I am always trying to bring books to life for my kids.
I’m a firm believer that literacy activities can happen in everyday life! Whether it’s pointing out signs on the highway, writing (or scribbling) a “list” for the grocery store, or using books to make bath time more fun, there is always a chance to learn more about sounds, letters, and words. That’s why I was thrilled to hear about Gymboree’s new Eric Carle clothes line. The moment my toddler put his polar bear Jammies on, he started saying new words immediately, but I’ll get to that later…
In full disclosure, Gymboree is a Happily Ever Mom sponsor. But if I were sitting having a cup of coffee with you right now, I would still be gushing about Gymboree – we have been a fan for years and we’re thrilled about this line of clothing!
Now…back to my son. I try not to worry that my son does not have a lot of language at 17 months.
My daughter was bursting with sentences at his age, so it’s quite the contrast. I think that’s why he’s drawn to Eric Carle books. The images are gorgeous with words that are small and related to the pictures. His favorite word is “bear,” so the moment he saw his polar bear pajamas, he wanted them on immediately! He was pointing to his tummy saying, “ba-er!!” Then, my daughter put her clothes on and started flying around like a butterfly. It was amazing how some clothing brought these books to life for my kids.
Here’s more fun ways to get kids excited about books in your house!
This post contains affiliate links.
10 Ways to Bring Books to Life
1.) Make a re-usable puzzle that is a perfect quiet time play activity for kids.
2.) Turn it into a song like our favorite song, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?” Bonus: Singing a simple tune helps kids remember key points in the story!
3.) Grab pajamas or clothes from a line like Gymboree’s Eric Carle clothes. You’ll be amazed with how excited kids will be to actually wear book images!!
Bonus: You can also get free shipping right now when you buy online at Gymboree!
4.) Play a movement game to learn about letters or numbers in a book – if you’re an artist, you could draw images from the books too!
5.) Make silhouette puppets from something we all have in our house!
6.) Recreate the Story with play dough or by simply acting out the story.
7.) Do an art project about your favorite image from a book.
8.) Throw a party to celebrate your favorite book with friends.
9.) Do a spin on our Flashlight Scavenger Hunt and hide objects from a book instead!
10.) Make a simple Book Themed Sensory Bin.
The Key to Bringing Books to Life
Although activities are great, I have to admit that there is one secret to bring books to life for kids: make it fun!
My kids aren’t at an age where we sit down at desks and learn; instead, we are always learning through play, movement, and creativity. The moment my kids put on these adorable clothes, they started making up their own games. My daughter imitated animals from different Eric Carle books and my son chased after her. Then, they tried finding the images on their clothes hidden within the books, too. It was a joy to watch (and there was so much learning)!
After the playing was done and it was time to go to bed, my daughter begged to wear her clothes to sleep. My daughter (who is very particular about clothes), couldn’t stop raving about how SOFT her clothes were. There’s no better review in my book. Except that I wish they came in my size….don’t you?!
Gymboree even has a new line all about Little Golden Books ~ how cute are these?
Be sure to check out Gymboree’s Facebook Page for updates about sweepstakes and information on upcoming clothing lines!
Deborah @ mommycrusader says
What cute and fun pictures of your children. I liked your ideas, especially doing an art project about a scene from the book. You mentioned being concerned that your son doesn’t have many words at 17 months. As a mom of five kids — two boys and three girls — may I reassure you. My boy’s speech abilities were slower to develop than all of my girls. And my all of girls gross motor control was slower to develop than my boys’. Anyway, thanks for the post!