Great for ANY day – because making connections with our family is truly one of the most important things we can do.
How to Build a Family Theme Love Book Basket
1. Choose a Book
Select themed literature that is appropriate for your child’s age. Younger children may enjoy shorter stories. Older children may like more detailed picture books. Consider both non-fiction and fiction text. Lee and Low Publishing Company sent me the 3 books to read with my children for this article. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
How Far Do You Love Me?
How Far Do You Love Me?
is a delightful tale of families all around the world and how much they love their children. Each page introduces a new place on the globe, with a sweet sentence about their love. Geared for 3-6 year olds Click here for the Teachers Guide
Grandfather Counts
Grandfather Counts (Reading Rainbow Books)
is a picture book about making connections with your family, no matter what the language may be. Author Andrea Cheng draws upon her own family and friends experiences to weave this tale of love and family. Geared for 6-8 year olds It is a Reading Rainbow selection Click here for the Teachers Guide
Honoring Our Ancestors
Honoring Our Ancestors: Stories and Paintings by Fourteen Artists
is a non-fiction picture book highlighting some AMAZING artists: Carl Angel, Enrique Chagoya, George Crespo, Mark Dukes, Maya Gonzalez, Caryl Henry, Nancy Hom, Hung Liu, Judith Lowery, Stephen Von Mason, Mira Reisberg, JoeSam, Patssi Valdez, and Helen Zughaib. Each short story and accompanying artwork gives the reader a snapshot into the importance of family to that artist. Geared for 8-10 year olds.
2. Gather the Supplies for the Selected Activity.
In this activity, children make an “I Love You,” book for a family member. This can be done with art materials around the house. Directions for each page below.
3. Arrange and Display.
Arrange the materials and books in a pleasing manor in a basket, bag or container. Then, leave it on a table or desk area as an invitation to explore. Snuggle in and read. Then make the activity!
Directions for Making an I Love You Book
- Glue the title onto a blank piece of paper.
- Have the child (or children) write their names on the line.
- Encourage them to draw a picture of the person they are writing the book for, something that reminds them of that person, or even hearts.
- Peel a crayons paper off.
- Set the crayon on its side and rub for the background.
- Use purple tempera paint to paint a tall triangle mountain.
- Top with white paint for a snow capped mountain.
- Glue the sentence to the bottom.
- Color ocean life with crayons. Press hard. (this page was done by my 1 year old with parent help)
- Using water color, paint over the crayons with cool colors: blue, greens, and purples. This is called water color resist.
- Glue the sentence to the bottom
4. I love you as wide open as the plains page.
- Bundle yellow and green colored pencils together with a rubber-band. Let your child make the grass by pulling the bundle down over and over again. (this is great for strengthening fine motor and writing muscles)
- Bundle blues and purple colored pencils together with a rubber-band. Turn the paper vertically. Let your child make the sky by pulling the bundle down over and over again.
- Use stamps or stickers to add flowers and insects.
- Glue the sentence to the bottom
- Let your child cut a river out of blue construction paper.
- Encourage them to use crayons, stamps, and glitter glue to decorate the river.
- Glue the sentence to the bottom.
6. I love you very much page.
- Encourage your child to draw a picture of themselves with the person (or people) they are making this book for. My 4 year old made his for his Grandma and Grandpa!
- Glue the sentence to the bottom.
Stay TUNED!!!!
Next week, we will be highlighting author Andrea Cheng, author of Grandfather Counts. Here is a sneak peek…
Make your #LOVEdiverseBooks Basket today!
For more Family Theme Activities:
Consider purchasing my Family Theme Preschool Activity Pack with 10 interactive literacy based activities for young learners for only $2.00 at Teachers Pay Teachers, an online store for educational printables, worksheets, learning activities and more.
The Family Theme Preschool Activities includes 10 hands-on, printable learning activities centered around the theme of family.These activities address beginning reading skills, sight words, and writing for a variety of purposes. The product of these activities will be treasured by family members.
If you enjoyed this article and activities from The Educators’ Spin On It, we encourage you to stay a while! The blog is written by two teachers, now stay-at-home moms and contains some great articles and activity ideas for parents and teachers to do with their children ages 0-7.
What a beautiful idea! I can't wait to check out these books.
Thanks Jodie!
I love this I Love You book craft and I really appreciate how your book list is so inclusive! Thank you for sharing with Multicultural Children's Book Day!!