pop-up Storytimes

Pop Up Storytimes

Cork Hardin hands out bells during his MGOL Pop-Up in the Park
Cork Hardin hands out bells during his MGOL Pop-Up in the Park
A boy and his mom enjoy MGOL in the park
A boy and his mom enjoy MGOL in the park.
MGOL Pop-Up in the Park
Everyone enjoys themselves on a sunny day during Pop-Up MGOL.

Cork Hardin wanted to bring families together in Baltimore City. He also wanted to show them some of the wonderful parks and public spaces in an around their neighborhoods. So he created "Pop-Up Mother Goose on the Loose" and runs weekly sessions in parks.

He started by asking parents where they liked to hang out. He analyzed the answers and chose a few lovely spots around Baltimore.  Each week, he selects a new park for his neighborhood MGOL. To give a sense of consistency to parents, he keeps the same program times and days of the week, but changes locations to encourage families to explore different areas.

Cork uses an app (www.remind.com) to keep track of all the attendees. They sign in on a tablet, giving Cork their email address. Then he uses the app along with social media to give weekly location updates and event reminders.

The pop-up sessions are energetic and joyful, consistently attracting large audiences who become fans.

Cork has now extended his pop-up outdoor sessions to include more activities, and successfully introduced a drop-in indoor play space. Check out his website, Sprocketlearning.com.