Teen Hobbit Party

With The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien being turned into three movies and the CSLP theme of "Beneath the Surface" for the 2013 teen summer reading program, I knew I had to have a Hobbit Party this summer. I found a lot great inspiration from my fellow librarians. Most notable are Travis Ann Sherman's Hobbit Party page and Sarah's (GreenBeanTeenQueen) post about her World Hobbit Day Birthday Party.

Upon arriving, party guests were invited to choose a Hobbit name. I used The Hobbit Name Generator to create 20 female Hobbit names and 20 male Hobbit names. I typed these up, printed them on pink and blue paper, cut them, and folded them up. Guests wrote their Hobbit names on name tags.

 

Then it was time for some refreshments. As you know, Hobbits love to eat so we had quite a spread. The menu was cheese cubes, pretzel sticks, pickles, sausage balls, brownies, jam sandwiches, strawberries, grapes, E.L. Fudge cookies (to represent the Council of Elrond), Life Savers, M&M's, root beer, ginger ale, and green tea. Interestingly, the teens didn't like the sausage balls. What's not to like about bread, cheese, and sausage.

 

 

After eating, we all wrote our names in Elvish. Then we had a hula hooping contest.

 

The next game as a Make a Hobbit Relay. I modified the Gnome Game on page 84 of the CSLP Dig Into Reading Children's manual and used the template on page 101. Basically, the teens had to run to the other end of the room, grab a gnome piece (hat, eyebrows, eyes, nose, mouth/moustache, beard, belt, and boots). They then run back to the table where the color the piece and glue it on a piece of construction. Only then can the next member of their team fetch another piece.

 

After the Make a Hobbit Relay, the teens went on a Hobbit Hunt out in the library. I printed out 12 pictures of Bilbo Baggins, 12 pictures of Frodo Baggins, and 2 pictures of Bag End. A library aide hid these around the library. She hid them a little too well because only 10 Hobbits and 1 Bag End was recovered.

To end the event, they played Ring, Ring, Who's Got the Ring? and I asked them a few riddles.