Library Quest

One of the things I love the most is creating and going through scavenger hunts (or quests) for my kids. We haven’t done one in a while and since moved on to more elaborate movie nights with movie related snacks, but the love is still there for the scavenger hunts.

Since we have been talking about the lost archives of adventure, mystery, resources and more called a library, I thought I would focus on how you can re-experience the wonders of this magical land of all things books and now more.

Benefits of a Library Quest

Not only is this a great way to introduce or re-introduce kids and adults to the library along with practicing library manners; it’s also a great way to get acquainted with the librarians and learn about new programs and offerings the library may provide. This could also be a way to bring families together as they navigate the library and discover new adventures, mysteries, games and more.

When you create a positive relationship with your librarian, they will be there when you are looking for something specific, need advice on a project, or resources for careers, homeschooling and a ton more. You’ll not find anyone more knowledgeable or helpful than a great librarian!

Purpose of a Library Quest

Not only is it beneficial for those that are unfamiliar with the library, but it will also create a sense of fun in a place where some may not believe there is fun to be found. Trust me, there is!

Just learning something new about the library and what it has to offer is great, but learning in the form of a scavenger hunt or a quest makes the experience all the more entertaining and educational.

Planning a Library Quest

When planning your library quest, it’s very beneficial and a courtesy to get the librarian(s) involved with the process. Not only is it polite to let them know you are planning a quest/hunt, they can help you with the details if you get stuck. Besides, that’s what a library is for, right? Helping you find what you need and giving suggestions?

While you are with the librarian set a time and date that is best for both parties to come visit the library. See if they have any suggestions to add to your quest and any rules that need to be discussed before anyone enters the library for the quest. They may also be able to provide a glimpse into one of their programs such as story-time during your visit.

One other thing to think about when talking with the librarian is whether you’ll need space to gather after the quest. If your library has a community or conference room that you can use to gather after to discuss, provide further information or celebrate a great quest!

Sample Scavenger Hunt

When deciding how to go about performing your quest/hunt, you may want to keep in mind the size of group you have. If you have a larger group, it might be better for the individuals to write the information down that you have them search for. For smaller groups you can have them bring the items to you for verification.

Another thing to think about is the publicity for the event. If you are doing a quest for a school classroom, homeschool group, or even a church event you’ll probably want to create some publicity for it beforehand; sharing on social media, in a newsletter, on a bulletin, or with flyers.

Below is a list of items you can add to your Library Quest if you so choose. Make them children oriented for younger individuals to give them a better experience for their age group.

Add-ons

There are many things you can add to this quest leading up to or after to keep the excitement going. Here are a few things you can add.

Bookmark contest

A bookmark design contest could be a great way to lead up to the event. The creation of the designs can enhance the experience as the days to the quest are counting down. You can either let the kids keep their designs and laminate them for their use after visiting the library (hopefully they will check out a book) or you can see which the group likes the most and make copies for each to use, giving a small prize to the winner.

Mad libs

A great way to read and give the group a good laugh at the same time. My kids love mad libs and the stories we create with them. It’s something they remember fondly with the silly stories that resulted from our filling in the blanks.

Movies

Movies make great companions to the library quest, especially if they are library related! An oldie but a goodie is The Pagemaster. Watch before your quest and see if you can add a little ’Adventure’, ‘Horror’ and ‘Romance’ (characters) as an extra item to hunt. Either create a cutout of each one and ’hide’ them in the library for the students to find as a bonus or allow them to choose one of those categories to check out a book. (Age appropriate of course). You can also see who can find the book, The Pagemaster, first.

Themes

You can incorporate any theme you want with your library quest. If you were discussing pirates, planets, plants, animals, or any other theme; you can create your quest to relate to that subject. Have the students find fiction and/or non-fiction books on those subject as a compare and contrast or just for another fun learning experience.

Final Thoughts

Your library quest/scavenger hunt doesn’t have to relate to the same old items, you can create something the group will love when incorporating a quest like hunt as the one you can download below or create a theme with a related movie and bookmark contest.

If you have other ways of making a Library quest/scavenger hunt unique, let us know in the comments. You never know the inspiration you provide by sharing your ideas with others!

Click the image below to download the Library Quest of your choice!