Activity Ideas for Children, Youth and Adults

January, 2012

Easy to Prepare, Coordinate and Carry Out______

Make Bookmarks! (1-2 hours)

Preparation: Collect quotations about books and reading. Download book and library-related images or bring colorful magazines with photos suited to the age groups of participants. Check the LFL Learning Activities page on for samples and templates you can use.

Supplies Needed: Scissors, lead pencils, colored pencils, pens, crayons or markers. Glue sticks.

What to Do:Use scissors to cut 8 1/2 x 11” card stock (the more colorful, the better!) to make blank bookmarks that anyone can decorate by hand. Write slogans that encourage reading, quotations from authors, or reasons why certain books are your favorites. Draw pictures, make collages with photos and artwork clipped from magazines.

Have everyone sign his or her name on bookmarks they make, then display their work in a “show and tell” activity at the end. If you are feeling really energetic, offer prizes for the funniest, most colorful, most wise, most mysterious, most beautiful bookmarks. Congratulate and thank everyone a lot.

Stick to It! (30 minutes to 1 hour)

Preparation: Ask participants to bring their favorites/good books to donate.Purchase Avery labels.Download and print enoughAlways a gift; never for sale labels to have each person attach 50-100 to the spines or covers of donated books. Download and print 25 sheets (4 per sheet) per person of I Recommend bookplates.

Supplies Needed: 100 books per person is ideal but 50 or less will do.Printed sheets of Avery labels with artwork downloaded from Learning and Fun Activities section. Enough grocery bags, boxes or (best choice) Little Free Library tote/book bags to store and deliver books to LFLs.

What to Do: Display books on tables. Have participants sort them by topic area, age groups, genres and other categories they decide. Remove any books that are out of date, damaged, condensed versions of classics, old encyclopedias or yearbooks. Separate them for recycling. Stack books in each category in groups of 50-100 with a supply of the two kinds of stickers. Assign 2-4 people per group. Show them how and where to put the stickers.

Ask participants to find 5-10 books or more that they like and recommend. Have them hand-write a note and their name on the bookplates.

Let each potential or current Little Free Library steward take 25-50 books home with them. Store the rest at an easily accessible place where people can pick them up easily.

A Little More Involved______

Sunday Afternoon or Anytime at the Movies (a fun and fundraising event—1 ½ -2 hours)

Preparation: Schedule a room or auditorium that will be “just about right” for an audience of between 25-100.Don’t spend money for a movies theater or reserve a huge auditorium. Announce the event with a Save the Date notice 3-4 weeks in advance on Facebook, through email, evite (for RSVPs) written invitations and in neighborhood, church-related and community-wide media. Design ¼ sheet fliers but do not distribute fliers until 1-2 weeks before the event. Most important, invite people personally; at least three to four times as many people as you expect to come. Call or visit them. Do not spend money on advertising. Do not expect that social media or email will do the job. Don’t be afraid to send a reminder note or email. Do not do this by yourself. Have several people help make it a success.

Get an LCD projector and laptop. If you do not have internet access, download your favorite videos about Little Free Libraries to a memory drive, disk or your hard drive. We recommend Because It’s Small and A Small Wooden Box: The Little Free Library Movement as the feature films, and encourage you to pick at least one or two that inspire you from YouTube. Test the projector, computer and internet connections before the event begins.Download a slide show from or choose the photos you want from (Bookus Binder’s Photostream on Flickr).

Supplies Needed:Chairs, table for projector; movie screen, white board, blank wall or white sheet. Popcorn, Good ‘n Plenty or movie snacks. Take a pass on the soft drinks. Bring some party mix or other healthy snacks (fruit, veggies, fruit juice). Have photos of Little Free Libraries near you, or a sample model. Be sure to have a supply of brochures or handouts that tell people how to find out more and who to contact. Donation box or donation envelopes. Sign that lists suggested donations: $10-$20; $100 helps buy books or makes an ideal challenge gift to inspire others.

What to Do: Welcome people at the door.Tell them that admission is free but that donations are definitely encouraged. Give them an envelope or remind them they can leave something when the films are over. $10-$20. Kids can give less and you hope some people will give more.

Announce that Robert Redford had to cancel at the last minute and he was sorry. (Just kidding). Introduce each film. Take questions after each one. Write down questions you can’t answer and tell everyone you will get back to them.

Two helpful ideas: a. Have a door prize for which you sell tickets. $1 each or 6 for $5. b. Have a silent auction for a Little Free Library. Set the minimum price at $150-$200; all bids must be at least $5 higher.

Sell DVDs of Because It’s Small for $10 each. Split the proceeds from the entire event 50-50 with Little Free Library to cover film production, distribution and outreach costs. Apply all the rest to purchase or expenses for local Little Free Libraries.

Still More Involved and More Fun______

B & P Your Own LFL: Build and Paint Your Own Little Free Library (2-4 hours)

Preparation: Order one Basic (unpainted) LittleFree Library or Kit for each group of five or fewer people you expect to participate.Or build your own but leave it unpainted.Before you event, prime the Library and let it dry.

Supplies: Unpainted Little Free Libraries (LFLs). If you plan to have more than 10 people, bring one LFL for each group of five. Have enough screw drivers, hammers, wrenches, drills and drill bits to put together as many kits as you have. Dangerous tools like saws, chisels or cutting tools will not be required. If you plan to paint, make sure you have several sizes of brushes, primer and exterior paint in the colors you want the artists to use. Bring old rags and whatever you may need to clean brushes, people and paint spills. Oil-based paints and sealer are a must. Ask your local hardware friends for advice. Drop cloths or plenty of newspaper will be required to protect the work area. Bring either large sheets of newsprint or white paper and pencils so participants can plan their designs.

What to Do: Spread the drop cloth and newspaper on the tables or floor space you intend to use. Have one supervisor for each Library if possible; someone who is familiar with the tools, supplies and techniques you want to use. Before decorating, ask participants to design what they want to paint and share ideas. They can pick a theme, a scene, solid colors or simple icons and symbols. Draw the outline of the designs or stencil on the patterns you wish. Thenpaint. Whenever possible figure out ways to let everyone, no matter how skilled, contribute something.

Be sure to apply one to two or three layers of sealer before installing the Library outdoors. Clean up all the paper. Make sure no paint drips are left on the floor or furniture after the activity is over.

Be a Book Architect or Engineer—Build With Books! (1-3 hours)

Preparation: Ask participants to bring as many books as they can to be used as building blocks…and good reading after this activity is over. Find and print pictures (on the internet) of fantastic Libraries, book sculptures and other art made with books. To inspire, look at, , or

Supplies: Books. Cardboard boxes to haul them in. Our best idea for boxes: You may find a similar supply of green boxes near you.

What to Do: Present a slide show or a display of photos of interesting structures built with books. Choose some fairly simple structures first—skyscrapers, houses, bridges, etc.—and see how high or how creatively participants can build them out of books. Then let ‘er rip! See who can make the most amazing structure with only books. When you’re done, let everyone choose the books they want. Take lots of pictures from beginning to end of this event.

(more to come!)