Earth Day & Beyond

Earth Day is coming up this Friday, April 22nd! There are many ways to celebrate and show respect for our planet. You can use a sustainable mode of transportation for your commute to work. Riding the bus or helps take more cars off the road, which reduces congestion and helps improve environmental air quality, especially on hot days! Biking or walking are also great eco-friendly transportation modes that can help you avoid traffic and give you a workout on your way to work. Did you know that you take action all year long? Check out Billion Acts of Green, a worldwide environmental movement that is helping to protect the Earth for future generations. Why not celebrate Earth Day this year by creating some very cute and eco-friendly crafts? These fun crafts will inspire teens to learn more about Earth Day and will also help connect them to their environment.

photo from Craftionary blog

Bottle Cap Art - This is a great way to help save the planet, keep all bottle caps and make cute art!


Earth Day Slime - Who doesn't like playing with wiggly jiggly slime? Grab the glue, starch, and food coloring and you are all set!

photo by Amber's Averie Lane Blog

Herb Mason Jar Planters - Brighten up your Earth Day celebration with these adorable herbs planted in decorated mason jars.


Clay Leaf Impressions - These clay leaf prints air dry easily and are not only fun, but also very educational!

photo by Handmade by Kelly's blog

Recycled Bird Feeder - This beautiful bird feeder will attract birds and maybe even squirrels too. They also make a great Earth Day gift for friends and family.http://www.handmadebykelly.com/diy-recycled-can-bird-feeder-craft/


Water Pollution Exploration - This is a creative way to teach teens about water pollution by using a sponge shaped like a fish!



Tune in next month for more craft ideas for tweens and teens from Mrs. Librarian Lady!

Playful Craft Ideas for Teens

It's January and you know what that means? It means that the end of the school year is approaching faster than we think. You know once spring hits there's an edgy and spirited feeling in the air for teens, but really, they can't get too distracted because they still have class assignments, backpacks full of textbooks, and their teachers keep loading them up with homework!

Speaking of being playful, I saw this article “How to Bring Playfulness to High School Students” that really inspired me to think about how we can introduce more fun and playfulness since teens have to deal with so much stress in school. The article talks about the pressure that teens are experiencing with school and how teens need to find time to be creative and have fun in spirte of their daily pressures.

I was lucky enough to see this awesome quote "Never lose your sense of wonder" and I feel like I can identify with this quote so much. If we lose our sense of wonder then we are going to be losing out on having fun and all of the amazing possibilities out there in the world. With the ideas of bringing out playfulness and keeping the wonder in teens lives here are a few ideas for some activities that could bring a bit of playfulness in either a library or after school club for teens.

DIY Embellished Animal Ears - Make these adorable animal ear combs and all you will be all set to look super cute in them!

Eye Magnets - These eye magnets will be an awesome addition to any area in your house or even your locker at school. The eyes have it on this fun craft.

Ultimate Guide to Sharpie Mugs - This guide will help you to make a super cool Sharpie mug! We just made these over the holidays and it was so much fun to draw your own characters and add in your own sayings. You don't need to be an artist, just have fun with it.

7 Layer Sculpey Cake - This darling seven layer cake is so much fun to make. You can make a rainbow colored cake, or choose your own favorite colors of Sculpey polymer clay.

Here are two of my Pinterest boards that have tons of great craft ideas for teens:

Crafty & Fun

Cheap Crafts for Teens

Tune in next time for more great teen programming and activity ideas!

Mrs. Librarian Lady

An Anti-Valentine's Day Campaign

I'm finally going to do to be able to get creative with and let loose my true feelings for Valentine's Day! I'm on a month long campaign to prove that Valentine's Day does not have to be all about hearts, love, and flowers. I'm hosting two Anti-Valentine's Day parties for teens at two different libraries! Wow that double exposure to heartbreak, disillusion, and pain. I love it ♥ I'm an evil genius muhaaahhaaahaaa! Finally something to get excited about in the cold winter weather. Here's my intro to the party invitation and I will be posting for the next month with pictures, songs, and crafts for this anti-heart celebration!

Do candy hearts and chocolates make you feel ill?
Are you running from Cupid and his stupid arrow?
Are you planning your ♥ Day escape?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone!
You are invited to an
ANTI-Valentine Party!!