Take Home Kits for April - September

What is a take home kit?

A take home kit is where we put together crafts for guests to take and do at home. A library program in a bag with instructions if you will. These kits can range widely from soap-making for teens to gluing colorful streamers to a cloud for toddlers. I aim to make kits for elementary-aged kids from 6 - 11 years old. I put kits out about every other week. Below I have the poster I made to advertise and other information about the craft. I found that I rarely get feedback on kits but I'll mention it if there was any. Feel free to copy any of these!

The Kits

 

This was my first kit that went out before the Easter holiday. I made 25 kits that included a paper plate, pink paper, cotton puffs, a pink cotton puff, and yarn to hang it up. I ran out of the pink puffs or I would have made more! This kit went very quickly largely due to the fact that no one was making kits for this age group until I was hired. It was cute, simple, and we had all the supplies I needed to make them. 

The event description was "Swing by the library to pick up a paper bunny craft kit just in time for Easter! The kit includes supplies your child will need to make their very own happy bunny! You will need liquid glue, scissors, and a marker. Everything else is included!"

 

I found this idea from the book Super simple Earth Day activities : fun and easy holiday projects for kids. It's a bird feeder you can make at home! I included peanut butter, a paper roll, dowel rods, birdseed, and ribbon to hang it up. The goal was to get kids thinking about the world outside their doors and how they can affect it.

This kit went so fast! I started with 30 kits and ended up making 18 more. I ran out of the 16 oz peanut butter I purchased or I would have made more kits. I repacked the peanut butter into condiment cups and the birdseed into sandwich-size bags. This kit was for Earth Day so I added some information from Audubon for Kids. I did talk to a few kids about making their birdfeeder and they were super excited to get home to make it. 

The event description was "Earth Day is this month! Celebrate by feeding the birds and learning about how they help the environment. This kit will allow you to make a small birdfeeder. You will need a sharp pencil, hole punch, dinner knife, and plate. Everything else is provided! This kit does contain peanut butter so please avoid it if you are allergic."

I found this craft in the book Gardening for kids: 35 nature activities to sow, grow, and make. This one took a bit more effort on my part but it's a great craft for the whole family to learn from. I made 21 kits and limited it to 1 per household since any number of kids can watch it grow. I inculded the cup, soil, 4 beans, napkins, newspaper, paper tube, and a growing guide. The got the growing guide from the OSU Extension and searched for the type of bean I purchased. The goal was to get kids thinking about where food comes from and what gardening can bring. 

The event description was "Have you ever wondered what happens when you plant a seed? This kit can help you learn! This kit is for the whole family to watch and grow their very own bean plants and learn about what happens underneath the soil."

Pinwheel to bring in the summer! It was already hot and windy in Oklahoma so this came out at the perfect time. I made 35 kits and each one could make 2 pinwheels. I inculded 2 pinwheel designs, straws, and bits of pipe cleaner. It was super easy to put together and relates to STEAM. My goal again was to get kids looking at the outside world.

The event description was "See the power of the windy skies by making a pinwheel! This kit will allow you to make two pinwheels with different designs. We provide almost everything your child needs to put this craft together. All you need is glue!"

This is a great kit for any library at the start of Summer Reading. I cut out circles in different colors and that's it! I suggested that a circle was for 30 minutes of reading and that parents could add more excitment by creating reading coupons for each circle. Some examples could be $2, 30 minutes of screen time, ice cream, they pick a family movie, a trip to the park, or a new book. I made 45 kits for this one and I plan to do it next year too.

The event description was "The Summer Reading Challenge starts this week! Pick up this kit to start your summer off right. This kit comes with the supplies you need to make your own bookworm at home to track what you read this summer! Happy reading!"

 

I made this kit was more scientific than just making a ladybug. I included cardboard and styrofoam egg carton pieces, paint, a paintbrush, eye stickers, and paper. The scientific part comes from the material of the egg carton. Each step I wrote had a tip at the end that said something along the lines of "Ask your kids the difference between painting on cardboard vs. styrofoam." I enjoy adding tips that help to bring more to the craft. They often take practically no time and can add a lot. 

The event description was "Create a ladybug friend out of an egg carton! You'll need a black marker or sharpie, glue, and scissors. Everything else is provided. Learn about being a citizen scientist along the way."

This was suggested by a coworker and went really well. I enjoyed putting it together since it's a craft from my childhood. I bought some fancy yarn that changed colors and added a solid color if they wanted to make a more dramatic eye. The only other items needed were the popsicle sticks and instructions. I made 50 of these for the summer and they were all gone within the week.

The event description was "Make a colorful God's eye with this kit. All the supplies are provided." Short and sweet.

Bird kite! I loved making this one. It's easy, eye-catching, and flew so well! I made 50 of these and they included paper, string, and instructions. There were a few more items needed by the guests than usual. They were a hole punch, stapler, tape or glue, and markers. I had a lot of fun with this kit so I hope that translated to fun for the kids. 

The event description was "Get outside with this bird kite kit! This take & make kit includes almost everything you need to make a kite that looks like a bird. Three kits per household while supplies last."

This was my first musical kit and the last kit of the summer. I made 50 and they included string, a dowel rod, beads, and cardboard. I also encouraged decorating as well to bring more STEAM into the activity. I also had a blast while playing with this one too.

The event description was "Make your own musical instrument with this kit. This take and make kit includes almost everything you need to make a cute instrument. Three kits per household while supplies last."

I found these cuties on Pinterest. I made 35 kits and they included a template, paper roll, and construction paper. I didn't include those big googly eyes but they could cut out the eyes that were on the template. This did involve a lot of cutting so I recommend that kids need good scissor skills to do this one. 

The event description was "Did you know a group of owls is called a parliament? You can start your own parliament with this kit! Make an adorable owl out of a paper roll with the provided supplies. All you need to glue and scissors! Three kits per household while supplies last." 

Another cute egg carton craft that is super simple. I made 30 kits that included a cardboard egg carton piece, paint, a paintbrush, and two small black pipe cleaners. These were so cute and mine now sit by the ladybugs I made earlier. 

The event description was "Did you know that some species of bees can fly up to 20 mph? You can make your own bee with this kit! Stop by the library and pick one up today. While supplies last."

The last kit of September celebrated National Comic Book Day on September 25th. I found 5 pages that started a comic strip with a few pictures and speech bubbles. The activity was to finish the comic and have a short story afterward.  I put together 30 of these with some very short instructions that said to finish the comic and that we'd love if they showed a librarian after they finished. I haven't heard of any of us seeing any come back yet. This was the easiest kit I put out yet. 

The event description was "Did you know that September 25th is National Comic Book Day? You can celebrate by finishing the comic strips provided in this kit. All you need is a pencil and your imagination." 

Takeaway

That's what I've done so far! I have some really cute ideas for the upcoming months for the holidays. While I don't get a lot of feedback about any specific kit, I have been applauded many times by the quality of kits we put out. I have been told by a few families that they always look forward to picking up the next kit. Some people even travel from other nearby libraries (that don't do kits) to pick up a few from us and that makes me feel pretty good.