by Kate Reynolds (The Lavender Librarian)
Program inspiration
I am a Pokémon fan. So, when a Storytime Solidarity member suggested a Pokémon Scavenger Hunt I was instantly interested. The program is based on one from Mr. Anthony’s Bookshelf. Mr. Anthony’s article provides pretty much all of the everything you could need. My program was absolutely based on his just a bit pared down.
Passive Programming
I especially liked that the hunt is a passive program. This great since my library is perpetually short-staffed on Fridays. I decided to be run on a day when children are off school as their teachers are having a professional development day (PD days here in Ontario). We tend to get more children on these days so it’s important for us to offer them something fun to do and Pokémon are, frankly, a lot of fun!
My niece loves playing Pokemon Go with me!
My Changes
I cut the Pokédex down to ten Pokémon from 20. I also changed the clues so that they would spell out a sentence. The images I used for the Pokémon I hid in the library are also new…but they’re not necessarily as high quality as those in the original so make sure you also check out Mr. Anthony’s version!
To offer a small prize I made Pokémon buttons with my library’s button maker! This may have been the most complicated step for me but, with my autism, my spatial awareness is almost non-existent.
Beware, Niantic seems to be quite protective so it can be hard to find decent printables. I’m including my button template as well; it’s for a 1.24″ button maker.
The Detractors
The sentence my books spelled out was “The Purple Public Library helps me read learn and discover.” Admittedly, it’s a bit stilted and clichéd and involves the library mission statement.
A family with two girls who participated reported that both girls enjoyed the program but that the 9-year-old found the sentence a bit predictable and said as much. Her 6-year-old sister, meanwhile, stopped to carefully copy down every letter.
If you’re expecting mostly older children you may want a slightly more surprising sentence!
Here are the files that I created for my program! Feel free to make changes to suit your needs!
Me and Pokémon
I’ve been a Pokémon fan for years now. It was way back 2019, in the far off land of New Zealand. In The Before Times, that I began playing Pokémon Go.
Today I caught a shiny Scyther on my lunch hour and I honestly can’t tell if I’m buzzing because of the turbo diet coke or the thrill of the catch! Only about 1 in 450 Pokémon are shiny. It’s exciting.
From the beginning there’s been something about catching these cute little pocket monsters at gave me an instant rush that would temporarily soothe my anxiety. I’m not alone. There are stories and even some evidence that it may decrease anxiety and depression in some people.
One of the best parts about playing Pokémon Go is that I’m now learning enough to talk in an informed way with children in the library. Overall, kids are very impressed with my knowledge of all things Pokémon. This helps me to connect with older kids in particular.