I have been able to participate in two of these events as a
practicum student. During the first
event I attended, the children enjoyed playing with the Star Wars characters
from Alpine Garrison. They fought with light sabers, drew and colored
rockets, and created Star Wars masks. Carrie received a grant to provide 12 mini
iPads for this program. When the children first entered this event, they
generated their Star Wars names using the iPads. Through-out the event, iPads were available to
play games on.
The second time I attended this program, I enjoyed listening
to the children talk about building their Lego cars and then watching them race
these cars down a track. During the Lego event, children also built Lego
creations from kit instructions, played with Duplo blocks and a train set on
the floor, and played games on the iPads.
At each event there was a quiet sensory corner for children
to go to when they were feeling overwhelmed. The corner included a rug, sensory
blankets, sensory toys, books, and an iPad. Overall, the environment and excitement
made for a good experience. This is a worthwhile program that I hope other
youth librarians will implement through-out the state of Utah and beyond.
For more information about this program see the YSRT Fall
Workshop notes.
Submitted by
A. Paige
Emporia State Practicum Student
Kearns Library (Salt Lake County Library Services)
