November Library Centers

autumn leavesHi friends! Looking for November library centers?

Here’s what’s happening in our elementary school library.

We had our Book Fair the first week of November, and I feel like I’m still catching my breath! We’re already into benchmark testing on campus, so teachers and students are getting more stressed. I’ve got some November library centers set up for our students to learn from after they check out their library books.

Turkey Coloring Pages

Turkey Coloring PageI shared on my Library Learners Facebook page this free download of Turkey Coloring Pages! I just copied the coloring pages, put them in a bucket, added colored pencils and a sign to the table. Now we’ve got a relaxing, creative activity for my students (and teachers) to enjoy.

I am thankful for…

You can put a length of butcher paper on the table with markers and ask students to write or draw something that they’re thankful for. I write the first one, so students have an idea what size their response should be.

Thanksgiving Library Center

In the past, I’ve also set up another, similar station with the prompt: “I am thankful NOT to have…” and asked students to write or draw something that they are thankful that they don’t have! That’s a fun conversation starter!

The signs and instructions for this center and many more are included in my Butcher Paper Library Centers on TPT.

Build a Mayflower or Canoe

As a makerspace activity, I set out tubs of Magna Tiles at a couple of tables and asked students to build either a Mayflower or Wampanoag canoe with the magnetic blocks. You can use whatever building materials you have available. And you can download your own copy of my sign here.

Thanksgiving Library CenterAs you can see, I also put our non-fiction books out at the table, to help the students have an image of what they want to create. I’m always trying to help those 900’s get more circulation!

Jennifer Brown shared in a comment that at her LEGO(r) wall, she challenges students to build a food that they will eat over Thanksgiving break. I like that maker challenge, too!

Veterans Day

American Flag Art ProjectCheck out this blog post I wrote about Veterans Day books to read-aloud and related lessons and activities. For a November library center, students can work to create collaborative American Flag posters to display all over your school, honoring the veterans who protect our freedom. This is a FREE activity on TPT, and it allows students to color pieces of the flag that you will assemble and laminate to create poster-sized flags.

Reading Teepee

reading teepeeAnother fun November library center that I’ve had is a reading tipi. After a teacher donated the tipi, I set it up as a quiet spot for students to read, and I blogged about it here.

Scarecrow Bookmarks

Your students can learn to draw an autumn scarecrow. Place strips of paper and these instructions at a table, together with pencils and crayons or colored pencils. After students draw their scarecrow, they can use the strip of paper as a bookmark. My favorite crayons for the school library are Twistables–they don’t break like regular crayons.

Draw Scarecrow November Library Centers

You can find more of these step-by-step drawing instructions at the Art Projects for Kids website!

Year-Round Library Centers

I created a bundle of year-round library centers with low-prep, high-interest learning stations for every month of the school year. They’ll make your job easier as students stay engaged with writing activities that allow you time to help other students connect with a good book.

Year Round Library Centers Bundle

Thank You!

Because it’s November, I have to say that I am thankful for YOU, blog reader! Our virtual collaboration is what has kept me blogging happily for the past eight years!

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    20 Comments

    1. LOVE these ideas!! Where can I find the instructions for the Mayflower and Wampanoag canoe? One of my student goals this year is to have student centers….this just made this month easier!!!! MANY thanks!!

    2. Here is what we are doing:
      *Turkey walk- sight words hanging around media center that students find
      *Mystery Picture- follow the directions to create the turkey
      *Lego Wall Challenge- build a food that you will eat over Thanksgiving break

      I like the Mayflower challenge. I will have to add that for next year.

    3. Thank you – could you please give us a freebie of the signs??
      (For the turkey writing prompt & the build a canoe/ship)

    4. Thank you Cari! I look forward to reading your great ideas. There is always something that I can use the very next day. I too feel blessed to have come across Library Learners!

    5. I love your blog! It is inspirational. One center I have found to be successful is a step by step instruction sheet on how to draw a pilgrim or a native American Indian. It’s simple, but the kids feel so successful after. For October I had a similar center for a “Boo Bat” that was made all from alphabet letters. I got that from Tpt. It was a hit!

    6. I did the make a canoe or the Mayflower last year. If I can find pix, I’ll post them to the FB group. They turned out great!

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