Celebrate “The Hobbit” at the Public Library
Interest in the Hobbit will rise now that the movie is playing in theaters everywhere. Take advantage of this rise in interest to schedule Hobbit-related programs for patrons of all ages.
Make Hobbit Habitats
The Hobbit Habitat project is very similar to the craft ideas represented in Fairy Houses…Everywhere! By Tracy Kane and Barry Kane. This activity is suitable for older elementary, middle school, teen and young adult patrons. The project involves making a miniature dwelling out of found materials in the yard or in nearby nature. Gathering the materials is part of the craft activity and you need access to a park or the library grounds. It would also make sense for the librarian to gather some materials to serve as examples and as supplemental material for the craft. The idea is to model the miniature dwelling on the houses in Hobbiton, like the one Bilbo Baggins lived in.
Hobbits vs. Goblins Trivia Competition
Invite fans of the Tolkien movies and books to come to the library for a night of trivia competition. Divide the patrons into teams and ask trivia questions and keep score. Take a picture of the winning team and post the picture on the library website and post it somewhere in the library so that the team can take pride in their victory. If funds allow, give the winning team members a small prize related to Tolkien or the Hobbit. (See the list of websites below for potential trivia questions.)
Hobbit Songs
Have an evening when “folkies” can come and pretend to be Hobbits singing actual Tolkien songs or simply traditional English folk songs. Inviting at least some people who can play instruments would be great, but not mandatory. This would be a family activity for all ages. Pull some song books, CDs. and the Tolkien series and have them on prominent display to everyone who comes to the event. It’s a good idea to have the librarian or a willing volunteer break the ice with the first song, and make the patrons take turns. The best way to do this is to seat people in a circle and go around the circle asking each person to sing a song alone or ask that everyone sing a song together, or pass to the next person. The circle is a good way to make sure that no one takes over and turns the evening into a one-person show.
Here are some websites that include ideas for celebrating “The Hobbit “at the Library:
Did you know that LEGO has a site related to “The Hobbit,” with LEGO games and activities? There’s a whole series of LEGO products related to “The Hobbit.” However, it is not be necessary to buy any new LEGOs to make a fun activity tying Hobbits and LEGOs. This program would be geared towards elementary school-aged children and their families. Perhaps a few laptops showing the LEGO site and open to the games related to the Hobbit would be a good addition. LEGO Hobbit website: http://thehobbit.lego.com/#79010.
The Tolkien Society: http://www.tolkiensociety.org/ed/ed_006.html This website has an excellent idea for elementary school-age kids.
Hobbit party ideas: http://www.ehow.com/info_8199566_hobbit-party-ideas.html
LEGO Hobbit website: http://thehobbit.lego.com/#79010 This website provides fun online activities for children.
Websites containing trivia and questions about “The Hobbit” include:
http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/literature/j_r_r_tolkien/the_hobbit.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/trivia
http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_9430000/newsid_9431800/9431884.stm
http://m.wyomingnews.com/articles/2012/12/15/entertainment/01ent%2012-12-12%20hobbit%20quiz.txt
http://www.marquette.edu/magazine/recent.php?subaction=showfull&id=1349802000
Tags: The Hobbit
