Passive Programming Ideas for a School Library

Having worked in a 7-12 public school library for a few years we’ve been brainstorming and implementing some Passive Programming ideas to make the library a welcoming and fun place. We hope this encourages students to come check out the library and stay for a bit, even if they don’t get book - though we hope of course this leads to them checking out our books while they’re here! Passive programming is programming that you can “set and forget” and takes little or minimal supervision and instruction. | This post contains affiliate links |

Passive Programming Ideas for School Libraries

In our library we have a designated table with a few chairs around it for Passive Programming and rotate these ideas periodically. Most of these ideas are for older grades but I’ve also thrown in some ideas for younger grades as well. These would also work for public libraries and private school libraries as well:

• puzzles
• bracelet making station
• keychain making
• bookmark making
• chess
• origami
• 3D Puzzle
• Sudoku sheets
• communal sticker mosaic
• communal coloring poster
• coloring sheets
• communal crossword
• magnetic poetry
• Scrabble or other board games
• trivia
• reading challeges
• simple robot kits (STEM/STEAM)
• write your own book reviews
• scavenger hunt
• kinetic sand
• sensory bin (theme could be updated monthly or seasonally)
• seasonal crafts
• book-themed crafts

Story Land Tips & Tricks (from Long-Time Season Pass Holders) - New Hampshire

We’ve been going to Story Land for forever it seems - I went yearly as a child back in the 80’s and 90’s, and now we’ve been season pass holders for the last 10+ years. This may be our last year as season pass holders as our kids are getting too old to make Story Land trips a regular occurrence, but we’ve learned a lot over the years and I thought I would share some of our tips, tricks, and hacks with you. | This post is not sponsored. Contains personal opinion/reviews and affiliate links |

Disclaimer: This post shares opinions and tips based on our personal experiences. Please be aware that you may encounter things differently and things are subject to change. Please do your own research.

Story Land is a family-focused story book themed amusement park in Glen, NH.

Consider Season Passes

If you’re a New Hampshire local (like us), or come up to the area at least 2-3x a year, Season Passes are definitely the way to go! They can pay for themselves in just two visits. Make sure to pay attention to levels of passes when purchasing as some have blackout dates and some have different perks - like discounts for food, merchandise, free “Buddy Passes,” or tickets to Living Shores Aquarium next door. It’s also really nice not feel pressure to do or see it all when we’re at Story Land because we know we can catch something next time; it gives us a lot of flexibility to just come for a few hours when we want.
PRO TIP: Buy season passes ahead of time for the following season on Black Friday! That’s typically when prices are lowest.

Buy Day Tickets Ahead (if not Season Pass Holders)

If possible, NEVER buy tickets at the gate - always buy ahead online. Buying ahead gives you the best deal on day tickets. Sometimes they can be be 50% or more off depending on current offers, though you may have to buy a week or more in advance to get the best deal.

“Final Three = Next Day Free!”**

Story Land often has a promotion where if you first enter the park in the final 3 hours of operation you can come back the next day for free! This is a great way to get some extra time in the park, especially if you’re from out of the area and staying in a hotel locally.
**NOTE: We have seen this offer come and go over the years — some years they offer it, some years they don’t. Do your research and confirm with customer service in writing if they are currently honoring that offer and how best to use it with dated tickets before you try to use it.

Paid Parking

New last year, Story Land is now asking you pay to park in certain lots (namely the ones surrounding the park), though free parking is included with Season Passes. Parking across the street in the dirt lot is still free and there is a pedestrian tunnel under the road to safely cross. (Personal note: I am really disappointed about this change - I don’t think they should be charging for parking.)

Bag Policy

Make sure to check Story Land’s bag policy before coming. It’s new in the last few years, but be prepared for security to check your bags on the way in and limitations on the size of bags brought in (exceptions can be made for diaper bags or medical supplies). And just like before, Story Land still does not allow glass bottles/containers or hard sided coolers brought in.

Now that I don't need a diaper bag these days I pack light and simple - a Lululemon Belt Bag with wallet, phone, keys, and hand sanitizer. That's really all you need and it's small enough to wear on almost all rides.

Story Land is Cash-Free

Starting a few years ago Story Land became a cash-free park. This means they ONLY accept credit card/debit cards for payments at all places (food, gift shops, concession stands, etc) in the park - so make sure to bring your plastic with you ;) If you forget or don’t have a credit card, there are machines in the parks that can transfer cash onto pre-paid gift cards that can be used instead.

Pack a Lunch

This is an easy way to save big if you come frequently - make sure to pack your lunch to avoid paying for over priced food and drinks in the park. You can leave your lunch cooler in your car and go out* and have a “parking lot picnic” (*don’t forget to get your hand stamped on the way out so you can re-enter the park!) or you can bring your lunch into the park with you as long as it fits in with Story Land’s bag policy and doesn’t contain glass containers. When our youngest was a baby we used to always eat our lunch on the train - that way the baby could take her time finishing her bottle while my oldest ate her sandwich and no one felt like we were missing out on anything - we’d just ride the train in circles until everyone was done.

Consider Baby Wearing Over a Stroller

I have been doing Story Land for years - with babies, pregnant, not pregnant, with toddlers, with pre-teens, etc. - and I am solidly in the camp “no stroller.” Personally I find it so much easier to just have everything on my person and not have to worry about watching a stroller or coming back for a stroller if we decide to get off at a different train stop, etc - and not to mention it’s much easier navigating crowds and the giant hill in the middle of the park (which is avoidable if you choose to go around - but it’s a nice shortcut) without a stroller. Story Land also isn’t a huge park, it’s very walkable and doable without a stroller for most people. I always wore our baby/toddler in a front carrier and then carried a backpack as a diaper bag that had all the essentials - diapers, lunch, bottles, etc. Obviously everyone has their own preferences and if you decide to use a stroller or wagon that’s totally fine but this is what I found to be the best for our family in this park.

Plenty to Do and See with Infants or While Pregnant

If you’re pregnant or have an infant it will limit what you can do - no rollercoasters or thrill rides for example. However there is still a reasonable amount of things to see and do - make sure to check the ride information boards at each ride to see if it’s suitable for infants or pregnant women and obviously use your best judgement and advice from your doctors on what you can/can’t do. It’s better to play it safe.

Walk Up to Cinderella’s Castle, Then Ride Down

This is a simple tip I’ve realized over the years - WALK UP to Cinderella’s Castle, and then ride the Pumpkin Coach DOWN. Most people feel the need to ride up to Cinderella’s Castle to get the full effect, but if you don’t mind doing it a little backwards you can walk up to the Castle (over a really pretty bridge, mind you), meet Cinderella, and then get in line to ride the Pumpkin Coach back down. The line at the top to ride back down is almost always considerably shorter than the line at the bottom to ride up - and often there isn’t even a line at the top at all!

Take Your Own Picture with Cinderella

At Cinderella’s Castle you can stand in line to meet her and get your photo taken by a staff photographer, which is available for purchase afterwards at a little desk by the exit. Thankfully though you can take your own cell phone photo while you’re there and aren’t obligated to buy the Story Land photo which is rather expensive.

The Roar-O-Saurus is ROUGH

The Roar-O-Saurus is the wooden rollercoaster in the back of the park; it has highest height requirement of all the rides at Story Land and is meant for older kids and adults. It’s a great wooden roller coaster and quite thrilling - but be warned it’s ROUGH riding it. The ride is very jolting and “jittery.” There are signs on the loading dock warning you to take everything out of your pockets and leave it in cubbies on the platform because they will be shaken out (my husband can attest to that… his wallet shook right out of his pants pocket once!). They even have a white board tally behind the operator logging how many items have been lost so far that season on the ride.
(Personal Note: Unfortunately this ride hurts my neck so I typically don’t ride it.)

EDIT Fall, 2025: Be warned - as of October, 2025 they will no longer let you even wear RX glasses on the Roar-A-Saurus. I usually don’t ride this ride because it bothers my neck, but my daughter needed someone to ride with her on our last trip of the season so I agreed to go on it with her. I was surprised and disappointed that I was told I could not wear my glasses on the ride, which has never been an issue before. I tried explaining that I am legally blind without them (literally, I am) and I’ve never had to take them off in all the years of riding it but it was non-negotiable on their part. We decided to get off the ride at that point because I can’t be parted from my glasses.. it was very disappointing. I understand where they’re coming from that they’ve had too many people loose items on this ride, but properly fit RX glasses will not fall off and it’s unfortunate they won’t allow even those on the ride anymore.

Pack Your Swimsuit for Moo Lagoon

New in the last few years is Moo Lagoon - a splash pad/water slide park located where the old Oceans of Fun splash pad was. If you’d like to take advantage of Moo Lagoon make sure to wear or bring your swimsuit to change into. Appropriate swim wear without buckles or anything that can “catch” is needed to use the water slides - and they don’t allow you to wear glasses of any kind on the waterslides, including eyeglasses.
One thing to note is that the entrance stairs to the three tallest slides is outside of the main Moo Lagoon area. This makes it tricky to always have eyes on your little ones so keep that in mind.

Don’t Sleep on the Live Shows!

The live shows at Story Land are always fun too - there’s usually several different shows a day, throughout the day. They have musical shows with live singing, a farm follies show with characters and animatronics, Daniel Tiger shows, and more. In past years they used to have a magician show which we really enjoyed (and I hope they’ll bring back again). Make sure to check the schedule to see what shows are when. The shows can be great for downtime and cooling off in the AC on hot days too!

Add-On Experiences

Story Land also offers some add-on experiences like a Character Breakfast or Tea with Cinderella. These are booked and paid for in addition to your day ticket or Season Pass. We’ve done the Cinderella Tea with both of our kids and even packed play dress-up princess dresses for them to put on over their clothes for the tea party. It was definitely a cute experience to give them when they were younger and the Cinderella Tea was pretty reasonably priced in my opinion. (We haven’t done the Character Breakfast yet.)

Be Wary of Rain Park Closure

Years ago Story Land would sometimes close the park early for really bad weather - I’m talking like lighting and hail kind of weather. These days they seem to close the park a lot more often due to weather - sometimes just for what seems like moderate rain. This is something to keep in mind when you make your trip there - if it’s a rainy day there is the possibility the park will close early. The good news is that if the park does close early you should be able to request a rain check ticket to come back another day - make sure to stop into Customer Service and ask.

Happy Hauntings

New last year was Happy Hauntings which are special themed weekends in October. They offer trick-or-treating, seasonal food offerings for purchase at the concession stands, seasonal decor, a new themed live show, and some rides open. We went once last year during Happy Hauntings and it was very cute and our kids had fun but we felt as though the ride offerings were extremely limited — personally I don’t think I would buy day tickets to the event because you’d miss out on so many rides that are closed for the season, but as a Season Pass Holder it was a fun way to end our season.

Disclaimer: This post shares opinions and tips based on our personal experiences. Please be aware that you may encounter things differently and things are subject to change. Please do your own research.

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Simple Soap Saving Hack

Does your family waste SO much liquid soap at the bathroom or kitchen sink? I know mine sure does. Here is a quick, easy, and CHEAP tip to save soap (and money) big time! | This post contains affiliate links |

The cover photo for this post shows the bottle of soap “before” - but I’m going to show you a quick and easy way to modify the pump so that it uses less soap with every pump! To do this you only need 3 simple items you probably have on-hand already.

Materials

• Liquid Soap - you can use any liquid soap pump (even refillable ones) but personally we love Mrs. Meyer's handsoap (usually we use Oat Blossom but we're still using up one of the holiday scents here)
• Small Zip Ties (we used black here because the pump is black, but you could use white or another color zip tie if it matches better)
• Scissors

How To

Seriously this couldn’t be much easier!

Simply put the zip tie around the soap pump where it goes down, tighten (but not too tight), and then trim off the extra. Ta-da, it’s done!

This “ring” made by the zip tie will prevent the pump from going down all the way. This way you get like a “half-pump” of soap rather than a whole pump (personally I feel like a whole pump tends to dispense far too much soap).

Now it dispenses far less soap = less waste!

Once the zip tie has been trimmed it’s barely noticeable. This little hack has saved SO much soap in our family - I really notice us going through the hand soap much slower. I hope this little trick will save you soap and money too!

PS - if you buy the same brand soap over and over you can reuse the pump top from bottle to bottle so you can keep reusing the same zip tie modified top if you don’t want to keep using up zip ties.

Disclaimer: Use at own risk.

FREE National Parks Pass for All 4th Graders and their Families - "Every Kid Outdoors"

Did you know every 4th Grader can get a FREE National Parks Pass? I found out about the program when our not-so-little one went into the 4th Grade and we were able to take advantage of it. Signing up is incredibly easy through the “Every Kid Outdoors” Website - once you’re signed up make sure to bring your printed confirmation with you and your 4th grader to a National Park and the ranger there will finish the sign up process and give you National Parks Pass that’s good for the whole year (Sept 1st-Aug 31st of the school year your child is in 4th grade). If you’re a homeschool family this program also works if your child is homeschooled and in the equivalent of 4th grade.

We personally used it to go to Acadia National Park (our favorite place) in Maine and Saint-Gaudens National Park in New Hampshire. Maybe when our next child is in 4th grade we’ll get a little more adventurous and get to a National Park out west.

If you're planning on checking out several National Parks during the year, you might want to pick up a National Park Journal (affiliate link) so your kids can document the journey and adventures! Happy Exploring!

Note: This is not a sponsored post, I’m just sharing my experience with this program when we did it. Please see Every Kid Outdoors’ website for details as they may change.

Tips for Selling on Facebook Marketplace

Lately I’ve been on a huge decluttering kick. I really want to pare down what we have in our home so we only have stuff we love, use, or is sentimental/important to us. Everything else can go. I’ve been taking my time with this process but it’s been really freeing to open up some space in our home. I try to throw away as little as possible and have been either donating items locally or selling them on Facebook Marketplace. Read on for my tips on how to sell your unwanted items on Facebook.
| Disclaimer: These are suggestions. Sell/buy on Facebook at your own risk. |

| Disclaimer: These are suggestions. Sell/buy on Facebook at your own risk. |

Tips for Selling on Facebook Marketplace

Clean Your Items Before Taking Photograpshs

Oh my gosh - this is the most obvious one that I feel like so many people neglect to do. They will post a picture of a table for example, still covered with magazines and cups - or the table will be filthy with dust. Kids’ shoes is another big example - make sure to take a little time and clean kids’ shoes. Get any stains/dirt you can off up the uppers and take an old toothbrush and clean the mud out of the treads. No one is interested in your dirty items - clean them up!

Consider the Backdrop of Your Photos

Don’t take photos somewhere messy or that looks unclean (like a basement or garage - unless you’re selling something that really belongs there like sports equipment or tools). For example, if you’re selling a nice piece of furniture, dress, kids’ toys, etc make sure the backdrop is somewhere clean and nice inside your home - don’t take a sketchy looking photo in a dirty/damp-looking basement because that implies the items weren’t well-cared for.

Price Your Items Well

Keep in mind this is a “yard sale.” And while things are typically priced a little higher than they would be at an actual yard sale, don’t be unreasonable. I usually price my items at the higher-end of reasonable, and then decrease my price periodically. If it doesn’t sell in a few weeks, it typically gets donated.

Be Safe

Be really wary with selling/buying on Facebook. Always check out the profile of who’s interested in the item to make sure it looks like it’s a real account with some history (it wasn’t just made in the last few months). Also never give out your phone number.. a lot of scammers will send you a message that says something like “I’m working, what’s your phone number so I can text you about this item? -or- Here’s my number, please text me.” Always decline to give out your number and say you only do correspondence through Facebook Messenger. It’s also a good idea to never accept electronic payments (Venmo, PayPal, etc) - stick to cash-only. (And if you’re a buyer never send an electronic payment as a “deposit to hold an item” - that’s a very common scam and a big red flag.)

And the biggest one - ALWAYS MEET IN A PUBLIC PLACE THAT ISN’T YOUR HOUSE. I strictly will only meet at local Police Department parking lots. Our surrounding town police departments all have designated parking spots under video surveillance that are meant for online sale exchanges. Several times someone has messaged me asking to meet for an item but instantly declined once they found out I only meet at the Police Station - that’s a huge red flag if they won’t meet at the Police Station and you want nothing to do with that person.. block them and move on.

Send a Reminder Message about an Hour Before the Meet

No-shows are the worst, and unfortunately fairly common. To help reduce no-shows, send a one-line reminder message about an hour before you’re supposed to meet the person.. something like “See you at XXX Police Department at 3PM.” Most of the time if they forgot or weren’t going to show up they will message you back and say “whoops, I won’t be there” and you’ll save yourself the trip. I also try really hard to line up my yard sale meets with other errands so I’m in that area anyways and it’s not as much of an inconvenience if I get stood up.

What Generally Sells Really Well:

• Kids’ toys

• Kids’ shoes & clothing (clothing typically sells better in big lots by size)

• Sporting equipment

• Tools

• Furniture

• Garden Items

I’ve found that some items in particular (like books and women’s clothing) do not generally sell well. Also make sure to try to sell items seasonally - don’t list snow pants for sale in April, they probably won’t sell. List them for sale in Fall when people are looking for them.

And always - make sure to follow Facebook guidelines on what is allowed for sale or not.

Good luck with your decluttering journey!

An Appeal to Save Childhood Summers

Recently I looked at our family calendar and realized every single day in July was booked with 95% of it being kids' activities or lessons. It felt crazy, and unhealthy. I went through our calendar and cancelled several things and now we have some downtime again - I feel like I can breathe.
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Some of my fondest memories growing up were those lazy summer days where we spent every moment outside with no plans and completely lost track of time, no idea what day of the week it even was. That's what kids' summers should be, not pressure to get ahead or keep up. Every day shouldn’t be booked with tennis lessons, or tutoring, or private training. There's plenty of time to over-schedule yourself once you're an adult - for now it’s so important to be a kid.

I recently read a few articles and books that talked about the importance of letting kids have downtime for their mental health and the opportunity to grow and make more decisions on their own. I highly reccomend reading "How to Raise an Adult" - while I definitley don't agree with all of the points or suggestions in the book, it's a great reminder that your kids are capable of much more than you think and you need to give them some space to figure it out on their own (and not overschedule their life). Also the article "Summer Sanity" is a short read from the University of Florida that also touches on the issues of over-scheduling.

I wish you all a safe, relaxing - and not over-scheduled - summer :)

"Anything But a Backpack" Day Ideas

Having worked at a middle/high school for a few years now I’ve experienced a few “Anything But a Backpack” Days for Spirit Week and they can be pretty hilarious. …What does that mean? you might wonder - well, it pretty much means what it says - leave your backpack at home that day and come up with a creative way to carry your things around school for the day. I thought I’d share a list of some of the favorites I’ve seen or have heard about form others - some are quite creative and ridiculous. Disclaimer: always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not.

“Anything But a Backpack” Day Ideas

• laundry basket

• hamper

• stroller

• car seat

• remote control car

• PowerWheels

• wagon

• toy shopping cart

• real shopping cart

• Easter basket

• pizza box

• toolbox

• bucket

• a really ugly/tacky purse or bag (can be found cheap at a local thrift shop!)

• tool chest

• mini fridge

• microwave (that has to be heavy!)

• a car bumper (very tricky to put your stuff in - and yes, I have seen this one myself!)

• a kayak

• a canoe (very awkward to get up the stairs)

• golfbag

• milk crate

• horse saddle bag

• office chair

• cooking pot

• cat carrier

• birdcage

• wheelbarrow

• guitar case

• suitcase (the ones with the wheels are handy!)

• fishing net

• traffic cone

• stuffed animal that has a zippered pocket

• trick-or-treat bag or container

• trash bag or trash can (just make sure your stuff doesn’t get thrown out by accident!)

Check out our Spirit Week Theme Day Ideas blog post for other theme day ideas!

Disclaimer: Always make sure you check with your school for any parameters or rules for this event as every school will have different expectations as to what’s acceptable or not. This list is for ideas/entertainment purposes only.

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The Three Questions I Ask My Kids Every Night

Keeping an open dialogue is so important with kids, and it’s essential to start that trust early. A few years ago I started a tradition where I ask each kid three questions before they go to bed to give them an opportunity to easily share about their day and anything that may have been trouble for them.
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We typically do our bedtime routine together - brush teeth, say prayers, read a story, etc. but then I spend a few minutes solo with each child when I tuck them in and turn out the lights and say goodnight. I use this solo time to ask each kid their 3 Questions. They know they can be honest and say whatever they want.

The 3 Questions:

• What was your favorite part of the day?

• What was your least favorite (worst) part of the day?

• What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

Now to explain the reasoning behind the questions…

What was your favorite part of the day?

This gives them an opportunity to start easy, an ice breaker. They can share something good about their day and it can be anything. It could be that their favorite part was they did good on a math test, or that they had ice cream after dinner, or that they did their locker combination on their first try. It not only gives them an ice breaker to start the conversation, it gives you a chance to celebrate their favorite “win” of the day with them - no matter how big or how small.

What was your least favorite (worst) part of the day?

This one is the loaded question… the one where you hope your kid will share what’s really bothering them. Some days they will, and some days they won’t.. but at least asking this question daily gives them an easy opportunity to bring something up. Sometimes their answer could be something simple like the worst part was having to eat brussell sprouts at dinner. Or maybe they tripped in the hallway and felt embarrassed. Or maybe that they’re being bullied or there was an incident at school. These are important things to be aware of as a parent that your child isn’t always willing to share… by giving them the opportunity to share you can have a conversation with them to talk through what’s troubling them and hopefully help them figure out how to resolve it on their own or if you need to make someone else (school administration, etc) aware of the situation.
- Though typically we don’t dwell on whatever they say in the moment, especially if it’s obvious they don’t want to talk about right then. It’s more of a chance to just get it off their chest. If there’s something big going on I usually think it over that night and work towards addressing it the next day, if needed.

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

This is where we end on a high note, a positive… something to look forward to tomorrow before they fall asleep. Sometimes the next day has big things to look forward to (an amusement park trip, a birthday party, skiing, etc), but often there’s nothing “big” the next day and that’s okay! This gives kids the opportunity to look for the positives in the every-day, as there’s always something to look forward to. It could be something simple like it’s pizza day at school, the weather is supposed to be nice, they have art class, etc.

Growing with this Practice

We started this 3 Questions tradition when our kids were small, in preschool. The oldest is now in late elementary school and starting to navigate cliques and social pressures… I hope that continuing this practice will help keep our dialogue open through Middle and High School as things get trickier with school and her social circle. I’m sure as she gets older this practice may evolve but for now I think it’s a great start!

Another useful thing to get converstations going is to always eat dinner together as a family at the dinner table. I admit this can be tricky to do every night especially during those busy weeks, but it's so helpful to get that undistracted face-to-face time with your family and kids. If you're struggling to get the conversation going you can try Table Topics which are fun conversation starters. We use these occasionally during dinner as a game.