How to Host a Children’s Book Character Election at the Library
Don’t let parents have all the fun on Election Day; let kids vote for their favorite children’s book characters! This passive activity targets ages 3-8, but tweens, teens, and adults will enjoy casting ballots, too.
How It Works
Select your book characters, create ballots, and set your ballots out with pencils near a ballot box. That’s it! Tally the results and share them on social media, or create a display showcasing the winner. You can keep this activity out for a day, a week, or as long as you like as a fun activity for families to enjoy at their leisure. Giving kids “I Voted” stickers makes the experience even more memorable.
Ballot Box
Grab a box, cut a slot in the top, and decorate it however you’d like. This could be a fun task for a teen volunteer, too. Here is a fancy example from the blog J.Sorelle, and another one from The Yellow Roses. OR use a bucket! I’ve used these Dollar Tree buckets for various activities over the years, including ballot collection boxes, event surveys, and mouthed baby toys.
More Resources for Children’s Elections & Voting Ideas
Please Touch Museum Mascot Election
The Philadelphia Please Touch Museum offers an adorable election example: kids voted on what activity they wanted the PTM Mascot to perform. Their website includes cute photos and a special election-themed Mad Libs printable from Penguin Young Readers.
West Florida Public Libraries Kids Votes Count
Adorable examples of kids voting booths!
Fridley Preschool Mock Election
Excellent example, including how to use your puppet theatre as a privacy screen.
Book Display
Don’t forget to showcase the excellent voting-themed gems from your collection, such as:
