During the bitterly cold winter days, give your young library patrons a shot of sun and sand. While the temperature drops outside, you can host a luau to get kids excited about books. Luau storytimes are simple to create and extremely popular for kids of all ages. Gather books about ocean animals, the beach and Hawaii, and some beach party games to play. Add some tropical music, and you'll have the makings of a luau kids won't soon forget.
Instructions
1. Decide which picture books you'd like to use for your storytime. Keep in mind the age of your audience. If most of the kids attending your storytime are age five and under, you'll want to read short books. If the kids are age six and up, you can read a longer book.
2. Choose the crafts you would like to have the kids make. You can have them make flower necklaces. All you need is some yarn and some fake flowers. Use non-toxic craft glue to attach them to the yarn. Another cute but simple craft is a design-your-own- surfboard craft. Make a surfboard template from card stock and have kids color or paint their own miniature surf board.
3. Decide which luau activities you would like to do. One fun activity that fits with the luau theme is a hula hoop contest. Put on some Hawaiian hula music and let kids hula hoop to the music. See which child can keep the hoop moving for the longest amount of time. If your city has a local dance school that teaches hula, see if you can get an instructor to donate her time that afternoon to teach kids some simple hula moves.
4. Decorate your library with beach and luau decorations. You can suspend fish cutouts from the ceiling or place fake palm trees around the children's section. Play some Caribbean or luau music as the children enter the storytime area.
5. Display a variety of books with a beach theme in hopes that kids will want to check them out.
6. Give kids a luau-themed goody bag after the storytime ends. Stuff the bags with a book mark, a beach-theme pencil and simple toys from a dollar store or a place such as Oriental Trading Company (see Resources below).
Tags: Decide which, have kids, hula hoop, luau kids, with beach