Very OT: Non-messy playdough or games for stress relief in college library?

[mousemom]

I work in a branch library at a University. We try to make the library welcoming and homey for our students. With exams coming up, a co-worker and I were thinking about putting something like playdough and some fun games out as a stress-reliever. But we really don't want to be cleaning messy residue off the carpet/tables. Are wikki stix better than playdough? Or is there some other alternative? Can you help me brainstorm some other short, fun games (even better if they are inexpensive) that might work?

Thanks in advance!

[pinkmomagain]

Yes, the wikki stix or koosh balls. I would say playdoh and silly putty are too messy for the carpets.

I think it's a very cute idea...but honestly I'd be a little skeeved out using something left out that someone else was playing with given that it is flu/cold season. But maybe that's just me. I do know that in the craft stores I've seen little individual packs of wikki sticks to put in goody bags...that might be a good idea to so that people can have their very own...but I don't know how pricey that can get.....

[SnuggleBuggles]

Maybe a deck of trivial pursuit cards? An etch-a-sketch and/ or magna doodle? Some Crayola Wonder art supplies so they can't make a mess anywhere but the special paper?

Beth

[mousemom]

Thanks! The koosh ball and Etch-A-Sketch or magnadoodle are great ideas. I'll have to see if I can find some cheap ones around.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the students don't seem to worry much about germs, since they all use the same mice/keyboards/dry erase markers. (We do have hand sanitizer around in several places to encourage them to use it.)

[cvanbrunt]

Crayons and coloring books.

[hillview]

Porn!!
:hysterical:

HA HA HA HA
sorry. Feeling punchy.
/hillary

[Melaine]

I think it's a very cute idea...but honestly I'd be a little skeeved out using something left out that someone else was playing with given that it is flu/cold season.

:yeahthat: My first thought as well. We are no longer going to the library at all because they have crayons out for the kids and I can't take the risk. Playdoh and the like are just not good for sharing in common areas.

[mousemom]

Porn!!
:hysterical:

HA HA HA HA
sorry. Feeling punchy.
/hillary

HA. That would be stress relieving. And given that the students have been known to occasionally draw dirty pictures on the white boards/tables, they'd probably appreciate it.

[infomama]

This may be totally off base but have you thought of asking the university to pay for someone to come and do 5 minute seated massages for a few hours during the day? That is my idea of relaxation.
I also like this little game....http://www.crackerbarrel.com/games-kids.cfm?doc_id=42

[elizabethkott]

Jenga
Uno cards
Connect Four
Battleship
Word searches
Suduko sheets
Playing off infomama's massage suggestion, some cheap hand-held self massagers
A "Bother Box" - this is something we do in my acting class occasionally. Students will write what is bothering them on a slip of paper and then throw it in the box. Odd, but suprisingly helpful in getting kids to let go of whatever baggage they enter with into the room at the end of the day.

[mousemom]

This may be totally off base but have you thought of asking the university to pay for someone to come and do 5 minute seated massages for a few hours during the day? That is my idea of relaxation.
I also like this little game....http://www.crackerbarrel.com/games-kids.cfm?doc_id=42

Good idea with the massages, but out of our budget at the moment. Maybe something to keep in mind for future years. The cracker barrel game is perfect though - exactly the kind of quick, not too involved game I had in mind. Wish I lived closer to a Cracker Barrel.

[mousemom]

Jenga
Uno cards
Connect Four
Battleship
Word searches
Suduko sheets
Playing off infomama's massage suggestion, some cheap hand-held self massagers
A "Bother Box" - this is something we do in my acting class occasionally. Students will write what is bothering them on a slip of paper and then throw it in the box. Odd, but suprisingly helpful in getting kids to let go of whatever baggage they enter with into the room at the end of the day.

This is a great list. I'll definitely keep an eye out for Connect Four and Uno in my weekend shopping. I hadn't thought of word searches or suduko, but I've noticed our student workers doing things like that when they're not busy so that's a good idea. The "bother box" is an interesting idea too.

[lizzywednesday]

My university's women's college used to run a de-stress program during exams with massages, coloring books & crayons and other fun, brain-break activities.

Students are gross regardless. Offering Play-Doh is a good idea ... what about putting inexpensive plastic tarps or tablecloths down under the designated play area? Sure, there's an ick-factor, but most college kids are gross. (Communal bathrooms anyone?)

If there's a massage school in the area, you might want to contact the dean to see if any students need clinical practice time and ask if you could work something out to offer a couple hours' worth of massages before exams. I should expect that something like that would be very popular!

[parelle]

Being not that long out of college (and library school, for that matter!) what a great idea :)

Definitely take a look at the Dollar Store (I personally like Dollar Tree) to find some of these - I'm pretty sure I've seen wooden solitaire puzzles there before.

Also, jigsaw puzzles and stress relief balls could be good.