Step-by step instruction manual how to bring books to life in your home!
There are some children's books that are all-time classics! Their timeless adventures are passed down through the generations. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff is one of those books.
Known for its famous sequencing storyline, Laura brings the tale of this mouse to life beginning and ending the adventure with the iconic dessert of a chocolate chip cookie.
With a pair of overalls and set of mouse ears, you can bring this book to life in your home. While some books present a more seasonal flare, this all-time classic is perfect anytime of the year!
I hope you enjoy the following tutorial and glean inspiration for your own Book Day!
Decorations
Book Days starts with the backdrop. The area designated for the theatrical reading sets the tone for the whole day. Here are the two steps to create your Book Day room:
1. BACKDROP- The first thing I do, is pick the color of the backdrop based on the book. For this book, I picked light green to match the green on the cover of the book.
2. FOCAL POINT- The focal point for this Book Day was a huge cardboard chocolate chip cookie cutout ordered from Wayfair. Above the cookie, I placed gold letter balloons, from Hobby Lobby, that spelled the word "Cookies" to add an additional print element.
Snack
Book Day snacks are the biggest hit of the day. I could think of no better treat than a chocolate chip cooke for this book! I simply put a bag of pre-packaged cookie dough in the oven to provide a sweet aroma in the house as well as warm cookies.
Sensory
One of my favorite Book Day activities is the sensory play! Every bin introduces a larger understanding and exploration of the world around them. It is ideal for infants and toddlers, but still so beneficial for Pre-K and elementary age children. One of the biggest benefits of sensory play is how it fosters social interactions between children. (Source).
Here are the products used to make the Cookie sensory bin:
-1 Storage box from Walmart
-1 Large Bag of Chocolate Chip Cookies from cereal aisle
-1 Pad of paper & pen
- 2 Plastic cups
-1 If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Book (optional)
-1 Roll of Scotch tape
-Individual sheets of paper
-4 Different color crayons
-1 Pair of play scissors
- A napkin
-Tissues
-Tongs
-Measuring cups/mini bowls
Begin creating this sensory bin by pouring the cookies into the storage box. This will be the base of the bin. Next, lean the book against the back of the bin. Place the scissors to the right of the book and the pad of paper and pen to the left of the book propped up against the corner. In front of the book, fan out the individual pieces of paper and randomly place crayons on top of the paper. In the bottom right corner of the bin place the napkin. On top of the napkin, place the plastic cup with the tissue stuffed inside. This resembles the bed made for mouse in the book. Place the other cup in the bottom left corner of the bin. Once everything is in it's place, strategically add the tongs, measuring cups and mini bowls as needed. Kids always gravitate toward scooping and pouring the cookies.
Craft
One of the beautiful things about kids crafts is that they can be simple without a thousand parts and a novel of instructions.
The themed craft of the day was an invitation to create a custom cookie. I mixed shaving cream with non-toxic brown paint to create a thick unique sensory. Each child used their hands to smear the "paint" on their paper plates to design their cookie. For the finishing touch, they added small round brown dots to resemble the chocolate chips. No additional glue was needed due to the stickiness of the shaving cream.
Fine Motor
Fine motor activities are important because they strengthen children's hand grips that are essential for every day tasks, such as tying shoe laces. (Source)
The fine motor activity for this Book Day was called "Trace the Letter." I found adorable printables on Pintrest that displayed the letter on top of a chocolate chip cookie. I provided real chocolate chips for the kids to trace the letter of their name on the card. It was an excellent fine motor task that helped strengthen their grip by picking up and placing the chocolate chips on the traced letters.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math)
I added this category to the original curriculum because I didn't want literacy to be separate from the sciences. My hope is that children doing this program, will not only have a greater love of reading, but experience a wholistic bundle of developmental activities.
This STEM activity was called "Which cookie will dissolve the fastest?" To begin this experiment, I poured milk into three glasses. The kids helped me place a different cookie into each glass. An Oreo was placed in the first glass. A vanilla wafer was placed in the second glass. A soft baked Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie was placed in the third glass. Then I asked the question, "Which cookie will dissolve the fastest?" This is a great way to teach children about hypothesizing, part of the scientific method. Sometimes concepts are a bit daunting to kids in school. This activity is a simple and fun way of introducing these school age concepts while making them approachable.
(P.S. The chocolate chip cookie dissolved the fastest.)
Accessories
One of my favorite Book Day accessories are themed hats. What better character hat to wear for this book than a mouse hat! These hats are made out of brown and pink construction paper, a permanent marker for the eyes and whiskers, and crafter's tape.
Final Comments
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie captivates both the young and the young at heart! If you have multiple kids in your family or homeschool group, invite them to dress up like a mouse or cookie. Costumes are such a fun way for kids to interact with stories.
I hope this post has inspired you to see the depth of wealth that is sitting on your children's book shelves! Bringing books to life at home can provide an out-of-the-box event while creating an engaging hands-on educational experience. Whether you do one activity or all five, I know the kids in your life will be invigorated to read more and approach learning with a passion. Remember, everyone has a role to play in early childhood education. Whether you are a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, or grandparent you have the ability to bring wonder through the lens of a book!
I want to challenge you to create a Book Day in your home! Let us know about it (info@bookdays.org) so you can be featured on our page "Book Days Across America."
Until next time,
Kassi