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Since the newest Star Wars movie was coming out right before our winter break, it was the perfect time to build excitement in our library around a new theme. This year, my music and physical education colleagues wanted to tap into the latest movie buzz with Star Wars themed activities throughout our school. (You can read about our previous collaborations: Irish Culture, Native American Culture, Harry Potter Week)
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Scavenger hunts have been popular in my library with all of my students, although I often set them up only for my younger students. (You can read about our Halloween Scavenger Hunt and our Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt too!) I find students in the older grades looking around the library without a recording sheet, verbally keeping track of the characters they’ve spotted!
For our Star Wars Scavenger Hunt, I created some Star Wars character cards and printed them on cardstock. I hid them around the library, many of them “in plain view.” During class we shared which Star Wars character was our favorite for the attendance question. Then we talked about the upcoming movie. I highlighted several of our newest Star Wars books (I’m sharing several good choices for read alouds below!).
Finally it was time for the Star Wars Scavenger Hunt! Each student took a recording page, a clipboard and a pencil. They could walk around alone or in pairs to try to spot all ten of the Star Wars characters. After they marked each space with a checkmark or x, they could color the characters if they wished. Students loved helping one another by providing clues. Lots of collaboration and communication was going on during this fun activity!
Some of our favorite Star Wars books to read aloud:
Star Wars ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass: A character for each letter of the alphabet. The rhyming text makes it extra fun!
Goodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey Brown: A fun parody of the classic Goodnight Moon. Imagine what bedtime is like for Star Wars characters!
Darth Vader and Friends by Jeffrey Brown: Each page depicts Darth Vader and other Star Wars characters dealing with friendship issues.
Darth Vader and Son by Jeffrey Brown: A fun look at Darth Vader as a father dealing with Luke as a young boy.
Vader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey Brown: A fun look at Darth Vader as a father dealing with Leah as a young girl.
Search Your Feelings by Calliope Glass: Each page looks at a different feeling from a Star Wars character’s point of view.
Try a Star Wars Scavenger Hunt with your students!
If you’d like to try your own Star Wars Scavenger Hunt, you can download my FREE character cards and recording sheet! I hope your students enjoy it as much as mine did. Let me know how it goes for you!
More FUN for you and your students!
For more fun scavenger hunts, take a look at the following storytime activities. Each one includes a scavenger hunt, ideas for read alouds, song ideas and more!
Be well and have fun!
This is such a fun idea, Laura! I bet your kids spotted lots of fun new books to read as they hunted for Yoda, BB-8, and the rest of the crew!
Yes! They noticed all kinds of new areas of the library too!
The Galaxy Needs You by Caitlyn Kennedy is my new favorite. Means more if you know the Star Wars story but is a lovely little book of encouragement even if you don’t.
And the BB8 one by Drew Daywalt. About being kind. Drat I’ve forgotten the title.
Thanks so much for the great suggestions! I’m adding them to my order list.
Yes! They noticed all kinds of new areas of the library too!