Every
year we try new things at the Wild Rumpus (it's constantly changing
just like the schools in Anji!). Here are a few of the new things we're
trying out this year:
1. Pre-series orientation for all staff and volunteers:
This
one was a no-brainer. I can't believe it took us four years to
actually organize an orientation, but I guess in year's past there
weren't quiiiiiite this many people on the crew and mostly we were still
scrambling just to keep up. This year, we invited all volunteers to
attend one of two orientations were we gave a brief introduction to the
Anji Play approach, talked about how the Wild Rumpus structure is
different than the Anji Schools' structure, then talked through
roles/responsibilities and what they should expect to see and do at a
Wild Rumpus. We didn't do an official survey afterwards, but verbal
feedback was 100% positive and this will be part of our routine every
year from now on.
Verdict: This one's a keeper!
2. Post-Rumpus Huddle + Just Press Record app:
Last
year, this happened spontaneously once or twice and it worked so nicely
we decided to make a quick post-Rumpus staff/volunteer reflection time
part of the schedule for every program. Holly discovered an app called
"Just Press Record" that not only records (by just pressing one button)
but also transcribes (albeit not always accurately) everything that's
said on the recording. And then all recordings created while signed in
to the same account will also show up on a website making it SUPER
SIMPLE to grab quotes for our weekly Rumpus Report (a winning innovation
from 2018). Bonus: there's also an Apple Watch version of the app!
Fancy apps aside, the conversations that happen at the end of the night
are my absolute favorite part. It's a chance for everyone to share and
reflect on what they've just observed while it's still fresh in their
mind. I hear SO many great stories that were simply lost in the past
because I'd never asked (good grief)! This clearly fits in with the Anji
Play model which incorporates reflection not just for the students but
also for the teachers and the principals and the administrators and up
and up and up...
Verdict: definitely a keeper.
3. Sprocket Printer:
I've
been trying for years to figure out how we can display photos of kids
playing at the Wild Rumpus itself. I have no classroom walls to
showcase them on -- one of our parks doesn't even HAVE any walls! One of
the biggest hurdles has been remembering to print the photos when I get
back into the library and then remembering to take those printed photos
to the park the next time and figuring out how to display them. This
year, we are trying the Sprocket Printer by HP. It's a wireless photo
printer that makes little 2x3" sticky-backed photos and it's only about
the size of two cell phones stacked on top of each other. We are also
using the photos as an incentive to get people to try the GooseChase app
described below as we've promised to print a photo that they submit in
the app for them to keep as a souvenir. We've already had two
(admittedly RAINY) weeks of the Wild Rumpus and so far, I've printed
only one photo for a Wild Rumpus participant on it. Maybe next week,
I'll ask a volunteer to go in and choose a few demonstration photos to
print and post on our new sandwich board sign...
Verdict: Jury's still out on this one.
4. GooseChase App:
One
of my goals is to try to get more parents taking pictures and videos of
their kids during Anji Play events. Our newest librarian lead, Jane
Kelly, discovered this fantastic app called GooseChase. It's a photo
scavenger hunt app and is free to download. We were able to create a
different scavenger hunt for each Wild Rumpus event this summer and
include prompts like, "Take a picture of your child doing something that
surprises you." or "What was your favorite kind of play as a child?
Write and tell us about it." I love the usability and the functions of
this app (enough that we actually paid for the EDU upgrade to test it
out) and I can see using it in lots of other library settings as well.
Unfortunately, so far we haven't been getting a lot of participation
yet.
Verdict: Jury's still out.
5. Portable battery packs:
Another
innovation by Holly Storck-Post! With an iPad that stays on the trailer
for book circulation, an iPod touch that stays on the trailer for
volunteers to use to take photos during the program, the Sprocket
Printer, a mobile hotspot and a bluetooth speaker, there's a lot of
things that need to be charged at the parks. And not all of the parks
have power outlets. Enter the portable battery pack. Each of the lead
librarians gets a battery pack that they can charge up between programs
(I keep mine plugged in in my van) and then they can use that to
recharge any and all devices at the park on their night. The one we got
is small and light enough to fit easily in my apron pocket while I walk
around at the park, has two USB ports so I can charge multiple things
at once and it holds enough power to charge up all of those devices if
need be. Plus, Ms. Cheng uses a battery pack whenever she's recording kids, so it must be the right thing to do. :)
Verdict: BRILLIANT. TOTALLY WORTH IT.
6. "Ladder" bookshelf:
We
like to incorporate circulating books at our Wild Rumpus events (of
course) and last year we were lucky enough to land MPL's Book Bike at
two out of three weekly events (one park was too far to bike), but this
year it didn't work out and so we were looking for something interesting
to display books on (we've learned from experience that just putting
them out on a table or a book cart does NOT garner much attention), but
also something that wouldn't take up much room on the trailer and
wouldn't be difficult to set up or take down. Enter this ladder-y
looking bookshelf from Displays2Go. I love that it has a ladder tie-in
and it meets all of our requirements. Even ducks like it.
Verdict:
usability is great (though it is a bit fragile), it remains to be seen
whether we'll see much interest in book circulation.
7. Plank wagon:
The
incredible maintenance crew of MPL worked together to design a new,
sturdy plank storage and mobility vehicle for us. Last year's design
(my own design and construction) was tall, skinny and had to be strapped
to a tree or a pole for fear of it tipping over and smooshing someone.
This year, they retrofitted an affordable and sturdy garden wagon with
these modifications (see above).
Verdict: SO much easier to roll
and way more stable! We had one bolt fall off and this many planks on
one wagon is VERY heavy and the kids are rather interested in riding
around on it, so we'll see how it fares over the course of the summer.
8. DeWalt chests:
I
bought two of these heavy duty black plastic storage "chests" to store
and transport blocks. I asked the maintenance crew to add two dividers
to each one and drill small airholes on the sides below the lip of the
lid so that no kids could get stuck in there for way too long. I love
that they have an extending handle like a suitcase and only one set of
wheels so that they are less tempting for kids to dump all the blocks
out and play bumper cars with them. They can totally handle the weight
of all these blocks too! Sadly, we found out recently that our trailer
is overweight (pro-tip: get a double-axle trailer!) and we had to remove
some of the heavier things that aren't getting as much play and the
blocks topped that list. We did add in some mover's dollies to one
chest and our Rig-a-ma-Jig Jr. sets for rainy day use to the other
chest.
Verdict: Way nicer to use in every way than the wooden book
trucks we hauled blocks on for the last few years, but might be
overkill for what they're currently hauling around.
9. Staff lanyards:
Another
Holly suggestion! We got lanyards (with clear pockets that ziploc
shut!) for all staff and volunteers to wear during the program that
include their name and pronoun preference.
Verdict: I always
forget to grab my official library nametag, but this one is easy to keep
in my purse and bring every week. Plus, they're cheap to buy in bulk
in case someone forgets to bring theirs back they can make another one.
Verdict: Why didn't we do this earlier?
10: Whistles:
What
do you do if there's a lost kid in the park? Or some other emergency
situation? How can you get the attention of the lead librarian quickly
or get the whole crew's attention for an announcement? Why a whistle of
course! Suggested by this year's awesome practicum student: Nicole
Isaacs!
Verdict: haven't had to use them yet, but it's reassuring to have them there.
Last year's winning innovations that carried through to this year:
--Weekly Rumpus Reflections meetings with all staff and any volunteers who'd like to attend
--Weekly
Rumpus Reports (one pagers with photos/stats/quotes/anecdotes and the
adult tip of the week) that go to library management and program
partners
--Neon clothespins for kids without photo permissions (though I LOVE that Nicole Hershberger of
Cicero Library is using tyvek wristbands instead of clothespins--so much easier to see!)
--matching
staff aprons with pockets! Makes us easier to identify as staff and
gives us pockets to hold all of the different handouts and clothespins,
etc.
