Listen up, my Peeps! Alameda Free Library patrons are getting crafty this spring with an all-ages contest for the best Peeps diorama.
At a workshop last week, the library provided colorful craft supplies, cardboard shoe boxes, the popular marshmallow treats, and inspiration.
"Who wouldn't want to cut up a little Peep and put it into a fun scene," said Hallie Fields, a librarian who specializes in young adult literature.
Libraries often include some hands-on crafting with other children's programming like story time. The librarians noticed that parents and caregivers often got more excited than their children about construction paper and pompom balls.
"So we've started doing a lot more crafting events for adults, teens and kids because we see that the interest is already there," Fields said. She and her colleagues wanted to give adults who don't have kids a chance to participate too.
And why not a craft-inspired by cute, seasonal candy? While the Washington Post recently ended its annual Peeps diorama contest, Fields wanted the tradition to live on in Alameda.
Many families collaborated on dioramas at the workshop. There were dioramas inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, a wedding in Mendocino, a robot mask, Dr. Seuss' Peep in the Hat, and Pokemon.
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Submissions must have a family-friendly theme and not include any other edibles beside Peeps. The deadline is April 17 and library patrons can vote on the dioramas from April 18-28.
