Great Summer Books and Activities for Kids Grade 1-2
During the summer there are many ways for you to keep your child fresh and prepared for the following school year. Colorful and engaging books can be a fun way to work with your child over the summer months. I’ve paired my collection of books and activities with a great incentive program from Barnes & Noble called “Imagination’s Destination.” As your child reads over the summer, you can document the title and author on this Reading Journal List , provided by Barnes & Noble online. Once your child reads 8 books, take the Reading Journal List to your local Barnes & Noble and your child can choose one FREE book! You can find the directions to the “Imagination’s Destination” on the Barnes & Noble website here.
To prepare you and your child for Summer 2013, over the month of April I will introduce some amazing books and activities I’ve used with elementary-aged students. Remember to have a ton of fun with these activities and watch your child smile while they continue to learn!
Pinkalicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann
“Pink, pink, pink. More than anything, Pinkalicious loves pink, especially pink cupcakes. Her parents warn her not to eat too many of them, but when Pinkalicious does … she turns pink! What to do?”
This absolutely pink book will tug at your heart. Pinkalicious goes on a journey to learn that listening to her parents may have been the right choice. After consuming cupcakes and turning many shades of pink, this character takes you and your child on a fun and colorful quest to turn back to her original color.
The first activity to accompany this book gets you and your kiddo in the kitchen making pink cupcakes! To make it simple, take your favorite box white cake mix and add red food coloring to make your favorite shade of pink. Top with your favorite sprinkles or the Pinkalicious red cherry and enjoy!
The official website, ThinkPinkalicious, offers some great free printable worksheets, coloring pages, as well as ideas for arts and crafts and on-site games. The activity sheets have your child using their problem solving, grammar, and writing skills. Follow-up with the other books in the series, Purplelicious, Goldlicious, Silverlicious, Emeraldlicious, and enjoy the adventures of your favorite character Pinkalicious!
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long
“Pirates have green teeth – when they have any teeth at all. I know about pirates, because one day, when I was at the beach building a sand castle and minding my own business, a pirate ship sailed into view.”
Young boy Jeremy Jacob joins a slimy, yet witty, crew of pirates. Captain Braid Beard and his hilarious band of swashbucklers teach Jeremy the fine points of living as a pirate; singing chanteys, throwing food, and calling each other “scurvy dog.” This amazingly illustrated story is great for any child with a large imagination and a desire to escape into another world.
What do pirates do best? Find treasure! Creating a scavenger hunt for your children is a great way to really get into this book. Using small clues placed around your house, lead your child on a mini-quest. Test their knowledge of different rooms in the house, everyday items they use, while using some witty and funny clues to lead them to their treasure. A great site to aid you in creating the scavenger hunt is Make an Amazing Treasure Hunt for Kids.
How about a Pirate Activity Kit to accompany your book? On Harcourt.com, the official publisher of this landlubber loving story, you’ll find a free printable kit of 4 pages including a word find, maze, creating a pirate bandana, and listing treasure your child would love to find. I love the idea of doing this kit with your student before the scavenger hunt. If the treasure they list is not too expensive or unattainable, include it in their hunt while they wear the bandana they’ve created!
Enjoy and more to come!
