STEM activities have become a large part of children’s library programming, from coding to incorporating math into storytime. Admittedly, I struggled with STEM concepts in my own childhood, so I always found it to be an intimidating field and I know I am not the only one. In planning STEM programs, I try to make it as adventurous to the kids and low-prep as possible, which is how Code Breakers Club began. In this post, I will highlight what the program is, how each session works, and some resources for you to start your own program at your library!
Category: STEM/STEAM
A Smattering of Youth Services Presentations at ALA Annual
There’s just a few more weeks until ALA Annual! Are you feeling ready for the conference? As of this moment, there are 1,316 programs listed on its online schedule. While it’s incredible that there are so many different possibilities to explore, navigating and deciding what you want to do and see may present a bit of a challenge. Voila, here are some highlights of the presentations ALSC is sponsoring that caught my attention for your perusal! Supporting “STEM SMART” Families: Simple Skill-Building Practices to Enhance Programming for Children and Caregivers Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 9:00 AM Is it me or are caregivers asking for more STEM programming lately? To be honest, that was not taught in the library school I attended. I think that kids can easily tell that I’m not an expert in it even if I do devote time and energy to research a specific topic. Find…
April Showers: A Storytime for Spring Weather
Some things in the Chicago area are guaranteed. First, our sports teams will either thrill or wildly disappoint. Second, Winter will feel like a year rather than a season. Finally, Spring will include stormy weather. That last certainty makes for a good storytime theme: “Water, Water Everywhere.” The preschoolers enjoyed books, music, and a demonstration of what makes those April showers occur.
Family STEAM Night
As School Outreach Coordinator, I love taking the library to the community. One great way to reach a lot of people is to get invited to school-wide events! When one elementary school asked us to participate in their annual Family STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Night again, the answer was a resounding yes. Each year, we’ve done something a little different for STEAM Night, and this year, our tables featured a variety of popular activities.
I Heart Art!
Imagine heart hands or a heart emoji in the title above, and you’ll have my theme for this month’s early childhood outreach. I do indeed “heart” art, whether that’s looking at art, creating it, or even just thinking about colors. For my outreach storytimes, we did all three this month!
Teaching Geometry and Technology: Does Size Matter?
Since my early years as a children’s librarian in Northeast Ohio, I’ve been passionate about the role librarians can play in math education. Integrating math concepts in program planning is a critical responsibility of all librarians and one of the ALSC competencies for librarians serving children in libraries (Competency III.6). I would frequently include shape manipulatives during open play, count aloud as I changed the tracks on my CD boombox, and incorporate activities related to size, operations, and computational thinking in my storytimes. Growing the next generation of mathematicians alongside the next generation of joyful readers has always been a priority for me. What the Research Says But how, if at all, are emerging technologies changing early math education? How can children’s librarians make use of these advances and accompanying research? In their recent article published in Education Science and Management, Trifunović et al. (2024) found that screen size played…
Add More Math to Storytime
Anyone who knew me in high school would be shocked to learn that I choose to incorporate math into storytime. (Especially my math teachers.) In order to add more math to my outreach visits, I’ve begun having the kids sort themselves into various groups. So far, sorting has been a fun, interactive, and easy way to add more math to storytime.
Fun, Easy, and Cheap STEAM programs!
Back in August 2017, friend and colleague Heather Thompson wrote a fun and engaging ALSC blog post on her top 5 favorite cheap and easy STEM Projects. She very aptly summarized why STEM programming is so much fun: “If you fear facilitating STEM programs, consider this: remember when science was awesome? Before it got all difficult and filled with math that still gives you (read: me) panic attacks? When you’re a kid, everything is new and super cool because you’re learning how the world works. Frankly, sometimes science seems like magic–only better because it’s real.” Much like Heather T, I am also a huge fan of STEM programming. Library STEM programs give kids a chance to explore and experiment in a safe and judgment-free zone- they get all the fun of science, without having to worry about grades. And while science can seem like it’s daunting, in reality, STEM programs…