Making Books With Children
By Sarah Holt
Making books with children is easy with these 5 simple tips.
1. Use Fun Papers & Supplies
Grab paper in different colors and textures. As a general
rule, the thicker the paper the better, since this will hold
up better against rips and wrinkles. Other fun supplies to have
on hand are stickers, colored pencils, glitter glue, foam cut-outs,
or stencils. Making books with children is guaranteed to be fun
if they get to pick out their favorite colors and supplies, so
involve them in the process and the whole family will have an
enjoyable time.
2. Make Different Types of Books
There are many different types of books that children may
enjoy making. These include fictional stories, biographical accounts,
letters, poetry, or yearbooks. For fictional accounts get as
creative as desired by the child. Biographical accounts can center
around things such as vacations, family histories, or any event
the child deems significant. Poetry is a fun way to compile a
book, where different types of poems and different subjects can
be utilized. Yearbooks are a fun way for children to record events
and details from the previous year. All types of books are fun
to share with friends and family. They also make great presents.
3. Have Fun with Decorating
Making books with children is a great way to bring out their
creativity. Using cheap decorating items can help with this.
One way to decorate is to use cookie cutters to trace shapes,
including things like letters or animals, then coloring them
in. Another way is to cut out felt or fabric into shapes and
then glue them onto the page to make a picture. Ribbons can be
used to outline pages. Finally, it can be great fun to add relevant
photographs to the pages, both for nonfiction and fiction works.
4. Bind Them
There are many ways to bind books together. One of the simplest
is to punch holes in the pages and tie together with yarn. Instead
of yarn, metal rings can be used that are found at office supply
stores and relatively inexpensive. Another option is to put them
into a 3-ring binder and decorate the cover and back of it. Staples
can be used for binding, but only when the book is thin enough
so that it wont fall apart. When looking for a sturdier option,
many office supply stores offer spiral binding for a reasonable
fee.
5. Share Your Books
It's fun to make books with children, but the best part can
be sharing the finished product. Put them on coffee tables, wrap
them for presents, or let them bring them for show-and-tell.
Then sit back and watch as their faces light up.
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