Toward the beginning of January, we hosted a Rainbow Loom Fans Unite! program. This event was open to ages 7 and up, and participants were welcome to bring their own supplies. The library had five looms (which was plenty) and a variety of colors of bands (which we ended up not really needing) available. Kids and families came and went as they pleased for an hour, many staying the entire time. We didn't ask for sign-up. I brought our library's three iPads to the program, and participants used them to access online video tutorials.
What worked well:
In the promotional materials for this program, I included this line: "No formal instruction will be provided." This went a loooong way in letting families know that this was not a class; it was a drop-in event that would give Rainbow Loom enthusiasts a chance to create together and share their skills.
Because we purchased looms and bands for this program, we'll be able to easily repeat it in the future with no monetary investment. Unless, of course, we want to buy some of the fancy bands (tie-dyed, scented, or camo, anyone?).
What could have been better:
In retrospect, I should have scheduled this event a little bit later in the year. We had several attendees who had received looms as holiday gifts, and some of them (with their frustrated parents) came to the event hoping to "crack the code" and learn how to turn unsuspecting rubber bands into wearable art. I was able to help these families make basic bracelets, and other attendees were more than willing to lend a hand, too, but if they had had a few more weeks to try out the looms on their own, they might have had more independent success.
What worked well:
In the promotional materials for this program, I included this line: "No formal instruction will be provided." This went a loooong way in letting families know that this was not a class; it was a drop-in event that would give Rainbow Loom enthusiasts a chance to create together and share their skills.
Because we purchased looms and bands for this program, we'll be able to easily repeat it in the future with no monetary investment. Unless, of course, we want to buy some of the fancy bands (tie-dyed, scented, or camo, anyone?).
What could have been better:
In retrospect, I should have scheduled this event a little bit later in the year. We had several attendees who had received looms as holiday gifts, and some of them (with their frustrated parents) came to the event hoping to "crack the code" and learn how to turn unsuspecting rubber bands into wearable art. I was able to help these families make basic bracelets, and other attendees were more than willing to lend a hand, too, but if they had had a few more weeks to try out the looms on their own, they might have had more independent success.
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