Films: JSYK Fall Film Preview

JSYK.com (just so you know) is a great resource for all teen media, whether it be films, music, video games or celebrities. I personally read JSYK every day to stay on top of teen pop culture, and it never fails to remind me when there is a big release coming up.  Being that the big holiday film season is fast approaching, I thought I would feature a link to JSYK's fall film preview that features a quick overview of all the major fall films (including Astro Boy, New Moon, Whip It, and Where the Wild Things Are) and trailers to watch as well.  Which reminds me, it's time to break out those book-to-film displays!

JSYK's fall film preview can be found here

Tutorial: Make An Animated Flip Book

Here's another great how-to video by the folks at Howcast.com. In this video an animation expert will show your teens how to make an animated flip book. Teaching the basics of animation, story boarding and motion your teens will be able to make their own flip book in about an hour. What a great way to use up some of that scrap paper eh?

Contact Andrea Graham

Questions? Concerns? Comments? I'd love to hear from you!

Please email me, Andrea Graham at 4yastaff@gmail.com

Teen Read Week 2009 "Read Beyond Reality"

Teen Read Week 2009 (October 18-24)  "Read Beyond Reality" is almost here. Some very creative librarians have shared some of their ideas on the YALSA listserv ya-yaac, take a look:

Tuscaloosa Public Library (AL)
Paranormal Research group
Robotics program

Sioux Center Public Library (IA)
Book to film workshop
Game night
Fantasy fashion design program: teens will design a
costume/clothes for their favorite fantasy character. The best design will win a prize.
Mini reading competition.

Hedberg Public Library (WI)
Hosting a New Moon fanfic contest in partnership with a local movie theater. All participating teens get a free ticket to a screening of New Moon. Winner gets a Twilight prize package.

Tulsa Public Library (OK)
Twilight showing
Skype Q&A with Ellen Hopkins
Wii program.
Anime Mini-Con featuring artist Mark Crilley.

Hampton Bays Public Library (NY)
At the Hampton Bays Public Library I worked w/the UA Hampton Bays movie theater for Teen Read Week. The teens had to create a story about their fantasy world, and the winners will each receive passes to the premiere of "Where the Wild Things Are", an awards ceremony @ the theater and they each got two passes for a future movie!
-Theresa Owens

YALSA Teen Read Week Links
The YALSA Teen Read Week Wiki:
http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Teen_Read_Week
YALSA's creative programs for Teen Reed Week:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/teenreading/trw/trw2009/activities.cfm.
YALSA's monthly calendar for great programming ideas:
http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/Calendar_of_Teen_Programming_Ideas

Project Idea: Colorful Felted Mustaches

Sometimes you need a quick disguise, something that will completely camouflage you from the world. These bright felted wool mustaches will do no such thing, but your professional goofball teens will certainly get a kick out of wearing them. This project was recently posted on the Craft blog , and created by fiber artist and author, Brookelynn Morris. Brookelynn has been enchanting nearly everyone with her colorful mustaches, that are constructed from wispy bits of colorful wool. To recreate this project use bright felting wool that be found online, at yarn shops, and at A.C Moore and a gentle make up glue that can be easily removed. Tear of long 6" wispy bits of wool for each teen and allow them to style their 'stache any way they choose.


Mustache styles can be found here at the American Mustache Institute
Felting wool can be purchased online from Living Felt
For more images of Brookelynn's mustaches check out her flickr gallery
For more felting projects check out Brookelynn Morris and Nikola Davidson's book Feltique 

Project Idea: Earbud Holders

Teens carry their audio earbuds everywhere they go. Unfortunately, earbud headphones are
susceptible to some major tanglelitis. This green DIY craft project will teach teens how to
make their own earbud holder out of recycled materials that will protect and prolong the life
of their precious headphones.  These earbud holders also make great gifts for the holiday season and is the perfect craft for Teen Tech Week. All you need are old magazines, glue, a heavy duty hole puncher, scissors, and clear packaging tape.

Full instructions can be downloaded here (.pdf)

Program Idea: Custom Designer Toy Workshop

As we are heading into the holiday season, I thought I would post a workshop idea that is very dear to my heart, designer vinyl toy workshops. Designer vinyl toys , are art toys designed by artists and collected by adults and teens. Art toy companies such as Toy2R , Medicom and Kidrobot , enlist artists to create unique variants of their famous characters such as the Qee , Bearbrick and Dunny .  These designs are then boxed into "blind boxes" so that the collector does not know what variant they are purchasing.

Most larger art toy manufacturers have also come out with "blank" versions of their art toys, so that fans can create their own unique characters using paint and markers. As you can see from above, I have made my own designer toy using ToyQube's Kaniza blank toys. "Mr. Sweetie Toof" was created using Sharpie Poster Paint Markers (these are the best for painting custom toys) and took me about two hours to complete. If you would like to host your own custom toy workshop, all you need are blank toys and Sharpie Poster Paint Markers (medium and fine point). For best results have your teens sketch out the character they would like to make before they begin painting as the paint is hard to remove once it dries.  I have posted some links below for further instructions.

KidRobot's Guide to painting DIY vinyl toys featuring "munny"
Buy Kidrobot custom DIY "Munny" toys here
For limited budgets try the DIY Qee keychains 
I used ToyQube's Kaniza toys for my workshop, (discounts for large orders)
Sharpie Poster Paint Markers can be found online at Dick Blick Art Supplies

Project Idea: Shadow Puppets

Here is a breath of creative craft fresh air! Artist Andrea Everman creates amazing shadow puppets out of black poster board and bamboo skewers.  Her fantastical creatures are not only charming but a little scary too (check out that handsome yeti! ) making it a perfect project for the Halloween season. Best yet, she has kindly posted a very informative tutorial on her website, so you and your teens can make your own dashing and dancing shadow monsters.  The shadow puppet tutorial can be found here. 

Check out Andrea's wonderful etsy store.
Andrea's website at http://www.owlyshadowpuppets.com

Video Games: Fall Buyer's Guide

Here is a listing of the most popular teen video game titles for Fall 2009 (September-December). Red indicates a highly recommended game, and purple indicates a multiplayer game thats highly recommended for gaming events. All other games are great choices for your collection if your budget allows.


Wii Exclusives:
New Super Mario Bros.: Mario has returned in this 4-player side scroller
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up: Just like Super Smash but w/ turtles
Muramasa the Demon Blade: Action packed and beautiful ninja game
Metroid Prime Trilogy: Classic Nintendo Sci Fi Adventure
Harvest Moon Magical Melody: Farming and Friends
Spectrobes Origins: Pokemon inspired RPG
Wii Sports Resort: more casual gaming
Science Papa: Fun way to do science experiments
ATV Quad Kings: Quad bike racing
Phantom Brave: We Meet Again: Strategy RPG

PS3 Exclusives:
Buzz Quiz World: Trivia game for four players
Little Big Planet: Fantastic creative side scroller
Uncharted 2: Very popular adventure game
Katamari Forever: Zany collectiong/ puzzle game
Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time: Action Adventure fun for all ages
inFamous: Action adventure game
Demon Souls: Intense RPG
Afrika: Beautiful safari inspired game

Xbox 360 Exclusives:
Halo 3 ODST: Prequel to the massive popular sci fi shooter
Midnight Club: Suped up cars street racing
LIPS #1 Hits: Karaoke
Forza 3: The ultimate racing game everyone is waiting for

Multi Platform:
The Beatles: Rock Band: Rock along with the Fab 4
Rock Band: Metal Track Pack: Must have for metal fans
DJ Hero: DJing sequel to Guitar Hero
Band Hero: Contemporary music game
NHL 10: Hockey
Need For Speed Shift: Fast paced racing game
Guitar Hero 5: Sequel to the popular music party game
Fifa Soccer 2010: Ultimate soccer game
Madden NFL 10: Biggest franchise in football video games
Tekken 6: Classic fighting game
Street Fighter IV: Classic fighting game that started it all, new graphics
WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010: Wrestling showdown
Tony Hawk Ride: Ultimate skating game with board controller
Marvel Alliance: Super hero adventure game
Brutal Legend: Metal meets video games
Ninja Gaiden: Classic series ninja action
Assassin's Creed: highly popuar action game
Batman: Arkham Asylum: Batman action game
NCAA Football 2010: College football
Resident Evil 5: Zombie action game
MLB 09: The Show: Baseball
Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition: Star Wars adventure
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: More Indy LEGO fun
Mini Ninjas: Little ninjas cartoon action
Dirt 2: Off-road racing
Fight Night Round 4: Boxing game
Transformers Revenge of the Fallen: Game based on the movie
Heroes Over Europe: WWII flight simulator
Star Wars: Clone Wars: Animated Star Wars adventure game
Where the Wild Things Are: Game based on the film
Dragon Ball: Raging Blast: Classic anime classic adventure
James Cameron's Avatar: The Game: Based on the film

Games: Scene It? Twilight Edition

According to gaming news site IGN , Scene It? is releasing an interactive Twilight trivia game on DVD on October 1 (and later for the Nintendo Wii). Featuring all their favorite vamps and shape-shifters, Twihards will be able to re-visit Forks and play their friends in a fully interactive video quiz.  If you are planning on hosting a New Moon kick off party, Scene it? Twilight will be the perfect addition to your festivities.


Scene it? Twilight can be purchased on Amazon and other online toy stores. 

Project Idea: Boey Inspired Styrofoam Cup Art

Here's an awesome budget friendly project: Styrofoam cup art.  Created by artist Cheeming Boey , Boey creates stunning black and white mini murals on simple styrofoam cups. Boey's work is an excellent example of how a seemingly ordinary everyday item (that we usually simply throw away) can be transformed into a cool and collectible piece of art. To re-create this project for your youth organization, all you need are styrofoam cups and sharpie markers.  Show them Boey's video and some of his pictures to get them started, and they will be making awesome little murals of their own in no time.


Visit Boey at http://iamboey.com/

Films: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince DVD Release

I'm sure everyone's A/V department is well aware of this news already, (and has ten copies on order) but here's a heads up for all the rest of us. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 7, 2009. Perfect for a teen movie night, or a H.P marathon. (make sure you buy a license first!)




Related articles: Learn How To Play Harry Potter's Quidditch
Love Harry? Check out the amazing fan site: The Leaky Cauldron

Cool Site: UK Blog- Teen Librarian

There are many teen library blogs out there in the world. Many are fabulous, and some are no longer updated. (Boo hoo! We miss you!) Some have stood the test of time, and continue to deliver high quality content for youth advocates-- whether through young adult book reviews, professional development workshops or through programing resources. Teen Librarian does this all and more, and I am proud to feature this fantastic blog on 4YA today. I must admit, up until a couple of weeks ago, I had no idea about the Teen Librarian blog, but ever since I found it, I've counted myself as a regular reader. Based in England, the Teen Librarian's specialty is "yoof" (which is English for youth- ha ha), and all things teen services. Updated regularly, Teen Librarian has a great collection of book reviews, industry news, and even puts out a fantastic monthly newsletter. Check it out, Teen Librarian really is a brilliant guide to yoof services, and a must read for all yoof advocates.

Program Idea: Mecha Model Club

Do you have teen tech heads or anime fans into giant robots? If so, you might want to try setting up a a Mecha Model Club at your youth organization/ teen library.  Mecha models are quite similar plastic toy car models, except they are based on popular Japanese giant robot series like Gundam, Patalabor , and Neon Genesis Evangelion. They differ in that that pieces snap together, and do not require paint or glue. Most kits are imported from Japan, and therefore the instruction manuals are in Japanese. However, don't let this dissuade you from building a mecha, each plastic piece corresponds to a numbered and lettered technical diagram in the instruction booklet. Once your teen's eyes adjust to the technical drawings they will be building in no time. Mecha models come in numerous sizes. For beginners look out for the 1/144 scale Gundam models. These are the most affordable (under $10.00) and can be built in under two hours.

Important tip: Make sure your teens do not remove all the plastic pieces first! Each piece should be removed one at a time based on the diagram.

Mecha model kits can be found on Amazon and at other specialty model/ import stores online.

Project Ideas: Zombie Fest

There has been total zombie love fest brewing on the YALSA YA-YAAC listserv these past few days, and I just had to post everyone's brilliant ideas.  If you are looking for some activities, films or books for your next zombie fest, check out these awesome (sometimes super gross) ideas.

Programs:
Zombie Makeup Workshop
Zombie Walk Off/ Fashion Show
Red Light Green Light Zombie Shuffle
Marco Polo (groaning replaces the Marco! Polo!)
Quiz game based on the Zombie Survival Handbook
I'm going on a zombie walk and I plan to eat (list gross things alphabetically)
Guess the Melted Candy Bar in A Diaper (ha ha so gross!)
Zombie Finger Puppet Giveaway
Zombie Musical Chairs (with MJ's Thriller as the song?)
Learn the Thriller Dance
Zombie Walk Through Town (if your town allows it)

Books:
Zombie Haiku by Ryan Mecum
Zombie Blondes by Brian James
Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
World War Z by Max Brooks
You are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Films:
Night of the Living Dead
Shaun of the Dead
28 Days Later
Army of Darkness
I Am Legend
Last Man on Earth

Something missing? Email me at 4yastaff@gmail.com

Books: Monster Librarian and Really Ghoul Reads

I found this really awesome site called the Monster Librarian, while searching "zombie books for teens" in the old Google.  To quote the Monster Librarian (I'd like to meet his tailor ha ha) the site is "A source for readers of horror fiction to find another book to read and a source for librarians to develop their collections and provide readers advisory." Operating since 2006, the ML has a massive collection of reading lists for all kinds of monster and horror topics and features up-to-date reviews on the latest and gnarliest reads. This really is a brilliant resource, so next time you get a request for something scary, make the Monster Librarian your first stop.

Video Games: Get Ready for DJ Hero

 
DJ Hero , is Activison and FreeStyleGames' new club music djing expansion to the Guitar Hero series. With its US release date set for  October 27th I thought I would feature this video from G4 on 4YA for a sneak peek into the newest and coolest game that will have your teens talking and dancing. Set up like Guitar Hero, teens will use a turntable device to remix over 80 mashable tracks from house music, rap, and rock. When someone is not playing, gamers can choose to play the included music for a party backdrop. Although DJ Hero will not be fully compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour, gamers will be able to hook up their Guitar Hero guitar controllers and play along with your superstar DJs. Check out the video above for a great preview.

DJ Hero can be pre-ordered at Amazon and other online retailers

Inspiration: Disney's Dancing Skellys

Here's a classic to watch for old times' sake. The Disney Skeleton Dance is an excellent animated film about a group of jazzy skellys having a good night out. It used to creep me out as a wee one, but looking at it now-- it is pretty funny.  If your teens are just plunking around on the Internet, why not suggest they check this youtube video out? You know-- I think "dancing skeletons" is going to be my decorating theme this year. What about you? What are your plans for the Halloween season? What programs do you plan to host?  

Program Idea: Zombie Horror Makeup Workshop

Here's one for all you cool ghouls.  Last October I hosted a zombie makeup workshop at my library.  Yes, it was a total mess but my kids loved every second of it and I highly recommend it (that is if you are not squeamish--because the results are pretty gnarly). I invited Jason Alvino's fantastic special effects makeup team Wicked EFX of Brooklyn, NY to teach the horror makeup workshop in special effects techniques.  They supplied the expertise and we supplied all the necessary ingredients (Karo syrup, chocolate, syrup, face paint, cereal,  etc). After my teens watched the Wicked EFX team's tutorial, they grabbed a partner and zombiefied each other. The results were amazing and the kids really had a blast.


To locate local special effects artists in your area check out, ProductionHub and search "special effects" and your city.

***Oh yeah! Don't forget to get your teen's parents to sign a medical release***

Video Games: Top Ten Games on VGChartz

Want to know what the hottest video games are right now? Check out vgchartz.com . Listing all the top selling games from Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, CGChartz is a quick and easy way to see what games are popular with teens. If you are building a video game collection at your library, or would like to host a gaming night at your youth organization, this is a great gaming reference tool. VGChartz also features game ratings, reviews and up-to-date news on the video game industry.

Research: Kids Really Aren't Washing Their Hands

Found this article via YPulse last week, and I think its really important to re-post. According to a recent study by Vital Smarts (read the study here), kids aren't washing their hands. Their findings show:

(Quoted from Reuters)


*  Three out of four kids don`t wash their hands after using the restroom
*  Fewer than one in ten kids wash their hands before eating
*  12 percent of kids wash their hands after being with someone who is sick

This is pretty alarming news, especially now that we are heading into the flu season.  What can we all learn from these facts? Asking your teens to wash their hands before you serve snacks at your next event, may be not enough.  Ask them to wash their paws thoroughly (long enough to sing Happy Birthday to themselves twice), remind them how important hand hygiene is, especially during the flu season, and send them as a group to the washroom/ kitchen before you let them anywhere near the pizza.

Project Idea: Design Your Own Sneaks

There is no doubt that teens love their sneakers, especially the Converse Chuck Taylors. If you have sneaker heads at your youth organization why not hand out these coloring sheets and encourage your teens to try their hand at making their own pair of classic high tops. There are also some really great books out there about kicks. Check them out below.

Download a jpg file of the high top sneaker coloring sheet here.

Art & Sole: Contemporary Sneaker Art & Design
Sneakers: The Complete Collector's Guide
Sneaker Freaker

**High top sneaker coloring sheet is from the awesome Spoon Graphics blog**

Giveaway Idea: Domo Kun Qees

Oh Domo Kun , how do we adore thee? The little brown monster mascot of Japan's NHK television station, has become a world wide superstar with his own television series, and mondo merchandise. With many teen trendinistas calling him the cutest monster of the century, Domo Kun's kawaii and coolness factor is right up there with our girl Hello Kitty.  The wonderful toy makers at Toys2R (makers of Qee toys ) have developed one of the coolest Domo Kun toys yet, 2" collectible blind box (unknown style until you open it) figures that come in a wild palette of bright colors and designs.  These little Domo figures will certainly wow your teens, and would definitely make a  great prize giveaway.

Domo Kun Qees can be found on Amazon:

Individual figures (blind box)
Complete box (blind box)

Tech: Learn Some Great Photoshop Techniques With Smashing Magazine

Adobe Photoshop is an incredible graphic design program. Although it isn't the easiest program to learn, persistent playing around (and a semester's worth of Photoshop lessons) has allowed me to create some eye catching designs that have tremendously benefited the marketing of my teen programs.  If you would like to learn how to use the Adobe Creative suite, or just looking for new ways to add some dazzle to your posters, handouts, or blog (4YA was lovingly designed with Photoshop and Illustrator), please take a look at my one favorite design blogs Smashing Magazine and their amazing collection of Photoshop tutorials.  Some of their projects are a little advanced, but with over 70 tutorials, there is certainly something for everyone.

Project Idea: Make Your Own LED Art

I love these LED kits at the MAKE Magazine MakerSHED.  Using slowly changing LED lights, teens can build their very own framed light show.  Each kit comes with all the neccessary materials to build one LED  Art frame and does not require soldering (how awesome is that?) and the use of a glue gun is totally optional. It makes a great tech project too!  Perhaps even for Teen Tech Week?

The LED art kit can be found here at the MakerSHED

Play: How To Play Harry Potter's Quidditch

How To Play a Real-Life Game Of Quidditch on Howcast

Harry Potter fans rejoice! Quidditch is catching on in the muggle world!  Despite our utter lack of magical skills, we too can have fun Quidditching around with our Quaffles, Bludgers and Golden Snitches. Howcast.com has a a really neat tutorial on how to play Quidditch practically anywhere! Brilliant program idea eh?

All you need to know to get your Quidditch game going can be found here at this Howcast tutorial.

Tutorials: My New Favorite Website--Howcast.com

Looking for a project idea? Need to learn a crafty skill really quick? Check out the  wonderful  Howcast.com.  Howcast is a streaming video treasure box full of funky, and hilariously funny tutorial videos on just about every topic imaginable.  Topics range from cooking to absolute kookiness, but there are some really great teen project tutorials here, (and fabulously witty) including videos on tie-dye, paper crafting, soap making, animation, manga drawing and many other teen centric projects.  For your next project brainstorming session, get a jump start from Howcast.com.

Video Games: Wii, PS3 and XBOX 360 Get a Price Drop!

If you haven't heard the news yet, the big three in video game consoles the Wii, PS3, and XBOX 360 are all dropping in price just in time for the holiday season. If you are thinking about getting a new gaming console for your youth organization, now is a great time to do so. All three systems have an extensive library of games to select from (they all play the big party games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero etc) so you can't go wrong with any system.

The pricing is as follows:

Wii: $199 (rumor-- but to be confirmed soon)
PS3: $ 299 (new slim model)
XBOX: $299 (black elite version)

They can be purchased here:

Nintendo Wii
Sony Playstation 3 Slim
Microsoft XBOX 360 Elite

Research: Get to Know Your Otaku

I found this really interesting study today on "otaku " (via the awesome Kotaku.com ) and I must share it with you all. If you didn't know already, otaku is a Japanese slang term for "fanboy" or "fangirl"-- someone who is seriously dedicated to some kind of niche pop culture. In the West it is used to describe fans of Japanese pop culture-- and if you work with youth you will know that almost all Western teens are otaku in some shape or another.  Japanese video games, anime, manga and music is such an integral part of popular youth culture today and knowing some of these titles will help you greatly.  The following study on American otaku conducted by Japan's celebrated video game magazine Famitsu, and faithfully translated by the wonderful folks at umaguruma.com , is a must read if you want to know what teens are into. Check it out you won't be disappointed.

The Famitsu Great American Otaku Survey (translated by umaguruma) can be found here.

Want to learn more about American otaku? Check out the Otaku USA magazine

Site: Review Media Content with Common Sense Media

One of the most challenging parts of being a teen services librarian is knowing what to recommend for each age level. Most of the time I can recommend a book, film, or CD with confidence-- but when I'm not completely familiar with a title I make a visit to Common Sense Media online. Whether it is books, films, games or websites, Common Sense Media is a great tool to review media content.  Each review features a comprehensive guide to the quality, content, and suggested age level for a particular media title. In addition to it's reviews, Common Sense is also great for resource for browsing new and upcoming youth media releases. Next time you are unsure use Common Sense ha ha.

You can find Common Sense Media online here.

Project Idea: Make a Rubber Band Ball!

Yesterday I was searching for one more program to fill out my November/ December workshops when I stumbled upon this rubber band ball kit.  As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect. The color, craft and price couldn't beat and I just knew my teens wold enjoy it (especially the anti-crafty dudes). Making a rubber band ball is pretty easy too, using a small bouncing ball as a core, teens wrap colorful bands around and around until they have a jawbreaker sized ball. Taking about about an hour to complete, this project should be a hit-- but just remind them not to hit each other in the eye with the rubber bands.

Check out this hilarious tutorial on YouTube on how to make a rubber band ball

Rubber band ball kits can be purchased online at Amazon and other online retailers.

Project Idea: Make Your Own Erasers

I recently found the coolest little eraser making kits on my favorite Japanese import store-- JBox . With these kits you can make all kinds of adorable novelty erasers including hamburgers, ice cream cones, sushi and little cute animals. They are really easy to make as well-- you just insert the special eraser clay into the included mold, add water to that little take out box looking thing, pop it in your microwave (Yes! They don't need an oven!), let it cook, let it cool and oh my geez look at how cute that little eraser cake is! This is a really unique craft program for teens (these kits are not readily available in US stores) and fits really well into the whole back to school season.

Eraser kits can be purchased online at JBox

Otaku: Dragon Ball Z Model Kits

Many anime fans will always have a soft spot in their hearts for the classic manga/anime Dragon Ball Z . First broadcasted in the US in the early 90's, many anime fan's first exposure to the genre was from the early episodes of Dragon Ball (before the "Z" series) and Sailor Moon . Although Dragon Ball Z is considered a little old school, your anime fans (especially the fellas) will still love these Dragon Ball Z action figure model kits. Set up in the same way as the Gundam model kits, teens will follow technical drawings to build a awesome fully-articulated 6.5" figure from the series. No glue or paint is required, and all you need to supply is the kit, some sandpaper (for rough plastic edges) and some scissors (to cut out the pieces). I personally have had great success with these types of model kits, and I even started a monthly model club because of it. If you are looking for a great techie/ anime club activity this kits are certainly a solid option.

Dragon Ball Z model kits can be found on ebay

Craft: Polymer Clay Food Ideas (Warning: Kawaii Overload!)

This is not really a tutorial, but it features a ton of fantastic ideas for cute polymer clay (like Sculpey or Fimo) food items, such as cupcakes and ice cream cones.  This stuff is *super* kawaii, so if you can't handle the Hello Kitty do not attempt to watch this video (joke!).  With that said I love, love, love the work of Kukishop.  She has the cutest things and I really think she is such an creative powerhouse! Color yourself inspired and check her amazing work out!

The home of Kukishop
Kukishop's YouTube profile (for other videos)

Program Idea: 16-bit Pixel Art

Pixel art is great activity for both the guys and gals. Using plastic fuse beads and an iron, teens can re-create their favorite video game characters and learn a little bit about how their favorite classic game heroes were created: pixel by wee pixel. There are many tutorials online about making 8/16 bit pixel art but once you get the hang of it, all you will need to do is look at someone's completed design, save the image, print it out and use it as your spatial guide.

Here is an article (.pdf) I wrote (from the original 4YA site) about pixel art and where to find great designs.

Video Games: addictinggames.com-- It's Where Your Teens Are Playing Online

Wonder where your teens are spending their time gaming online? Addictinggames.com, should be added to your online rolodex. Started in 2002, and currently owned by Viacom, addictinggames is an online collection of Flash based casual video games (simple and addictive), all of which are free to play. Although there are many free to use (ad supported) Flash game sites, addictinggames is the most popular with over 10 million visitors a month. If you are not familiar with addictinggames, you should check it out and play a bit! Consider it job related research! 

See the online arcade where all the cool kids hang out addictinggames.com

Program Idea: Candy Sushi!

I love teen cooking programs, but I will admit they are not the easiest activities to host. There is the extensive grocery shopping, mess factor, and the cooking equipment (my library doesn't have an oven so we make do with a blender, George Foreman Grille and a Microwave). Candy sushi however is a non-cook meal and an relatively easy activity that your teens will love (especially the Otaku and sushi fans). This activity is a perfect pairing to an Anime club, Japanese culture program, or teen cooking workshop.

Check out this fanatastic Instructables guide by "applesticker" (image above) for step-by-step instructions:

Program Idea: Paper Craft Toys!

Here is a great program idea from my fellow librarian friend Beth; (Thanks Beth!) paper craft toys! Paper craft is the art of recreating famous characters and pop culture references into 3D paper sculptures. Designs range from the delightfully challenging to the 'oh my geez' difficult. Best of all you can pretty much find a paper craft to accompany almost any video game, film or anime event. Just google "paper craft and *character name*" and you will find your favorite character in nano-seconds (I'm sure the net is faster than that these days) Supplies are pretty basic: you will a color printer, card stock paper (you can use regular white paper but card stock is more sturdy), glue, and scissors. Directions are included on the sheet. Check out these sites to get started:

Cubeecraft: (picture above) Amazing website with great paper crafts for beginners.
Toy-A-Day: More lovable characters in paper form. Great blog!
Nintendo paper craft: Online blog featuring all the popular Nintendo characters. Very cool!

Giveaway Ideas: TokiDoki Zipper Pulls

Looking for some interesting giveaways for your next teen event? These TokiDoki zipper pulls are not only super cute but playfully demented! They can be used for a cellphone charm or keychain but we love the idea of adding them to a hoodie zipper. They are not the most affordable giveaway prize but not badly priced retailing per piece at $5.00.

Availible online at shopkawaii.com

Tutorial: How to Make Your Own Pinback Buttons!

Thinking about buying a button machine? Want to know how they work? Check out this informative video from etsy.com We have a 1" button machine at my library and my teens love it. They are a bit pricey (about $300) but worth every penny in the long run.

They can be purchased at buttonbiz.com

Crafting: Let Etsy Inspire You!

I love Etsy.com. Actually, love is not a strong enough word. I check it nearly every day for creative inspiration (and to plan out how I will spend a wee bit of my paycheck) by searching for terms and subjects my teens are into (ie: vampires, kawaii, ipod) and by keeping up-to-date with Etsy's Teen Gift Guide. The crafts are usually right on the dot with what's cool in the teen craft world. Check it out!

Etsy Teen Gift Guide

Music: New Moon Soundtrack Out a Month Early!

Heads up to all of you responsible for ordering audio/ visual materials! The Official New Moon soundtrack is going to be released a full month ahead of the film release on 10-20-09. Make sure you order it before it's street date or you are going to have some seriously disappointed teens! Last year's soundtrack was a huge hit, so you might want to order multiple copies.

For more news check out the official New Moon Soundtrack website.
Interested in Stephanie Meyer's personal book soundtrack check it out here!

Fantastic Finds: Glass Cupcake Beads YUM!

I'm totally digging these new lamp work glass cupcake beads at the OTC. I was looking for something like this last year (teens love junk food crafts) and the only thing close I could find were handmade polymer cupcake beads that were selling on Etsy for like $15+ a piece. So I am very happy to find these adorable and fantastically priced beads at the OTC. These beads are really great for jewelry crafts such as earrings, necklaces and charm bracelets. Your teens are going to flip over them for sure. To set them up just add a straight pin, an o-ring and attach to your desired finding. Voila!

Update: I just received these cupcake beads in the mail and they are just as cute as they look in the picture. My teen gals were squealing with delight too.

Find these super cute cupcake beads at the Oriental Trading Company Online

The Beatles: Rock Band is Here and it's Awesome!

I'm sure you're all aware of this by now but The Beatles: Rock Band has been released. Big time game review sources have given it great scores across the board; IGN 9/10, 1UP 8.0, GamePro 4.5/5 and Game Informer 8.75. Although I have yet to play it, I have been hearing from teens that this game is a must have, and for the first time both mom and dad are wanting to join in on the Rock Band fun. This game is definitely going to be HUGE and I *highly recommend it* for your youth organization.

For some fantastic reviews check out:

IGN's Beatles Rock Band review
1UP's Beatles Rock Band review

Welcome Back 4YA Wiki Readers!

Welcome to the new home of 4YA! 4YA was originally a wiki that featured program ideas for youth advocates. While I *loved* the 4YA wiki, I really felt that we needed a fresh new medium to capture the excitement of all things young and fun in the world of youth advocacy. In addition, this blog format will allow readers to enjoy daily updates and and a easier to use interface.  I hope you enjoy the new look!

Welcome to the 4YA blog!

Welcome youth advocates! 4YA is a collaborative blog for youth advocates looking for cool projects, creative inspiration and insight into the world of youth. Our goals are to share the latest and greatest (and tried and true) program ideas to bring teens to your organization and to strengthen youth advocacy across the world. So please come join the fun. We are always looking for new readers, writers and cool ideas!