PowToon: Superpowered Presentations!

They always say show don't tell, so I made a quick video using this week's website, PowToon. This is another website like Prezi or Slideshare that helps you make awesome presentations =D

I forgot to mention in the video that I made this totally free, and it let me share it to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ straight from their website.
P.S. The second thing you see should actually read, "Cuz they're awesome!!" not "Cuz their awesome!"

Choose Your Own Movie Showing

"Good gosh, Nick! You're talking more about movies than books these days."
"Well, uh....yeah, I've got nothing to say."
Our Choose a Movie Showings have been pretty successful, so I figured we'd talk about them a little. Typically we've held these (we've held about three) as one of our Summer Reading events, but you could do it any time of year.

Our basic thought was, "Wouldn't it be fun to have a movie premiere at the Hayden Library?" Now the licensing fees and logistics of making that happen are a little bit difficult, so we figured we would show a movie that had already come out.

But how do you get middle and high school students to come to something like that? Wouldn't they just watch it on Netflix? Promise them pop, popcorn, candy, and the chance to choose the movie they want to watch! Want it to be even more special? Hold it later at night (say 11pm), so it feels more like a movie premiere (well what a movie premiere used to feel like. Why is it that midnight showings are more like 7pm or 8pm showings now?)

The way I figure it, you could choose the movies in a couple of ways:
1) Ask your members to bring their favorite library appropriate film, and have your attendees vote for their favorite favorite.
2) Choose five films that you think they'll enjoy and have them vote for their favorite.
3) Do a mixture of both ideas (what we do). Have some pre-selected films for the group, but leave it open so someone could bring a suggestion if they wanted.

P.S. Here are a couple of suggestions: The A-Team, Back to the Future, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Dark Knight, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Maverick, Oblivion, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Princess Bride, Star Trek Into Darkness...just to name a few.

P.S.S Make sure you have the rights to show the film. Even if you aren't doing it for profit, movie companies (and the law) don't smile on organizations that show a company's work without permission. We use Movie Licensing USA, and you can purchase a one-time license, or a subscription to show available movies for a specified amount of time.

The Secret Book/Movie of Walter Mitty

Did you notice my last Book Blurt talks about movies as well? Now this could be because of the fantastic proliferation of book to movie adaptations that we are currently enjoying. It could also be because I watch a lot of movies (and many of them are based on books right now). But, it might also be because I'm reading The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, and even though I'm loving it, it's taking me awhile to get through it. 

But enough back story (except for my next few sentences which are also introductory, and happened in the past). I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (directed by and starring Ben Stiller), with my peeps at the Hayden Discount Cinema a couple months ago, and I loved the film. I then preceded to purchase the movie when it hit Blu-Ray, and have shown it to many of my other friends and family. As you may or may not know, I get easily excited about things anyways, but I really, really like this flick, so I've shared it with quite a few people. 

The movie centers around Walter Mitty, a Negatives Asset Manager (handles all the film picture negatives) at Life Magazine (which actually closed in 1972 if you can believe it), who randomly zones out to imagine a much more interesting life for himself. This whiplash from reality to fantasy made for a fascinating trailer, and sets up a movie with an interesting premise. What would happen to someone who daydreams too much, if their life actually became interesting? Answer; a really awesome movie about courage, grabbing life by the horns, and heading into the unknown (which also includes the fantabulous song by David Bowie, Major Tom). 

Now how does that factor into anything to do with a book? As it turns out, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was actually made into a movie starring Danny Kaye back in 1947, and before that, it began its life in 1939 as a short story by James Thurber. Instead of a film negative guru, or a daydreamer caught in a conspiracy (Kaye's version), Thurber's very short story features an ordinary man taking his wife on a shopping trip. 

Between buying overshoes and paying the parking attendant, Mitty is a naval captain, an airplane pilot, a sought after surgeon, and possibly the most interesting man in the world. While the most recent version of Mitty doesn't have anything to do with the book (except the shared title), I don't fault the movie in any way. The movie takes Thurber's concept of a man who dreams on his feet, and turns it into a comedic, fantastical modern adventure. 

If I wasn't so busy as a plucky space cowboy, I would suggest that you read the short story, watch Danny Kaye make a lovable fool of himself (which I still need to do), and then round off your Mitty experience with Stiller's newest adaptation that I've enjoyed watching again and again and again and again and...

YPULSE: Youth and Millennial Marketing

Originally posted on Special Project Library Action Team's blog, but I figured I'd share my thoughts here as well =D

I’m all about stealing other people’s great ideas (which is why Creative Commons is such a great idea for me hehe). Now my boss (the awesome Karen Yother) likes to refer to it as “not reinventing the wheel,” and others comment, “that everyone remixes used ideas.” Either way, this week’s post is thanks to (the also awesome) Nick Grove, who mentioned YPULSE to me at our last quarterly SPLAT meeting.

YPULSE offers a wide range of resources aimed at understanding the trends and attitudes of tweens, teens, and young adults. Through a Youth Advisory Board, an online research panel, and a mobile social Q&A network, YPULSE offers content, data, and insight on the next generation of consumers. Now this kind of market research doesn’t come cheap, which is why the silver and gold subscriptions will cost you a pretty penny per month. But, they also have a bronze subscription (which only costs you an email subscription) that gets you a couple of features worth mentioning.

One such feature is the Daily Email Newsletter, that sums up the latest youth marketing news. The YPULSE infographics, articles, and detailed data are kept hidden for silver and gold members. But, there are many articles that reference third party sources you can check out at your convenience, and a small synopsis of each of the YPULSE features are still included to give you an idea. The Email Update also shows the results of a daily poll featuring questions on social media, music, and movies, and you can even ask one question of your own per month.

Now I’ve only been getting the YPULSE newsletter for a couple weeks now, but there have already been a few tidbits I’ve found interesting. Did you know that Sup is a new app wanting to duke it out with Snapchat, Push for Pizza is an app that will order you a pizza with one push on your screen, and that a writer for Vulture thinks Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles takes itself too seriously? Obviously these things aren’t library breaking revelations. But offering events and services for this age group is integral to continued library success and if someone is offering some free tidbits, my question is where do I sign up (and if you have any ideas worth stealing, which I know you do, feel free to send them my way!).

Flipster: When You Need a Free Magazine

I recently joined the modern era by getting myself a smart phone. *Gasp* "Nick, don't you know that those have been a necessity for, like, several years now?" Very true, and now that I have one, I'm never going back to a "dumb" phone hehe. I bring this up because there were a whole bunch of pre-loaded apps that came on my device, and I'm nervous to try many of them because I figure they are just previews of services that will very quickly want my credit card information.

Its a bummer, because some of them might actually offer some free content, but I don't want to risk it. But, I have some good news for those of you who are like me. The Community Library Network has just subscribed to an e-magazine service that comes at absolutely no cost to you now, or later. 

The service is called Flipster, and I just put the latest issue of Consumer Report onto our office's iPad with very little effort, and at no cost. "Now, Nick, didn't the library have a subscription to a service called Zinio that did the exact same thing? In fact, didn't you do a blog post about it?" Very true again. Our network has replaced our Zinio subscription with Flipster. But, many of the same titles are available on the Flipster platform, and the ease of use on Flipster is fantastic from what I've seen. 

Flipster lets you view current and past issues of magazines on your internet-connected computer or mobile device. Its as easy as having your library card and going to CommunityLibrary.Net/eStuff. If you have an iOS device (Android as well at the end of the summer), you can download the free app and download full magazines onto the app for offline viewing. 

So if those pre-loaded apps are looking a little spooky, but you'd still like some free content, try out your library's free e-magazine service and let me know what you think. 

Player One Ready! Life-Sized Pac-Man

So last summer we had way too much fun with Life-Sized Angry Birds, so this summer we decided to bring another digital game into the real world. In a word, the results were AWESOME!

Set-Up

Look up Pac-Man on your favorite search engine, and you'll get quite a few screen shots of the classic video game mazes. I used construction paper to lay out the maze as I was short on time, but if you wanted to be technical about it, you could grab some masking and measuring tape and go crazy!

We used a whole bunch of die-cut circles for the dots, but you could use plastic coins, LEGO pieces, or any other small item that you have in copious amounts. 

GamePlay

Select one player as Pac-Man (or Mrs. Pac-Man as the case may be), and two players as ghosts. Assure the rest of your participants that everyone will have a chance to play both parts. We gave each player one minute in the maze to pick up as many dots as they could. The ghosts had to stay in their center starting position for ten seconds, and then they could start giving chase. Typically speaking, the ghosts had to walk backwards or step heal-to-toe to slow them down a little bit. The round ended when the time ran out, or Pac-Man (or Mrs. Pac-Man), was tagged by one of the ghosts. 

The key to everyone participating was rotation. All of the participants started in a line, and the first participant was Player One and the second and third participants were the ghosts. When Pac-Man (or Mrs. Pac-Man) was tagged, they went to the end of the line, and the first ghost became Player One, the second ghost became first ghost, and so on and so on until everyone had a turn to play each part. 

When each round ended, the two ghosts would reset the maze by replacing the dots that Pac-Man (or Mrs. Pac-Man) had collected, and the game would begin again. 

Extras

Keep a High Score Board with each participant's name.

Find some Pac-Man sounds and have them playing while the rounds are happening.

Consider a way to have Pac-Man (or Mrs. Pac-Man) grab that power-up that allows them to eat the ghosts for extra points. Maybe have a ball they can grab that lets them tag the ghosts and send them back to their starting location. After a certain amount of time, they'll have to surrender the ball. 

Why Do We Watch Movies Like The Fault in Our Stars?

Disclaimer: I'm cheating this week. I read a book that I could talk about, but I'd much rather talk about the movie that I just watched last night. I figure I'm not cheating too much (as the movie is based on John Green's The Fault in Our Stars), but I'm definitely cheating at least a little (as I haven't read the book yet).

Let me begin by saying that I loved the movie (and once again mention that I haven't read the book yet. I can't comment on how good of an adaptation it was. But, I have on good authority from my sister that it is an excellent adaptation of the novel). The story was powerful, the acting was incredible, and you couldn't help but keep thinking about the theme, characters, and catharsis of the film.

But, I also couldn't help but wonder; why we do this to ourselves? Why do we watch movies like The Fault in Our Stars? Why do we read books like The Fault in Our Stars? Do we like to be sad? Do we enjoy watching other people suffer? Do we not have enough troubles in our lives that we have to go experience the fictional struggles of made-up characters?

I don't think that is it at all. I think there are plenty of reasons to go see and experience these types of books and movies, and they aren't near as cynical and cruel as my last paragraph. I think some of it is curiosity, some of it is having our own experiences and suffering validated and experienced on the silver screen, and some of it is because these movies and books are typically put together better than others.

However, the main reason I came up with last night is this; we watch these stories about dying because it reminds us to get living, and to do it better than we have been. This motif has been told, sung, and retold, and resung a million different ways; but it hit me afresh last night.

We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because we need that reminder that life is painful, unfair, and twisted. We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because we need that reminder that life is beautiful, unexpected, and worthwhile. We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because we need to be removed from our routines for an hour and a half and actually evaluate how we've been living, rather than just what we've been doing. We go to see movies like The Fault in Our Stars because our pain is real, but so is the truth that life is worth living anyways.

3D Printing in the Cloud

                      
That kinda sorta sounds like an oxymoron. Isn't 3D Printing about manufacturing things one layer at a time? Isn't it about bringing your ideas into the real world? How can you do that in the cloud?

Well, you're right. You can't do that in the cloud. You are still going to need a 3D Printer sitting somewhere in your vicinity. But the whole design-a-model, get-your-design-to-the-printer, fiddle-with-your-settings, and control-your-printer part can be done through the cloud thanks to a fancy little device called Skyforge.

Skyforge is a combination of hardware and software that connects your 3D Printer to the cloud. Instead of using a USB connection to lash your computer to your printer, you can just pull a design from the cloud. Instead of having to go through multiple programs to get something print-ready, you can just use Skyforge's interface. Instead of needing to email a client about how much it will cost, you can just send them to Skyforge who will let them know itself.

Now, Skyforge isn't free. In fact, there are some young entrepreneurs that are asking for your support on their Kickstarter page. But, if you are an organization who wants to make their 3D Printer more user friendly, or an individual who does a lot of 3D Printing, Skyforge might be just what you were hoping would materialize.

Our Wibbly Wobbly Doctor Who Party

Just in case you couldn't tell from my Pinterest board, I love Doctor Who! All the whovians who attended our Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Doctor Who Party apparently also share my affection for our favorite Time Lord =D
If you would like more information on any of these activities, you can check out the Program Outline I put together for our Youth Services Resource page.

Snacks
Adipose Marshmallows (I must admit, I had to look the Adipose up...)
Apples with Faces (we just used some plastic knives to carve the faces)
Fishsticks and Custard (pound cake rolled in butter, dipped in Vanilla pudding)
Arizona Iced Tea (or you could brew some actual tea to be more authentic)

Crafts/Activities 
Duct Tape Bow Tie (because bow ties are cool)
Sonic Screwdriver Pens (because your night wouldn't be complete with some whirring sound effects)
Tardis Cubee Folding Craft (printing these on cardstock would probably work best)
Gallifreyan Nametags (use the spiffy application to print customized nametags)

Games
Weeping Angel Tag (use a flashlight to stop those Weeping Angels in their tracks)
Weeping Angel Tag Alternate (point to make them stop, run when the gamemaster says "Blink")
Empty Child Tag (don't let those empty children touch you)
Doctor Who Matching Game (The Doctors, their catchphrases, popular companions, and baddies)

Midwinterblood: Lovers Back Through Time

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Why did I read it?

One of my coworkers read it as it won The Printz Award, and even though she wasn't sure what she thought about it, she said it was definitely worth reading.

What happened?

While the island was called Blessed, and the kindness and hospitality of the island dwellers seems to support that name, Eric Seven's natural journalistic curiosity was definitely aroused with this assignment.

First there are the rumors that no one on the island has aged in years. Secondly there is the fact that the island produces many medical remedies that no one can quite explain. Then there is the reality that Eric doesn't seem to notice his curiosity anymore. He is more enthralled with a young woman on the island that he has never met before, and yet, has...Merle...who is she?

So begins a novel sweeping backwards through history. Tragedy in the present seems to relate to similar events in the past. Events in one time relate to and effect another. Two lovers, Eric and Merle, call, long, and reach for each other through time.  

What did I like or not like?

This novel is divided into seven parts; each one set in a different time period. It begins in the future, and then each part travels further back into the past. Each time a new period is introduced, we are offered another look at the characters, and given more revelations of their story throughout time. This unique writing structure kept me turning the pages wondering what pieces of the first story would be revealed and explained in the past. 

Even though the book was well-written, had an interesting writing structure, and felt like a fairy tale mixed with poetry, it wasn't one of my favorites. I don't think it was a particular element in the book that turned me off; it apparently just wasn't my particular cup of tea. That notwithstanding, my coworker was right; it was definitely worth reading =D

5 Random Apps to Try

So I know I've mentioned Netted by the Webbys before, but they continue to do a fantastic job locating interesting things to try around the internet. Here are five apps/sites they mentioned recently that you might enjoy:

Quotery 
Discover famous quotes and start your own personalized collection.

Glide
Send and receive video messages instantly; watch whenever.

Coffitivity 
See if the sounds of your favorite coffee shop increase your creativity. 

Jauntful
Create sharable, printable guides to the cities you love.

Notegraphy
Craft your writing, style it through the app, share it with the world.

Nerf Battle: Nuff Said

So we've talked about a Nerf Battle for some time now, and we finally did it. It was so much awesome!

Now we didn't have a lot of Nerf guns at our library (shocker!), so we asked members to bring their own. In order to make sure that most people walked back out with what they brought in, we had everyone sign in with their name, grade, email, and what equipment they had brought. Many of the teens were willing to let others use their extra guns which was great. 

Then came the fun part! We had a couple different scenarios that were a ton of fun.

All v. All/Red v. Blue
Everyone gets two rubber bands on their wrist, a gun in their hand, and the time when the round is going to end. When someone shoots you, you show them that you are putting one of your lives (the rubber bands) on the floor, and then you run back to a spawn point (we used hula hoops) before you can reengage.
You can change this slightly by dividing everyone into two teams. We gave everyone a simple colored yarn bracelet (one side red, one side blue), and away we went.

Zombie Apocalypse 
We did this two different ways, but in both ways the fun part is the humans will eventually lose in a wave of Zombie inevitability.
1) Hide 3 small guns across the library. Select 3 teens as Zombies. If you get touched by a Zombie, you become a zombie. If you find a gun and shoot a Zombie, they lay down for 5 seconds, and then keep coming.
2) Select about a fourth of your teens as Zombies. Give everyone else a gun. This time, the Zombies can run! If a human gets touched, they become a Zombie. If a Zombie gets shot, they have to touch a spawn point, and then just keep coming. This was the favorite scenario by far!

Ninja Protect the President
A group of selected teens (the bodyguards) are trying to get another teen (the president), from one side of the library to the other. The president doesn't get a gun, and the bodyguards just get two plates or a large tray to block darts and discs. Everyone else in the library is trying to take the president down.
If the president is hit, or if the president gets to the finish location, the round ends. If the bodyguards get hit, they have to drop to their knees for 3 seconds, leaving the president vulnerable. Clarifying that attackers can't push past the bodyguards will be useful, and if that doesn't quite work, give the bodyguards some small guns as well as shields.

The Phantom Toolbooth: An Oldie-But-A-Goodie

The Phantom Toolbooth by Norton Juster
with illustrations by Jules Feiffer

Why did I read it?

Because a friend told me to lol.

What happened?

Milo is a kid who doesn't know what to do with himself...ever. He comments, "there's nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing." That is, until a magical toolbooth appears in his room, and takes him to the Lands Beyond and the Kingdom of Knowledge.

As it turns out, these lands have become troubled of late. In the golden age of the Kingdom of Knowledge, a wise king fought back the demons of ignorance and set up a glorious kingdom...but it wasn't to last. His two sons, King Azaz of Dictionopolis and the Mathemagician of Digitopolis, constantly bickered over the superiority of words or numbers. They eventually banished their step-sisters, Rhyme and Reason, and the kingdom quickly fell into disrepair, disorder, and chaos.

For instance, some of the inhabitants never took the time to look around, so their town slowly vanished without them even noticing..another group had fallen into absolute silence because they could no longer appreciate beautiful sounds...and some miners only ate when they're full and didn't stop until they were hungry...

But, there might be hope for the Kingdom of Knowledge. A newly curious boy from another world, a faithful and literal watchdog (a dog with a watch for a body), and an adult-sized Humbug are struggling and bungling their way through this broken world...and they don't seem to know any better than to save the world by turning it right-side up again.

What did I like or not like?

This book is the definition of an oldie-but-a-goodie. The book was first published in 1961, but its metaphorical lessons on not taking things for granted, learning as a noble pursuit, and putting importance on what is actually important will resonate with readers of all ages.

As the synopsis hints at, this book is full of pithy sayings, anthropomorphic concepts, and fantastic puns, and it's way too much fun to read. If you haven't read this book before, stop what you are doing and start reading it right now. If you have read it before, stop what you are doing and read it again =D
 

Cover: Context Sensitive Lock Screen

Typically speaking, I like to test drive a website or app before I write about it. But this one is super cool, and I have it on pretty good authority (TechCrunch, The Verge, engadget, and my buddy who has really enjoyed using it) that its worth checking out.

Cover uses context (like location, time of day, and what apps you use certain times) to tailor your lock screen with useful apps. The main idea is that it places different apps on your lock screen depending on when and where you are, and also learns what apps you use most frequently so they are easily accessible.

The other key element is speed and convenience. You can peek at an app by pulling it halfway across the screen, or open it all together by pulling all the way across the screen. Cover also makes it easier to switch between apps. If you hold down the upper right of the screen when an app is open, it gives you suggestions on apps typically switch to while having that app open.

P.S. This is one of those apps that is just for one platform, but instead of only being available for iOS, this is only available for Android. If that makes you happy, let me know. If that makes you sad, please take your complaints to Apple ;) jk, but please do let me know what you think!

P.S.S This app is still in Beta, but its fully functional at this point. 

Program Time FIllers: End Time Ain't Here Yet

Ever had an awesome program where everything went so swimmingly that you had some extra time before the parent's came to pick up their teens? Ever had a mediocre program where you should have prepared that one more activity? Ever had an awful program where things just aren't working?

Well, first of all you are not alone (as I've done all of them before lol), and second of all, I figured some fun and easy time fillers might be useful.

Just Dance 
Attach a projector to a computer, grab some speakers, and search YouTube for Just Dance. Users have screen-capture videos of many of the songs, and all of your teens can dance at the same time instead of having to wait for a controller.

Airband Awesomeness 
Attach a projector to a computer, and get some speakers set up. Ask students what songs they would like to hear. Encourage them to pretend they are the band members, just using air instead of real instruments. Blow-up guitars, fake microphones, and rulers as drumsticks also help. 

Zombie Tag 
One or two participants start out as zombies. They have to walk and growl like zombies, and try to tag other players (without running as Zombies don't have that much bone tissue and muscle left). As soon as a player gets tagged, they also become zombies. The last one or two people to get tagged are the zombies for the next round. 

Library Craziness

Let the Teens have fun with library resources. Do a book cart drag race, tallest book tower challenge, or a rolling chair obstacle course.

Minute to Win It

You have 60 seconds to complete a challenge of awesome and sometimes hilarious actions. Many of these games only require simple supplies, and are easy to explain. It also helps that their website comes complete with videos, supply lists, and explanations of the activities.

 

The Trap: Origin or Demise

The Trap by Andrew Fukuda

Why did I read it?

Because The Hunt and The Prey were ssssoooooo good!!

What happened?

SPOILER ALERT

Just as Gene and Sissy predicted, the train was not taking them to a beautiful civilization where hepers had assembled and thrived. They were being taken to the Palace, where the Dusker Ruler makes a habit of devouring hepers on a whim. 

Barely escaping the horde of vampires that tracked them to the Mission pales in comparison to the horrible living (no, dying) conditions of the Ruler's palace. But, before Gene and Sissy's time comes, they are shocked to find two powerful entities seeking their help.

First, there is a secret group of hepers who are planning to deliver The Origin to the Metropolis. With research began by his father, The Origin is a combination of Gene and Sissy's blood (Genesis), and will change duskers to hepers.

Secondly, the Ruler himself is asking Gene and Sissy to remove a public relations nightmare in the form of a fellow hunter from Gene's past; Ashley June!!

Used as pawns in the cross-hairs of these two agendas, Gene and Sissy still strive to defend those they love, remain together, and maintain their humanity in a cold world of vampires.

What did I like or not like?

Trilogies are obviously hard to write. As a rule, first books are awesome, but then the trilogy typically goes off-track with a second book just waiting for the climax of the third, or a third book that takes us completely into left field.

But, Fukuda doesn't fall into either of those traps (pun intended). The second installment was a nice continuation with its own revelations and suspense, and then the third keeps the story advancing with a crazy reversal that I never saw coming.

Fukuda's trilogy has solid writing, solid storytelling, keeps you guessing while giving you a story that feels familiar, and is a really good dystopian series.

Clipping Magic: 86 that Background!!

So we have a whole bunch of technology bringing you this Techno Tuesday today.

First, I heard about the website that I'm reviewing through Tekzilla. Tekzilla is a video podcast my Dad has recently gotten into. It features reviews on the newest gadgets and techy stuff.

Clipping Magic is the actual website I'm chatting about today. Clipping Magic is for those annoying pictures that have obnoxious backgrounds that just shouldn't be there. It would also work famously for doing green screen stuff. You basically put green marks on the elements you want to keep in the picture, red marks on the stuff you don't want, and the algorithm takes care of the fine print.

Lastly, Jing is a free screen capture software, and I used it to make the video I made to show off Clipping Magic. Check it out!!

P.S. As I mentioned in the video, if the foreground and background are similar colors, or there are complicated lines like human hair, Clipping Magic might have some difficulty. But, if its a simple foreground, background situation, Clipping Magic is quick and easy (and even if it is complicated, the algorithm takes a guess at what you're trying to cut out, and lends a kind helping hand).
 

Gingerbread Houses: Creativity Fer Dayz!!

Over the month of December, I did quite a few Gingerbread Houses. I get the chance to do building/science programs at several libraries and outreach locations, and for the majority of December that meant Gingerbread, for Elementary, Middle School, and High School, fer dayz!!

I've found out quite a few things while doing these events: (1) graham crackers are a lot easier to work with than gingerbread, (2) royal icing works quite fabulously, but isn't necessary for a spectacular finished project, (3) using mini-milk cartons from a school cafeteria, or some small recycled boxes, gives these assemblies a simple, yet effective support system, (4) staple the top of the milk cartons back together so they are easier to adhere frosting to and finally, (5) whatever you put out during the program will be eaten or used, so pace yourself (or have way more supplies than you need).

Here are a few of specialty supplies (in addition to Chocolate Chips, M&Ms, Skittles, and the usual stuff) that went quite quickly during each program: Fruit by the Foot, Red Vines, Spice Drops, Pretzels, Marshmallows, Ice Cream Cones, and Gummy Bears. 

The last thing to share are some examples from our programs. Have fun!!