How to Make a Homemade Book
Nothing is better than a book for opening up uncharted territory for your little one to discover! Encourage your child to create a fresh new world of her own by making her very own book. This activity is a fantastic way for your child to practice her budding reading and writing skills as she uncovers her own storytelling skills. The end result makes a perfect gift or treasured keepsake that you two will want to read again and again and again!
What You Need:
- Old magazines or catalogs
- Glue or tape
- 8½ " x 11" paper
What You Do:
- Cut the sheet of paper in half horizontally to create two 4¼" x 5½" sheets. This creates an eight-page (including the cover) book. If your child desires a longer book, add more sheets of paper.
- Place the cut paper in a stack and fold it in half so the short edges meet.
- Open the folded paper again and staple vertically on the fold 2–3 times to hold the pages together.
- With your child, thumb through old magazines or catalogs and cut out small pictures that spark her interest. Have her choose enough pictures so that there will be one for each page.
- Have your child select a picture for the book’s cover and glue it to the front page. Ask your child to tell you about the picture, and together brainstorm a title for the book. Help her write the title on the cover. Ask leading questions to spark her creativity, but encourage her to come up with the idea herself!
- For each page of the book, have your child glue on a picture. Prompt your child to explain what is happening in the picture, then help her write a simple sentence or two about it on the page.
- When moving on to the next page, help your child sequence the story by asking transition questions, such as “And then what happens?” or “What does he do next?” When you reach the last page of the book, ask your child, “How does the story end?”
Once the book is completed, read the entire book together with your child. She will delight in seeing the fruits of her clever imagination!