Do you want to make your children’s storytime even more exciting and interactive? Well, you’ve come to the right place! We have put together a collection of 10 awesome and fun storytime activities just for you. These activities are super fun and will make your child’s favorite books come alive!
From creating puppets to acting out stories, these activities are designed to ignite your child’s creativity. They’ll have a blast while learning new words, improving their listening skills, and coming up with their own unique ideas. It doesn’t matter if you’re a parent, grandparent, teacher, or any other caregiver – grab your favorite children’s book and get ready for an adventure filled with magic and excitement through these amazing storytime activities!
Singing songs and nursery rhymes related to the story
Want to keep your little ones excited during storytime? Try singing along to songs and nursery rhymes that go with the story. It makes reading even more fun and memorable! For example, while reading a book about farm animals, you can sing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and encourage your kids to make animal sounds.
And if you’re reading an ocean-themed book, why not sing “Baby Shark” and show them the hand motions? Activities like singing and rhyming not only make storytime enjoyable but also help with language development and learning the sounds of words. It’s a win-win!
Encouraging kids to act out parts of the story
Try acting out scenes from the story together! It’s like bringing the story to life right in your own home. By doing this fun activity, your child will understand the story and its characters better. Plus, it helps their imagination and creativity grow. You can be pirates on a treasure hunt or princesses searching for lost crowns. Join in on the fun and encourage your child to use different voices and make funny faces. It’ll be a blast!
Using puppets or props to bring the story to life
Using real things while telling a story can make it super exciting for your kids? You can bring the story to life by using puppets to show characters and animals. You can make it simple or fancy! And how about using cool stuff like hats, scarves, or stuffed animals as props? It will make your little ones imagine and feel the story in a whole new way. They can even play with the puppets and props, making the whole experience even more fun and unforgettable. So dive into the story with their senses and have a blast!
Asking open-ended questions to encourage discussion
When we read stories together, asking open-ended questions can be really exciting and help you think more deeply! Instead of just asking yes or no questions, we can ask questions that make you think and imagine. For example, we can ask, “What could the character have done differently?” or “How do you think the story would have ended if the character made a different choice?” These kinds of questions help you become a great problem solver and thinker. Plus, they make our conversations more fun and interesting!
Playing "I Spy" to find objects related to the story
Have you ever tried playing the awesome game “I Spy” with your little readers during storytime? It’s a super fun way to keep them engaged and interested! Here’s how it works: while reading a story, you can search for items that are connected to the plot. It’s like a treasure hunt within the book! This game helps your kids focus on the small details in the pictures and helps them make connections between the story and their surroundings.
You can start by saying, “I spy something related to the story that is (color, shape, etc.),” and then let your kids take turns guessing what it could be. It’s interactive and exciting, and it will make the story come alive for them. Plus, it’s a great way to enhance their understanding of the story and improve their observation skills.
Doing a simple craft related to the story
Get ready to spark their imagination and unleash their creativity. By doing activities like a simple craft inspired by the story you’re reading together, you can make storytime even more exciting. Let your little one use their own imagination to interpret the characters or scenes from the book.
It’s as easy as making paper plate masks or crafting a collage using everyday items found around your house. Not only will this craft project make reading more engaging, but it will also help your child improve their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Imagine the joy on their face as they express their artistic side and witness their beloved stories come alive in a brand new way.
Playing "Simon Says" with actions related to the story
Get your toddlers involved in the story by acting out parts of it! As you read a book like “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” you can say things like, “Let’s wiggle like a caterpillar!” or “Flap your arms like a butterfly!” It’s like playing Simon Says while enjoying the story. This not only gets them moving but also sparks their creativity.
Using a flannel board to create a visual aid for the story
Bring the story to life with a special tool called a flannel board! It’s a simple yet powerful way to make the story even more exciting and keep young readers like you interested. Here’s how it works: First, we’ll cut out the characters, items, and scenes from the story. Then, we’ll stick them onto the flannel board.
As the story unfolds, we can move the pieces around and make it even more fun and interactive. The flannel board helps us remember important parts of the story and reinforces the phrases or rhymes we repeat. It’s not only a great learning tool, but it’s also a super fun activity that lets you be a part of the storytelling adventure!
Doing a scavenger hunt for items related to the story
How about going on a super fun treasure hunt with your kids? It’s all based on the awesome book you just read together. Here’s how it works: as your little ones search for things that match the characters or other cool stuff from the story, they get to use their imagination and be super creative. For example, if the story took place on a farm, you can look for a toy cow or a plastic tractor.
This activity is not only exciting, but it also helps your kids become better at thinking and solving problems. Plus, it reinforces the important themes from the story, making them stick in their minds.
Creating a sensory bin related to the story
Have you heard of a sensory bin? It’s like a special container filled with all sorts of exciting things to make your child curious and their senses come alive. Let’s say you’re reading a cool story about the ocean – you can fill the bin with plastic sea creatures, seashells, and squishy blue water beads! While you read, encourage your kids to touch and explore the items in the bin. It’s a hands-on activity that helps them understand the story better.
Plus, it’s super fun and they get to learn while playing! The best part is that you can make a different sensory bin for every story. They’re easy to set up and can be adjusted to match any book. So, why not add a sensory bin to your storytime activities? It’s an awesome way to make reading even more enjoyable and interactive for your little ones!
