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Ah, libraries. Good ones can seem magical to kids, with everything they want there in one place. And if good libraries are magical, that makes good librarians magicians, introducing kids to different worlds and incredible characters. While we encourage daily patronage of your local library, we know that it is tough to get the kids there as often as you may like. Check out this project that not only brings the library home, but lets children be the all-powerful and knowing librarian.
This DIY 'play library' kit from Make the Best of Everything is a throwback to a simpler time, when things were checked out by filling out cards which were then anointed by the mighty date stamp. To that end, you may have to teach your kids how it used to be done before extensive computerization, but that will no doubt be half of the fun. All of the old school parts are accounted for--sign-out cards, little manilla pockets for them to slide into, library cards and the mighty date stamp, which will no doubt be the star of the show.
For extra points you can store it all in a box decorated to look like a book. All in all this is an easy project that has the big payback of getting kids a little more excited about books and reading.
• See more: Make the Best of Everything
MORE LIBRARY POSTS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Little Librarian Play Kit
• Library-themed Party
• A Library in the House
• Children's Books about Libraries
(Images: Make the Best of Everything. Via: One Pretty Thing)
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Oh goodness, this is awesome. When I was a kid, my best friend and I played library ALL the time. We just used regular labels and put them on the back of my books to "rate" whether they were for kids, adults, etc. Looking back on it, I cringe a little that I defaced a few books, but it's a great memory. And they were mostly Minnie Mouse books anyway. :)
As a newly minted librarian: YESSSSS!
What a great memory! My best friend and I created a library as part of our club activities (a club of 2 founding members, 1 associate member). I'd forgotten about it--this was 40 years ago, after all--until I recently found one of the old books to loan to a friend. There inside was the pocket, check out card, ownership stamp (my dad had it made for us) and a handwritten note about not damaging the book: "Do not read book while eating; do not leave outside or allow book to get wet; do not write or draw in book." Oh yeah, most of the books were Nancy Drew, Cheery Ames, Sue Barton, and Little House series with a few science books and general reference books (an entire set of Encyclopedia Americana!)
I eventually became a librarian. Who'd have thought?
I used to play library all the time! I had all the bookshelves in our study labeled by genre, and I held office hours where I'd sit and wait for my parents or siblings to come check out books. I even charged late fines if they didn't return the books on time! haha
I would certainly like to play with that library kit myself ! Only I don't think that 10 year-olds today would recognize any of that equipment as library stuff. Rubber stamp? Ink pad? Card at the back of the book? Different generations, different dreams : my son likes to run the scanner over his books' bar codes by himself when we go to the library...
As a librarian turned stay-at-home mom, this play library game warms my heart. Especially the part where you get to be the "all knowing" librarian.