Sparking Interest! How can the library compete with hockey, swimming and dance classes? By offering… Programs that balance the FUN factor for kids & the educational factor for parents! Providing programs with wide range topic appeal for all members of your community.

It’s a POP-Culture World Riding the wave! Instant product recognition means instant interest in your program. Pop culture breaks down preconceived notions about libraries and attracts non-library user families to attend.

More to a After School Program that just a great title… What makes a program POP ? Kids HAVE to do a lot of things in their day: School, Homework, brushing their teeth, etc... Your library program should be that one thing in their week they WANT to do! Kids who’ve sat all day in school do not want to sit for another hour at the library. They want to MOVE, PLAY & EXPLORE.

Webkinz World Club Kids and the power of “Clubs” Kids in early elementary grades love to belong to a club. They are eager to attend groups where they know they’re part of a TEAM. Clubs are made up of kids who share the same interest, collect the same things or earn points for participating. The Webkinz World Club is just that kind of CLUB! Proven success for Winter 2009: 25 Children registered Average attendance over 6 week program was Girls & 7 Boys

Go Team, Go! Teams build confidence. Kids who are shy or younger in age will enjoy working together in a team to complete games, activities and point challenges. Teams are excellent for reading incentives, kids can work as a group to earn reading points without having to be confident readers.

Teams build READING Confidence! Divide your group of 25 kids into teams of 5, they will remain in this group for the 6 week duration of the club. WHY? Teams help kids connect and make friends. Teams engage the BOYS in the group, they love to work in teams. Teams mix the ages, genders and abilities, participants are put on an even playing field. Teams do not single out reluctant readers for their lower level of reading.

$$ Reading KINZCash Program Reading Incentives Cash in on the power of tokens! Kids will grab books off your display to take home each week if it means earning Kinzcash for their team. Challenge kids to read by assigning more cash to Chapter books (5 Kinzcash) than picture books (3 Kinzcash). Teams earn tokens for participating in games & activities. Tokens are kept in a team tin and counted each week.

Webkinz World Club Making the Online game come alive! Each week an online game is selected from the Webkinz website to set the theme. Hungry Hog is an arcade style game. players are helping the hungry hog catch the chocolate doughnut. Two fun themes Doughnuts Hogs

Webkinz World Club Building an hour of library FUN Team Connect Time: Kids match the webkinz pet on their nametag to the team sign on the mat and sit with their team. Name Intro: Kids state their name, Webkinz pet name and their favourite online webkinz game. Kinzcash Reading Incentive: Kids join the club mascot, Dude Pup as he earns Library Kinzcash and tokens by reading books and playing the club activities. Team tokens will be tallied each week. Kinzcash will be rewarded for reading weekly and kept in individual envelopes until the end of the 6 week program. Total Kinzcash & tokens will be totalled to decide the winning team!

Hungry Hogs Program format Program Time Duration: 60 minutes Theme: Doughnuts & Hogs Music: (3 minutes) I love Chocolate by Choo Choo Soul Read: (7 minutes) Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller Games: (15 Minutes) Chef Gazapacho’s Egg Relay Race. Fill egg cartons with plastic eggs using spoons. Chef Gazapacho’s Hot Potato. Use beanbags & winner gets “chef” hat. Music: (3 minutes) One Doughnut a Day by Parry Gripp

Hungry Hogs Program format Read: (7 minutes) The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond Games: (15 Minutes) Pizza Pizza Palace: (Based on the online game) 2 Large cardboard pizza boxes filled with paper pizza slices. Kids create ¼, ½ & full pizza just like arcade game. Online Connection: Play Hungry Hogs on the big screen Craft & Kinzcash Rewards: (10 minutes) Webkinz Bed: Clementine crate painted & decorated (3 week duration) The kinzcash table is set up and assign your oldest participant to hand out the kinzcash for books read.

Other Weekly Themes: Webkinz World Club

Now that you know the format, you can apply it to any Pop-Culture theme and watch your program succeed! The 39 Clues Grades 4 & Up Proven success in Fall Children registered: 14 BOYS & 13 Girls Average attendance was 21 each week Mythbusters Grades 4 & Up Amazing Race: Library Edition Grades 4 & Up