage outdoor
performances to promote a traditional
setting.
•Play “Not a Box”: bring in shoe boxes,
book boxes and have the children
create their own Not a Box.
•Collaborate with Historical Society to
play “Old Time Games.”

16. JUNE: STORY MOB
•Choose a story and
create a Story Mob
(variation of a Flash
Mob)
•Encourage costumes
to go with the story
•Book Ideas: Are You a
Horse? Where is the
Green Sheep? Mo
Willems’ Pigeon and
Elephant & Piggie Books

17. JULY: BOOK MOBILE
•Take the library to the children
•Circulate books to the local Parks
and Rec Department/Summer
Camp/Boys and Girls Club/YMCA
•Create cards for the Group
•Bring box/milk crate for
pickups/returns
•Refill once a week if possible
•Leave library card applications
•Place library bookmarks in each
book

18. AUGUST: STORY HIKE
•Stake each page of a picture book
and place stakes 50 feet apart to
create a “Book Hike”
•Collaborate with local nature center
•Use as an End of Summer Reading
event or Family Day Event
•Book Ideas: Tap the Magic Tree,
Press Here, Wiggle, Stretch, From
Head to Toe, Don’t Push the Button

19. SEPTEMBER: PAGE TO SCREEN
•Read picture book aloud
•Create Bingo Cards with words and
phrases from the book and movie
•Create a PowerPoint to reveal the
words and phrases
•Book Ideas: Night at the Museum,
Jumanji, Shrek, Babar, Where the
Wild Things Are, Cloudy with a
Chance of Meatballs, Meet the
Robinsons, Epic, Madeline, Curious
George, Ant Bully, Hachiko

20. OCTOBER: LITERACY PARADE
•Choose a literary theme
•Great fundraiser idea!
•Indoor costume Trick or Treat parade held at school.

21. NOVEMBER: PICTURE BOOK
MONTH BINGO
•Picture book covers
•Parts of a book
•Theme: Fancy Nancy, Magic
Tree House, Mercy Watson
•Award BINGO prizes related to
the stories.
•You can even dress up as you
host the BINGO program.

22. DECEMBER: HAPPY NOON
YEAR PARTY
•Crafts: hats, streamers, and if you’re really brave,
confetti?! HINT – stay in one confined space for this one!
•Talk about, plan, and commit to New Year’s
resolutions, such as I will read a book a week or I will
visit the library every week.
•Create a Word of the Year
•Check in with children; send them
a postcard if you haven’t seen them
in a while. After all, everyone loves
to be remembered and appreciated!

23. OTHER IDEAS FOR
COLLABORATION PARTNERS
• School Media Specialists
• Parent Teacher Organization (PTO/PTA)
• Parks and Recreation Department
• Historical Society
• Local Museum
• Boys and Girls Clubs
• Community Center
• YMCA

24. TV SHOW / YOU TUBE CHANNEL
Weekly program for storytelling and reading picture books.
We’re popular with the young and the elderly.

25. SCHOOL READINESS
Kindergarten Social: Just before school begins, invite the School Media
Specialist to a one-hour morning “Social,” so students learn the name(s) of
some of the most important school personnel!
Ready, Set, Grow! : Conduct a series of programs for pre-K students and their
parents to prepare them for Kindergarten. Offer modeling sessions of reading
aloud, and have craft ideas for fine motor skills.

26. IMMERSE YOURSELVES
IN THE COMMUNITY
We were asked to be special guest judges at the yearly pie contest.

27. FUNDRAISING IDEAS
• Auction your dynamic duo off to appear at events.
• Do a private storytime.
• Choose a book and do an after hours party
around it. (Snowmen at Night)
• Pajama Storytime
• Books & Boogie

28. QUESTIONS?
Reach Lisa Shaia at:
lisamshaia@gmail.com
thriveafterthree.com
In depth program ideas will
be posted on the blog.
Reach Joanne Moore at:
jomoore50@gmail.com
moorej@litchfieldschools.org

29. THANK YOU!
We hope you enjoyed our webinar, and we hope that
you are inspired to try new programs.
We want to emphasize that collaboration and a focus
on the mission and goals of our work are our guides to
success.
We love to share and promote children’s programs
and hope to talk with you again!
All the best,
Lisa and Joanne