Like many of you, I currently have Pokémon on the brain! In December, I wrote about how I was preparing to start a Pokémon Club at my library. In this post, I will share the setup for my first session and what I have learned after completing Round #1 of Pokémon Club!
First Session Program Setup
In my last post, I highlighted that I wanted to make my program station-based, with stations for the Trading Card Game (TCG) and other activities like crafts. As to not overwhelm the participants (or myself!), I kept the stations simple for my first session:
- Beginner TCG Station: This was the largest station for my first session. I included 4 Battle Academy Sets across 2 tables. I figured that most participants would be new to the game or needed some practice, so I placed more focus here.
- Intermediate TCG Station: For my first session, I only put out 1 Battle Academy Set for this station and emphasized the Eevee decks to show that the sets allow for advanced play.
- Craft Station: For this station, I put out coloring sheets from Monday Mandala that look like actual Pokémon cards. I put this activity out to keep it simple, but also to reinforce what information the cards have.
- Watch Party: Before the program started, I knew I wanted to include something for the younger siblings of the participants. To not leave these babies and toddlers out of the fun, I put on a playlist of Pokémon episodes to keep them entertained.
Showtime!
With the games set up and coloring sheets ready to go, it was time to start with Round #1 of Pokémon Club! As participants came in, they all gravitated towards the available Battle Academy Sets. Once everyone was paired up, I explained that they were going to play their first game of the Pokémon TCG by following the rules and directions in their guidebooks. Everyone picked up their guides and they started to play.
As the participants were playing, it was clear that some players were understanding the game more than others. I bounced around to each pair and helped further explain the moves they were making in the game. Even though a few participants still didn’t fully comprehend the game by the end of the session, they were excited to play again. At the end of the session, everyone received two Pokémon stickers!
Lessons Learned
As most of us know, the first session of a new program can be a tricky one, with kids and the librarian trying to figure out what works best. Throughout the session, I was taking notes on what worked and what needs work.
Win: Focusing on Beginner Players
This may seem like an obvious one, but I am happy that I put more emphasis on the station for beginner players. With all the materials we received, I had to hold back from putting more out for the participants, such as the Demo Decks. However, a majority of the participants were new to the game, so the Battle Academy Sets were more than enough for the first session! I will continue to focus more on this station over the next few weeks until the core group is comfortable with the TCG.
Win: Watch Party Station
As predicted, we did have one toddler sibling join the club. Once she saw that the show was playing, she happily went over to watch it. In addition, participants that wandered over to the craft station watched the show while they were coloring. I will be including this in each session, even if it just serves as some background noise.
Needs Work: Teaching the Participants the TCG
In my first session, I set up the Battle Academy sets for the participants and explained that each player has a guide with directions to follow. The main issue with this was that the participants needed extra guidance. Unfortunately, I was unable to recruit teen volunteers and many of the caretakers did not stay for the duration of the program, so I was on my own. While the participants were excited and had fun, I do not think everyone walked away with a full understanding of the game.
For the next couple sessions, I will continue to put more emphasis on the station for beginners. I will aim to make each week different in some way, so that the participants are still engaged with the game. For example, I will have the participants work in teams for the next session (i.e. two participants as Team Player 1 and two participants as Team Player 2). In this session, I will have them go through the guidebook again, but with partners this time. This is just a way to keep the guided game fresh and engaging.
Overall, I am happy with how my first session went and I am excited for the rest of the Pokémon Club season!
If you started your program, how did Round #1 of Pokémon Club go for you?
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