Program Procedures:

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Before children arrive -- Cards containing coded clues and secret puzzle pieces are hidden in books throughout Children’s Library aisles and shelves. All materials and preparation are provided by our activity facilitator.

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Once all participants are present -- The activity begins when the Detective (facilitator) introduces himself and asks for help finding a the secret ingredient for building a better world that is somewhere the library. Children use their observation and detection skills to help find the first set of clues.

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​Participants are broken up into groups of 3 or 4, and provided with Clue Decoder cards. Every member of the group is assigned a task – Clue Master, Decoder, Recorder, or Seeker, and for successive clues the tasks are rotated so that each participant has a turn at every task. Each clue, once decoded, tells the group which book holds their next clue, and provides a puzzle piece that will help them identify and locate the secret for building a better world.

 

​Participants search the children’s library to find each successive clue and its puzzle piece and bring it back to decode. Every group has its own set of clues to find – there is never any competing over clues and everyone always succeeds! The facilitator demonstrates (when necessary) how to use the library catalog and Dewey Decimal System to locate the books they seek.​​​​​

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When the time period is nearly over, the groups will all be gathered together to share their decoded clues in order to assemble the puzzle pieces. They will then search together until the missing ingredient is discovered. Everyone is then rewarded for their efforts by being sworn in as Junior World Builder, and all participants receive their own Detective Badge.