This activity promotes development and learning by encouraging children to understand and interact with books and text. Reading literature and having rich discussions together helps children understand a book’s meaning, characters, plot, and relevance in their own lives.
Materials Needed:
- “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn, Ruth E. Harper, and Nancy M. Leak (click here)
- Paper
- Stapler
- Writing implements
- Props for a pretend school, e.g., books, pencils, paper
Participants: This activity is intended for adult/child interaction.
Directions:
- Read “The Kissing Hand” or listen and watch this version
from Storyline Online.
- Discuss the story. What was Chester afraid of? What did he do to feel better? What are some things that are hard for you? What can we do to feel better? For example, doing school at home might be hard if you had planned on going to school.
- Fold and staple several sheets of copy paper to make a small booklet. Encourage your child to write a story about Chester. What would school be like for a raccoon? What would Chester learn? What would he eat for lunch?
- Encourage your child to set up a pretend school if desired. Maybe it’s a traditional school for children indoors — or a school for animals set up outside in the backyard.
