How to Have a Choco-Fest Program for Teens

Who doesn't love chocolate? Having a teen chocolate festival at your library is a fantastic way to get teens to come to a library program. Most teens come to the library to surf the net. Rarely do they come to the library to participate in library programs or check out books for recreational reading. Luring them to the library with the promise of chocolate is an excellent way to get them more involved in fun events designed to promote a love of the library. Try hosting a Choco-Fest, and watch the teens scramble to be the first to sample your savory, sweet treats.

Things You'll Need

• promotional materials to advertise the event
• Oreo cookies
• Hershey's kisses
• oven mitts
• ice cream
• chocolate syrup
• bananas
• sundae toppings
• library books to booktalk to the teens
• trivia questions

Instructions

1. Advertise your teen library event in the library calendar. You can also post signs in the teen department, write a press release and submit it to the newspaper, and send flyers to schools promoting the event.

2. Purchase Oreo cookies, ice cream, chocolate syrup, bananas, and other chocolate goodies. Buy some Hershey's Kisses.

3. Prepare trivia questions on the subject of chocolate.

4. Reserve a room in the library to hold your event.

5. Require teens to sign up for the event so you know you'll have enough materials.

6. Provide a variety of activities for the teens. Have an Oreo stacking contest. Teens compete to see who can create the tallest Oreo tower. You can also have an Unwrap the Hershey's Kisses contest. Teens wear oven mitts. Two teens compete against each other to see who can unwrap the most Kisses while wearing oven mitts. Set a timer for one minute. When the timer goes off, the teen who unwrapped the most candies wins. Have a Chocolate Trivia Contest for your teens. Teens answer questions about fun chocolate facts. If a teen gets an answer right, she wins a miniature chocolate bar. To close the program, have teens make their own chocolate banana splits. Allow them to add their favorite toppings to the dessert by providing them with whipped cream, cherries, chocolate sprinkles, and M&Ms.

7. Booktalk a variety of books that can be loosely based on a chocolate theme. For example, the young adult werewolf book "Blood and Chocolate" by Annette Curtis Klause is an excellent book to promote to teens at a Choco-Fest. You can also booktalk "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier. If you're hosting a Choco-Fest for elementary school kids, you can talk about the popular book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl. Show the movie if you have time. Both the original and the Johnny Depp version are worth seeing.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not provide nuts for the banana splits. Some teens may have peanut allergies.

Resources

• Visit the Mid-Hudson Library system website to get more ideas on a chocolate party for teens.