Libraries often elicit thoughts of a quiet room surround by books and individuals working busily. However, once a month the library is lit up with activity, supplies scattered across the tables as students create new experiences with strangers and friends.
From lego stories to constructing duct tape products to button making, the library has become an inventive headquarters for students to enjoy themselves and learn the importance of creative thinking.
“We started doing this a little bit last spring,” Librarian Mrs. Janelle Schnacker said. “We had one of the librarians from the Tobin branch come over and do activities, they brought a button maker and some other things that kids could be creative with. They did three visits [then] we kind of took it for ourselves and started offering other activities.”
The first activity for the month of Feb. was button making throughout all three lunches. Magazines, scissors, papers and drawing utensils laid about the table for students to make buttons from the pictures within the publications, or personalized buttons with a self-made design.
“The buttons are really popular, people wanted to do them again,” Mrs. Schnacker said. “We will probably do it once a month at least.”
Besides imaginative hobbies, every Friday, students can access board games from the Library and play with their friends during all three lunches. A way for them to escape the stress of school for 45 minutes.
“[These activities are] pretty much to relax, come up with new ideas, and just let whatever is trapped in your head just come out and have fun with it,” senior Isaiah Sanchez said.
While these pastimes seem to be all fun and games, they are actually aiding students by subconsciously giving them the skills they’ll need in the real word.
“Stuff like this and the board [games are] important because kids are interacting with each other in a positive way,” Mrs. Schnacker said. “By doing board games or these kinds of things, they’re sharing, they’re helping each other. With the board games you see students get into arguments, they deal with conflict resolution, and they’re not burying their nose in an electronic device.”
You can follow the Library’s twitter (@macarthurlib) for more information about activity days.
