Get your fancy on!

So this past Friday I totally got to live out one of my librarian fantasies...to lead a Fancy Nancy program!  I've been wanting to do it forever, but for one reason or another it just never happened.  When I started at my new branch last summer, it was too late to schedule programs.  They had been in for months.  So when I got to schedule for Summer 2017, Fancy Friday with Fancy Nancy was born!

So many books!  They were pretty much all checked out by the end of the afternoon!

Why so excited about Fancy Nancy?  Well, I've always loved the character, a spunky, creative, and imaginative little girl with a flair for fancy and dramatic.  She wants to experience everything life has to offer.  Best of all, she is confident in who she is and will totally rock a costume and tiara if the mood strikes.  She is soooo my spirit animal.  Thank you, Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser for this gift of a character.  Then as fate would have it, I gave birth to a daughter in 2011 who the older she gets, the more she is Fancy Nancy personified!  Ever since she hit the age of about 2 when her full divaosity (yes, it's a word, my word!) began to manifest, I have wanted to have a program for all the other girls (and boys) who identify with wanting to be a little fancy.

I mean, COME ON!  Girlfriend is totally working it!

So last Friday I wore my fanciest rainbow printed leggings under my dress to work.  I put on my sparkly tiara and homemade glittery ladybug wings and greeted all 58 people who came to the library on a Friday afternoon.  The fashion choices of the under 10 set were quite amazing, and I love that some of the parents even got into the spirit as well.  We started with the original story, Fancy Nancy.  Most knew the character and some got to meet her for the very first time.  Then we adjourned to activity stations all around our meeting room.  Each station was based on one of the books.  I got a lot of cool resources from the website http://www.fancynancyworld.com/ as well.  Check it out, it's awesome!  I got a little carried away in the spirit of wanting to do it all and be super fancy and ended up with 11 activity stations!  Honestly, I had ideas for more, but I could hear my former library manager in my head telling me to "slow my mustang down."

For this station I set up tables and easels and put out a variety of art supplies (paint, crayons, markers, pencils, paper) and let them create.  No templates, just imagination.

I pulled every Fancy Book that I had on the shelf and requested a bunch more.  Kids were encouraged to choose stories to read together or with their families.

I went with the tried and true coffee filter and pipe cleaner butterfly activity.  Kids decorated their filter with markers and spritzed it with water (some more saturated than others...) to see the cool effect.  Then they turned it into a butterfly magnet to take home with them.

I cleaned out our craft closet, put everything on to tables and let them create hats and fans using paper plates, craft sticks, and oh so much more!  This was a favorite station.  We also used the same materials to create the wedding bouquets mentioned later.

For this station we used one of the worksheets from the website http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/fancy-words-printable-game/.

I put several kids classical and ballet themed CDs on shuffle.  Then I set out these two worksheets from the website  http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/fancy-words-printable-game/ and http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/dance-like-ballerina-printable-game/.  Then I made sure there was plenty of space to dance.

My particular library branch has a specialized genealogy collection, and I was able to find this really cool family tree worksheet geared towards kids.  There is also a printable activity through the website that we used as well http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/fancy-family-tree-printable-reading-activity/.

This station gave the kiddos an opportunity to play hairdresser.  I put out combs, brushes, hairbands, and hairpins as well as several hairstyle books.  They were able to get a fancy style while giving someone else one as well.  I was able to test out my newly acquired braiding skills too.  We also had fun decorating a coloring page based on the book Fancy Nancy Hair Dos and Hair Don'ts http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/picture-perfect-printable-coloring-sheet/.

I used another printable from the website http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/haiku-printable-reading-activity/ that taught the kids what a haiku is and allowed them to create one of their own.

This station featured books on stars and constellations as well as another printable worksheet http://www.fancynancyworld.com/printables/colorful-creation-printable-coloring-sheet-2/.

Using the same art supplies for the Fashion Boutique station, the kids were able to create their own fancy bouquets.  Having just been a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding last month, I was able to rock some killer paper plate and ribbon bouquets! #skills


Those were all the stations from this program.  I had several other ideas for things we could do for different books, but I had the good sense to save them for another day!  Here are the ideas.

Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy

• Make no-sew blankets for an animal shelter.

Fancy Nancy:  Explorer Extraordinaire

• Go on a scavenger hunt.

Fancy Nancy:  Fanciest Doll in the Universe

•  Doll hair salon.  Girls and dolls both get styled!

Fancy Nancy and the Delectable Cupcakes

• Put out frosting, sprinkles, candy, and other toppings and host your very own Cupcake Wars event! 

All of these things could work for library programs, school events, birthday parties, or just a fun day with someone fancy!  Be creative and have fun.  This program was everything that I could have hoped it would be.  One of the girls also happened to be celebrating her 8th birthday that day which made it even more special.  Here are some pictures from the event.