help me spend this money...

[ProudGrandma]

I am the librarian at a very small library.  Most of my patrons are children.  I was given a generous gift of $200 from a family with young kids.  They requested I spend it on something fun that the elementary kids would enjoy.  So, now I am gathering ideas to present to my board at Monday's meeting.  In our library, we have a variety of board and card games, lots of legos, puzzles, building toys like lincoln logs, those little bristle balls, tinker toys, magnetic tiles, brain flakes, etc.   I am open to spending the whole $200 on one thing (if it's really cool and can be used by multiple kids) or on many different things.  What makes this harder for me is that our school is really good at providing all sorts of tech opportunities for the kids...with coding class etc.  So, I sort of want to get away from the tech side of things...and focus on "old fashioned play"  ideas because that will make what I offer different than what the school offers. 

So, shoot me your best ideas.  Thanks. 

[alisoncooks]

Train table?

[Pen]

“Elementary” meaning to around 6th grade? So maybe past tinker toy stage?  Where it sounds like there’s already a lot for the little kids but not much appealing for the 4th - 6th grade ish range? 

Big Snap Circuits set?

Microscope?

Musical instrument (s)—$200 especially with help from a local music shop could be enough to start library ukulele groups for example?   I donated a child guitar to library and it became a borrowable object to allow kids to decide if they were interested without family needing to invest. 

Art supplies?  Maybe cement tile/pavers making materials for special project that then could grace an outside reading bench/nook ? Or supplies to make a games table for checkers/chess/backgammon?  Where first there’s making and afterwards using something special? 

 

Fun furniture?  

Items for doing little acted plays together ? Or puppetry stage?

 

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by Pen

[vonfirmath]

I know there was a toy store we would frequent because they had a train table. And just linger to play. That sounds great. (though yes may be younger than you are looking for)

 

The kids at our elementary level program at church love those stacking cups and competing against each other -- it might get too loud for a library though.

They also love those tables with the spinning ball players where you try to kick it into the opposite goal. Again, it gets loud.

Edited January 14, 2020 by vonfirmath

[Pen]

Air hockey table

[Noreen Claire]

The big draws in our library children's room is the train table and the Melissa & Doug kitchen set. There is also a growing collection of Little People (farm, ship, etc). 

[Chris in VA]

Gosh, it would be really hard for me not to spend it on books. Those are fun. 

[ProudGrandma]

I forgot to mention that our space is VERY limited....so it almost has to be something that doesn't take up permanent floor space...like a train table or a kitchen set...although I would LOVE to have stuff like that.   I have plenty of money for books...we are blessed that way...

[4Kiddos]

Cuboro or Cugolino...every kid loves them but they are expensive. You can find them online at The Wooden Wagon toy store.

Varis Toys makes a similar ones that are cheaper.

Edited January 14, 2020 by 4Kiddos

[MercyA]

Wooden dollhouse with lots of people and accessories

Frame or pvc pipes and play silks to make tents and reading hideaways

Finches in a large flight cage with lots of toys, nesting baskets, ladders, etc.--finches do not like to be handled but are so fun to watch and seem to enjoy the attention; rescues in my area usually have them

Large roll-out play mat with sets of animals, fantasy creatures, knights, fairies, etc.

If you had room--a sand table

 

[Noreen Claire]

34 minutes ago, kfeusse said:

I forgot to mention that our space is VERY limited....so it almost has to be something that doesn't take up permanent floor space...like a train table or a kitchen set...although I would LOVE to have stuff like that.   I have plenty of money for books...we are blessed that way...

The kitchen set at our library is in a big bin, and it goes into the back room when not in use. The kids/parents have to request it from the librarians. 

[Pen]

The noise might be too much, but there might be quieter things like this portable $20 ping pong that lend themselves to being used with existing library furniture. Set up when desired and bagged and put away when not.  Air hockey also has portable table top versions. 

Franklin Sports Table Tennis To-Go - Complete Portable Ping-Pong Set - Includes Ping-Pong Paddles, Balls, and Net, Plus Easy-Carry Bag - Easy Set-Up - Expands to 6' - Easily Attaches to Table Surfaces https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0091DJM24/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_FLFhEbFG2DTA9

 

this sort of game is fun for a wide age range, but this particular set is too expensive:

Heemskerk Sport Sjoelbak, Foldable HS-40 Imported from Holland (NL) in Stock in The US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBDEKAV/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pRFhEbGY8AYVW

 

5 minutes ago, 4Kiddos said:

Cuboro or Cugolino...every kid loves them but they are expensive. You can find them online at The Wooden Wagon toy store.

Varis Toys makes a similar ones that are cheaper.

 

I agree that a good quality marble run could be fun for a variety of ages.  Again might be too noisy.  ?

[Noreen Claire]

Our library also recently constructed on outdoor space out the back door if the children's room. It's been fenced in, with benches and flowering plants. Obviously, it's not available in winter here, but the kids love to read their books outside in good weather.

Pics here:

 

[catz]

One thing that was super popular at our preschool and we bought some and kids played with them for YEARS was marble maze blocks.  We actually ended up getting a couple sets.  They were fun on their own or as part of building Rube Goldberg style set ups.  And they're expensive enough that not everyone is going to have a set at home. 

https://www.youngexplorers.com/itemdy00.aspx?T1=Y117888&srccode=NXCYC6&utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparison&utm_campaign=datafeed&source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAiA6vXwBRBKEiwAYE7iSyWcyIhW97nZhx5GnQjqd_S_aiYowI9IX8-abkJZJ-dXYksO1keJphoCrWUQAvD_BwE

[ProudGrandma]

4 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

One thing that was super popular at our preschool and we bought some and kids played with them for YEARS was marble maze blocks.  We actually ended up getting a couple sets.  They were fun on their own or as part of building Rube Goldberg style set ups.  And they're expensive enough that not everyone is going to have a set at home. 

https://www.youngexplorers.com/itemdy00.aspx?T1=Y117888&srccode=NXCYC6&utm_source=google&utm_medium=comparison&utm_campaign=datafeed&source=pla&gclid=CjwKCAiA6vXwBRBKEiwAYE7iSyWcyIhW97nZhx5GnQjqd_S_aiYowI9IX8-abkJZJ-dXYksO1keJphoCrWUQAvD_BwE

do the kids get frustrated when the pieces don't line up correctly or fall apart?  We had a interlocking marblerun  in our home when our kids were young, they loved that...but I am concerned about the wooden one you list.  What is your experience?  I also thought about those Keva blocks but are shying away for the same reasons.

[catz]

3 minutes ago, kfeusse said:

do the kids get frustrated when the pieces don't line up correctly or fall apart?  We had a interlocking marblerun  in our home when our kids were young, they loved that...but I am concerned about the wooden one you list.  What is your experience?  I also thought about those Keva blocks but are shying away for the same reasons.

I don't remember that being an issue at all.  Though like any block set, they will topple of course. Younger kids would do very simple things and bigger kids did amazing things with them.  Something about rolling marbles is magical. 😂   We played with the interlocking ones and had a small set of those too and I felt like these were more fun and flexible for most kids and got a lot more use.  

[katilac]

37 minutes ago, kfeusse said:

do the kids get frustrated when the pieces don't line up correctly or fall apart?  We had a interlocking marblerun  in our home when our kids were young, they loved that...but I am concerned about the wooden one you list.  What is your experience?  I also thought about those Keva blocks but are shying away for the same reasons.

Keva blocks are amazing and get my vote for all the money! Kids play with them at their level. Some will do simple things, others intricate. 

[ProudGrandma]

5 minutes ago, katilac said:

Keva blocks are amazing and get my vote for all the money! Kids play with them at their level. Some will do simple things, others intricate. 

but don't they fall apart very easily?  I have never played with these, so I don't really know anything about them...I just hear people talk about them.  

[catz]

Oh, the keva style and architectural block sets are super fun too.  Those wooden blocks are indestructible and just open ended fun.

[Beth S]

Do you have weekly Story Time?  You could upgrade any chairs, easels, puppets to make it a higher quality experience.
You could also spend it on a Guest Speaker (visiting author, animals, etc) for a child-oriented event.
 

[Annie G]

I’d look into something that takes up no space, like a guest speaker (maybe an animal rescue place will come bring some animals and give a talk, or someone can come give a class for kids) or to start a new program.  Our old library had ‘read to dogs’ and a couple of times a month they’d bring dogs from the animal shelter to the library and the kids could read to them. Cuddling w a dog who very much needs some human contact is a lot of fun for kids, especially reluctant readers who feel less intimidated reading to a dog since it’s not going to correct the reading or judge the kid.  so the money could go to buy dog treats, pay for pictures of the kids reading to the dogs, blankets to lay on to read, or whatever. 
What a great problem to have- how to spend donated money! Hope you come back and tell us how you spent it!

[Arcadia]

3 hours ago, kfeusse said:

but don't they fall apart very easily?  I have never played with these, so I don't really know anything about them...I just hear people talk about them.  

They are pretty sturdy. Teens love them when the library organized a fun day with keva planks. Basically the middle school crowd was building lots of skyscrapers. 
 

For lower elementary, puppets and a small puppet theater has been hits and they take up a small footprint when not in used. E.g. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wooden-Floor-Theater/23750647

[katilac]

6 hours ago, kfeusse said:

but don't they fall apart very easily?  I have never played with these, so I don't really know anything about them...I just hear people talk about them.  

I'm not sure what you mean by fall apart. Like do the structures you build fall apart easily? A stack of equal height might fall apart more easily than one built of heavy blocks, but it will also be much quieter, lol. I'm really not sure, but no kid has ever mentioned it when playing at my house, and no one has ever cried over them, so I'm going with no, not really. 

[ProudGrandma]

6 minutes ago, katilac said:

I'm not sure what you mean by fall apart. Like do the structures you build fall apart easily? A stack of equal height might fall apart more easily than one built of heavy blocks, but it will also be much quieter, lol. I'm really not sure, but no kid has ever mentioned it when playing at my house, and no one has ever cried over them, so I'm going with no, not really. 

what I mean is, unlike Legos (for example) if your arm brushes against a lego structure, it stays put, but these blocks would come tumbling down...and in my mind, that would be very frustrating to a child who was working on a building or whatever to have it fall apart so easily.   Again, I have never had these blocks or played with them...so I have no experience at all with them. 

 

[Terabith]

Magnatiles?

[Pen]

3 minutes ago, kfeusse said:

what I mean is, unlike Legos (for example) if your arm brushes against a lego structure, it stays put, but these blocks would come tumbling down...and in my mind, that would be very frustrating to a child who was working on a building or whatever to have it fall apart so easily.   Again, I have never had these blocks or played with them...so I have no experience at all with them. 

 

 

Yes.  We used to play deliberately to build a structure and try not to tumble it, or once built up then see how many pieces could be removed from lower levels without it tumbling.  Tumbling it was part of the fun.   And was yet again noisy. 

[ElizabethB]

Our local small library also caters to children, they have a very small adult section, but you can order books online from a dozen libraries in the system and get them delivered. They recently added bags with stuffed animals and/or dolls that go along with some of their most popular childrens books.  They are super cute!  I commented about how fun and cute they were, and the librarians said they were a big hit.  I'm not sure if they bought them as a set or made it themselves by adding bags and stuffies and dolls with a check out bar on the bags.

[vonfirmath]

5 hours ago, Annie G said:

I’d look into something that takes up no space, like a guest speaker (maybe an animal rescue place will come bring some animals and give a talk, or someone can come give a class for kids) or to start a new program.  Our old library had ‘read to dogs’ and a couple of times a month they’d bring dogs from the animal shelter to the library and the kids could read to them. Cuddling w a dog who very much needs some human contact is a lot of fun for kids, especially reluctant readers who feel less intimidated reading to a dog since it’s not going to correct the reading or judge the kid.  so the money could go to buy dog treats, pay for pictures of the kids reading to the dogs, blankets to lay on to read, or whatever. 
What a great problem to have- how to spend donated money! Hope you come back and tell us how you spent it!

 

My daughter LOVES when we're at the library when the dog is there and will happily go read to him. She is no longer a reluctant reader. But when we first did this, she was. And the dog's handler was so nice and would even suggest she describe what is going on in the pictures to the dog when she's having problems with words.

 

[wathe]

Seconding Kapla planks.  Our library has had a set out in the kids section for the last 10 years or so.  They get a lot of play by both the parents and the kids.  The non-permanence of the construction is part of the appeal.