Children are transported to fantastical settings when books are read to them. This arouses their imagination and provides a wealth of opportunities for fun, interactive activities. Including book-based crafts and activities can be a wonderful approach to promote a passion for literature. These will also improve children’s cognitive abilities, and unleash their creativity in the digital age where screens dominate children’s attention.
A multidimensional learning experience is created when we mix the love of reading with practical crafts and activities connected to the books they are being read to. Children may thoroughly immerse themselves in the stories they love through these activities. Such activities help them think critically, discover connections, and gain a deeper understanding of the stories.
We’ll look at a variety of great book-based crafts and activities in this blog post that you may do with your kids. These suggestions will motivate you, whether you’re a parent, guardian, or educator, to explore the fantastical world of books and make special memories with the children in your life.
Explore the creative side of your child
<span style=color 282828>Kids crafts<span>
The possibilities are boundless, ranging from making character puppets and storybook dioramas to planning book-themed scavenger hunts and making homemade bookmarks. In addition to encouraging the development of fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive abilities, these activities also help kids feel proud of themselves as they bring their favourite stories to life, thus leading to a sense of achievement.
Join me as we set out on this enchanted trip where literature and art converge! Learn how to use book-based crafts and activities to capture your child’s imagination, foster their love of reading, and make them have a blast. Get ready to turn the pages of unending creativity, inspiration, and adventure!
Here are some quick craft projects that will keep the kids busy for hours and make their story-time a lot more interesting and engaging.
1. DIY Character Puppets:
Kids finger and hand puppets
Use paper bags, craft sticks, or socks to make easy puppets of well-known book characters and inspire kids to repeat their favourite tales. Puppets of the Big Bad Wold from The Little Red Riding Hood will make story time delightful for any toddler.
2. Bookmarks Galore:
Create and embellish one-of-a-kind bookmarks with vibrant paper, ribbons, buttons, or even pressed flowers. Kids should be encouraged to use their bookmarks when reading. A bookmark featuring the 3 little pigs or based on any classic animal story would make for a very exciting craft activity for your little one.
3. Story Stones:
Flat round stones painted by children with faces
Onto smooth stones, paint or sketch figures, objects, or scenes from a favourite book. These stones might serve as an inventive storytelling prompt for kids. A stone painting of Puss in Boots would be extremely cute and easy to make. Likewise, a stone painting of a Princess or a Dinosaur too would be quite exciting.
4. Redesigning the Book Cover:
Encourage kids to create their own book covers for their favourite stories using a variety of creative supplies such watercolours, coloured pencils, or markers. For example, A redesign of a classic like Goldilocks and the Three bears would keep the little one busy productively for an hour atleast.
5. Literary Collages:
To inspire creativity and interpretation, cut out images or words from old magazines or printouts and use them to make collages based on book themes or characters.
6. DIY Mini Libraries:
Create your own little libraries for children’s books using small wooden crates, shoeboxes, or shelves. Furthermore, they may embellish them and arrange their personal collection.
7. Paper plate masks:
Paperplate Masks for kids
Choose a favourite novel and make crafts based on the themes or characters in it. Create character masks from paper plates. For instance, Paper Plate masks from one of the Modern Classics for Children like Wizard of Oz, with masks of Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow and TinMan would allow for hours of playtime.
Continue Reading for more tips below:
8. Story Chain:
<span style=color 282828>Strips of colourful paper stuck together to form a chain<span>
Use construction paper strips to cut out essential scenes from books, and have kids write or draw those scenes on each strip. Assemble the strips into a chain to tell a narrative visually.
9. Sensory Story Bags:
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Using transparent zip-lock bags, make sensory bags that are inspired by various books. Create sensory bags inspired by different books using clear zip-lock bags and various materials like rice, cotton balls, or small objects related to the story.
10. Literary Scavenger Hunt:
Create a scavenger hunt based on aspects from a book and place it around the house or patio. To advance the plot, kids can find objects or solve puzzles.
11. Storytelling Jar:
A glass jar filled with colourful chits of paper
Stuff a jar with slips of paper that contain various sentence or tale starts. Choose one, and let the kids come up with their own inventive tales.
12. Book-inspired Snacks:
Childrens cookies with different shapes and faces like bear animal paw grinch face etc
Snacks or treats based on a book’s topic or characters should be prepared. Make ‘bear paw’ cookies for a novel with a bear theme like Little Bear’s Big Adventure, for instance, or ‘green eggs and ham’ for a Dr Seuss book.
13. Bookish Dress-Up:
Encourage kids to dress up as their favourite book characters and show off their imaginative outfits while holding or reading the accompanying books.
14. DIY Storybooks:
Kids journal
Let kids make their own storybooks by giving them blank paper or empty notebooks. They have the writing and artistic ability to create original stories.
15. Create a Reading Nook:
Kids reading inside a cosy teepee tent
Help kids make reading nooks out of cushions, blankets, and fairy lights to create a special place for them to enjoy their favourite books.
In Conclusion,
book-based crafts and activities open a door to children’s limitless imagination and inventiveness. We can captivate young minds, cultivate a love of reading, and develop their artistic ability by fusing the enthralling realms of fiction with practical undertakings. Making character puppets, bookmarks, sensory jars, DIY costumes or book collage art are just a few of the enjoyable activities that combine storytelling with artistic expression.
Children may explore their favourite books, go on fantastical journeys, and get a lifelong love for the power of storytelling with these activities. Let’s encourage kids to explore the worlds of their favourite books, let their imaginations run wild, and let their creativity soar.
Which of these did you like and will definitely try out with your little ones? Do comment below.
