5 children’s book ideas

Have some fun to go alongside your kids’ favourite books!

Written by Danna Wills

You’ve just finished reading your little one’s favourite book… again. Today, you’ve read it a record-breaking eight times! Your child knows it so well that they can finish each page for you (and you get a precious 3 seconds to let your mind wander…)

So why not shake things up a little and try some activities to go with your children’s favourite books. It will give you a bit of a break as Chief Narrator, and get the kids busy too!

1) Wonkey Donkey: a super easy donkey puppet!

What youll need: 2 small boxes, scissors, grey paint, white and grey card, black pen, cotton balls, glue, sticky tape

What to do:

  1. Help your child to cut one end off each box, then they can paint them grey and leave to dry.
  2. Now, they use sticky tape to stick the boxes together at the open ends.
  3. Ask them to draw some eyes on card and stick them onto cotton balls, then glue them to the top of the box.
  4. Finally, they can draw and cut out some donkey ears and big teeth, then stick them on too! Hee haw!

Picture credit: CBeebies Art magazine

2) The Day the Crayons Quit: a weird and wonderful picture!

What youll need: paper, crayons

What to do:

Ask your little one to draw a picture, but… swap the colours! How about a red sky, blue grass, green sun?

 3) Oi Dog! (Or Cat or Frog!): a quick-fire rhyming game!

What youll need: pen, paper

What to do:

1. Write out some animal names (frog, cat, hare, mule, gopher, lion, parrot, etc.) on separate pieces of paper, and put them in a pot.
2. Now write some rhyming things for these animals to sit on (log, mat, chair, stool, sofa, iron, carrot, etc.) and put these in another pot.
3. With your little one, pick out two pieces of paper out at a time until you get a rhyming match! Whoever gets the most rhymes, wins.

4) The Gruffalo: a yummy scrummy Gruffalo Crumble recipe, great for kids’ parties!

What youll need: 100g Rice Krispies, 100g butter, 150g chocolate, orange Smarties or orange fondant icing*, black and green writing icing, cupcake cases

*Smarties are easier but there aren’t many orange Smarties in a tube. If you’re making lots of cakes, orange fondant icing is best.

What to do:

1. Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan.
2. Help your child to pour the melted chocolate into a bowl with the cereal.
3. Then, they can mix it altogether and dollop the mixture into cupcake cases.
4. Now for the fun bit! To create the Gruffalo’s eyes, they add orange Smarties (or roll and cut the fondant icing into circles). Then they add a blob of black icing in the centre. And draw a green wart with icing on the end of his nose.
5. Repeat with all of the cakes.
6. Pop into the fridge until set.

5) The Very Hungry Caterpillar: make a creepy-crawly caterpillar!

What youll need: red and green card, scissors, pens, glue

What to do:

1. Cut a circle out of red card and draw the caterpillar’s face on it.
2. Cut 4 circles from green card to make the caterpillar’s body. And then snip two antennae.
3. Stick the body to the caterpillar’s head. Now, what will its first snack be?

Now you’ve had a break from reading the books for a little while, it will seem like a real joy when bedtime comes around and you hear that one little word… “AGAIN!”

Share this!
  • pinterest
