Easy Library Activities for When You Have Limited Class Time

With budget cuts and changes in schedules, library classes seem to be getting shorter and shorter. Sometimes 15 to 20 minutes is all we have.

But even with a short class, there is still time to have an engaging activity, talk about books, and get students excited about coming to the library.

Here are a few things I like to do when I don’t have much time.

Would You Rather?

Kids love making choices, and Would You Rather questions are an easy way to get everyone involved. You can use book related questions, silly questions, or even food choices. I like having students choose an answer and then explain why. It gets them talking and doesn’t take much time.

Library Scavenger Hunts

A quick scavenger hunt can get students moving around the library while they practice finding things. You can have them find a certain section, locate a book, find an author, or answer a simple question using the library.

Book Talks

You don’t need a whole lesson to talk about a good book. Pick one book, show the cover, read a little bit, and tell students why you think they might enjoy it. Sometimes that little introduction is all it takes to get a student interested in a book.

Book Care

Short classes are a good time to review simple book care skills. How do we carry books? What happens if a page gets torn? Why shouldn’t we use a book as a place to write or color? These little reminders can make a big difference.

A Quick Library Game

Sometimes you just need something fun. Library trivia, guessing the book, book character questions, or a quick partner game can fill a short class and still keep students connected to the library.

I don’t think a short library class has to mean a boring library class. We may not have as much time as we used to, but there are still plenty of ways to make those few minutes count.

Sometimes a 20 minute class with a good book, a fun question, or a quick game is enough to leave a student excited about coming back to the library.

If you are looking for some ready to use activities for those shorter library classes, I have several of my library activities available in my TPT store. I have included a few of them below. They are easy to use and give you something fun to pull out when you only have a little time. Just click on the links below to take a look.