Bookish Play and Craft Activities for Little Book Worms
Oskar's Wooden Ark | August 09, 2022
If the term 'Bookish Play' is foreign to you, you may be wondering exactly what it is and what are the benefits of introducing it to your child. Teacher and mum of three, Kate Kwijas (@exploringlifetogether_) explains, "Bookish Play is any play-based activity centred around a book. It's that simple! Bookish Play helps children to develop a deeper understanding of a particular story, can assist in expanding vocabulary and provides opportunities to practice sequencing and retelling. It's fabulous for reluctant readers, can enhance comprehension and is, importantly, lots of fun!"
In this blog post, we will introduce you to a whole range of Bookish Play and Craft Activities inspired by classic fairy tales, literary themes, fantasy worlds and some well-known books and characters using your favourite Oskar's Wooden Ark toys. Get ready to tumble down a rabbit hole of fun and fantasy!
Classic FaIry Tales
Once Upon a Time there lived a child who spent their days exploring the realms that they had only ever heard about in folklore...
The magic brought to life by fairy tales is unwavering and has enchanted children for decades. With countless stories and characters to be inspired by, the bookish adventures one can embark on are endless.
Building Rapunzel's Tower with KAPLA
We all know that the tower Rapunzel was imprisoned in was as tall as her hair was long. Why not try and build your own tower as high as the sky with your KAPLA planks?
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" | @woodentoyplay
"You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" | @exploringlifetogether_
Bake a Story: The Gingerbread Man
Get ready to retell a favourite fable in the yummiest way possible! After reading the classic story of The Gingerbread Man together with your little book worms, get them baking their very own gingerbread people.
Not only will they be working on those early maths skills as they help measure and weigh their ingredients, they will also delight in retelling the story of The Gingerbread Man, bringing the words to life while enjoying the process of baking and eating their goodies.
Snow White Small World
Somewhere deep within the woods is a cottage, home to seven little men. And if you listen closely, you can hear the dreamy musing echoing down the well from the fair and gentle, Snow White!
Recreate the iconic woodland scene by picking out your dwarfs and a cosy cottage for their residence. Don't forget to plant some trees and welcome some forest friends to play along too!
"Magic mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?" | @woodentoyplay
"Once Upon a Time..." | @learnandbloom
DIY Fairy Tale Story Stones
This activity promotes imaginary play and language development by combining art with storytelling. From creating their own story stones, your child will be able to conjure up an infinite number of unique tales, as well as partake in sorting and matching activities.
Red Riding Hood Role Play
Blow your friends and family away but reenacting the story of Little Red Riding Hood and The Wolf! Grab your Sarah's Silk, Olli Ella Basket and follow the tutorial below before you skip off to grandma's house to show her your theatrical masterpiece!
"Oh my! What big ears you have!" | @_simply_bea_
"To live will be an awfully big adventure." | @mumz.world
Fairy Tale Maze
What do all fairy tales have in common? The hero or heroine always encounters at least one or two obstacles on their journey that they must overcome before they can get to their happily ever after.
Using this concept, use your Building Blocks to construct a maze filled with challenges and hindrances for your characters to conquer, so they can escape to their happy ending!
Create your own Fairy Tale with Olli Ella Holdie Dolls
There is no such thing as an outrageous or ostentatious fairy tale - they can be as elaborate and otherworldly as your imagination can conjure up!
Why not make up your own story using the Olli Ella Holdie Dolls? With an offering of both generic and iconic characters, these dolls can be at the centre of any story you believe in.
"And they lived happily ever after." | Olli Ella
The Gruffalo
"Oh help! Oh no! It's a Gruffalo!" An iconic and treasured story for many, the tale of The Gruffalo teaches children the power of imagination through its thoughtful and clever rhyming compositions. At Oskar's Wooden Ark, we are huge fans of The Gruffalo and stock a whole range of toys and resources that will bring the legend to life!
An invitation to PLAY! | @exploringlifetogether_
Story Basket
By simply placing your Gruffalo resources in a basket, you are creating an invitation to play for your little book worm! There are no rules to this activity - encourage them to retell the story as they know it, or fabricate their own using the resources provided.
Draw a Gruffalo Scene with Kitpas Crayons
Something as simple as creating a backdrop for a small world play scene can be all your child needs to kickstart their imagination. Bea has created the familiar forest setting of The Gruffalo using a piece of cardboard and Kitpas Crayons - we think it truly 'sets the scene' for some Gruffalo-inspired play!
Set the scene! | @_simply_bea_
The Gruffalo: NOW SHOWING | @exploringlifetogether_
Gruffalo Theatre Show
Tell your family and friends that an exclusive viewing of The Gruffalo is showing in select theatres right now at your home! The BAJO Gruffalo Wooden Theatre opens up another door in the art of storytelling for this particular tale with its offering of characters, features and and set pieces.
Gruffalo Free Play
Create another invitation to play by setting up a Gruffalo small world play scene for your child to explore. Again, there are no rules for this - they may choose to tell The Gruffalo story as they remember it, or perhaps they will incorporate some of their other toys into the scene.
Let's PLAY! | @playroomstories
Gruffalo marks the spot! | @oskarswoodenark
Gruffalo Bookmark
Create your very own Gruffalo-inspired bookmark using Stockmar and Lyra Pencils. This is one of our 1-minute craft tutorials that you can get as creative with as you wish to!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
″One Sunday morning the warm sun came up and - POP! - out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.” We all grew up reading this historic piece of children's literature that tells the story of a ravenous caterpillar that works his way through a vibrantly illustrated selection of goodies, before emerging at the end as a beautiful butterfly! Not only is it a cult classic, but it also teaches children about the fascinating process of metamorphosis and of course, counting!
Caterpillar Puppet
Get crafty with some recycled cardboard and Kitpas Crayons by making the star of this story in a few simple steps using the easy to follow tutorial below! Use your completed caterpillar to retell the famous tale in the form of a puppet show!
"On Monday he ate through one apple.” | @playroomstories
"On Friday he ate through five oranges. That night he had a stomach ache." | @oskarswoodenark
Erzi Fruit Counting & Sorting
We are all familiar with how much food the caterpillar ate during his journey to becoming a butterfly, but did you know you can use Erzi Playfood as a visual aid for a fun hungry caterpillar counting and sorting activity?
Learn the Butterfly Life Cycle
Even now as an adult, the life cycle of a caterpillar is truly remarkable to think about, so just think how astonishing it is for a child to learn about! If your child is more of a visual learner, consider using Grapat Loose Parts as a way of illustrating each stage of the caterpillar's life cycle.
“He wasn’t hungry anymore - and he wasn’t a caterpillar anymore..." | @pagesofchildhood
"... he was a beautiful butterfly!" | @pagesofchildhood
Create a Butterfly with Loose Parts
As more of an open-ended activity using Grapat Loose Parts, consider using them to make your own beautiful butterfly by looking at the picture of the butterfly in the book.
The Ice Princess (Frozen)
"Some people are worth melting for." Over the years, the story of The Ice Princess has evolved and been retold in many ways, with the most popular of the last decade being of course, Frozen. The characters of Elsa, Anna and Olaf have quickly become frosty favourites for dress-ups and pretend play amongst children.
Word Mat
Treasures From Jennifer combines learning with play, and this activity is no exception. Using the Hundred Frame and Alphabet Coins, have your little one create some words inspired by Frozen. Better yet, you can adapt this idea to any book or film you desire!
"Let it go!" | @steph.soj
"I'll rise like the break of dawn." | @steph.soj
Build an Ice Castle
You don't need Elsa's powers to construct an ice castle of utter extravagance - all you need is some Building Blocks and imagination!
Create an Icy Artwork
Create a seriously cool artwork with just four simple resources! Not only is this craft activity fun, but it teaches children about the science behind crayons resisting watercolour paint! They will enjoy sprinkling salt over the wet painting, watching it absorb and creating a wonderful effect.
"The cold never bothered me anyway." | @learnandbloom
"Conceal, don't feel, don't let it show." | @steph.soj
Themed Playroom Rotation & Shelfie
Transform your play space or toy shelf into a winter wonderland using all your blue and white toys!
Small World Play with the Regenbogenland Ice Palace
The Regenbogenland Ice Palace is a must-have for any Frozen fanatic who likes to dapple in small world play. In addition, the CLiCQUES make for the perfect Elsa, Anna and Kristoff!
"A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the Queen." | @woodentoyplay
Castles and Knights
Children have always marvelled in exploring the historic play world of castles and knights! Whether they are on a mission to defend the kingdom from attack, or rescue a damsel in distress, medieval and role play is a chance for children to explore The Benefits of Risky Play, as well as develop independence, resilience and confidence.
"In a kingdom far, far away..." @learnandbloom
Build a Castle with Building Blocks
Building Blocks are a staple for any play room, but has your child tried building an epic castle from them before? Once constructed, it makes for a marvellous playscape for them to explore with some figurines.
DIY Cardboard Castle
Creating your own castle for small world play is as simple as decorating a cardboard box with your favourite Art and Craft materials.
Lower the drawbridge! | @learnandbloom
Huzzah! | @grow.and.play.together
VAH DIY Shields
Be your own hero by decorating one of the VAH DIY Shields however your heart desires! Cina's son has used blackboard paint on his before sprucing it up with the Kitpas Chalk.
Maileg Royal Mice
The Maileg Royal Mice are the perfect guests to invite to the kingdom's annual ball. Get ready to dance the "knight" away and fall in love!
Chivalry is not dead! | @mumz.world
Magical Creatures
Deep within one's imagination you can find every magical creature you can conjure up. From mystical mermaids to fire-breathing dragons, these fantastical beings are often the stars of many fairy tales and literary pieces!
"If you can't take the heat, don't tickle the dragon." | @mumz.world
Dragon's Lair Small World Scene
Dragons, griffins and beasts, oh my! Somewhere deep within the darkest cave is home to the most fierce-some of dragons - are you brave enough to face him?
Mermaid Scene with Loose Parts
You don't need to make any deals with a sea witch to have your own mermaid tail! In fact, you can make one with your toys - it's that easy! Ruth's children have cleverly constructed their own using a Grimm's Large Rainbow.
"I want to be where the people are." | @pagesofchildhood
"In an ocean full of fish, be a mermaid!" | @woodentoyplay
Mermaid Dress-Up
Pretend Play is all the more real when you can dress the part! At Oskar's Wooden Ark, we stock a whole range of dress-ups and costumes - from mermaids to vikings; you can be something new everyday.
"In a field of horses, be a unicorn!" | Sarah's Silks
"Bibiddi-Bobbity-Boo!" | @oskarswoodenark
DIY Rainbow Fairy Wand
Get ready to cast some magic with your very own fairy wand made from Kite Paper and recycled cardboard. But remember, always use your powers for good, not evil!
DIY Fairy House
The fairies at the bottom of the garden need a cosy spot to rest their wings at night and have asked for your help! Creating a haven for them is as simple as gluing some popsicle sticks together and slapping on a coat of Stockmar Paint.
"Faith, trust and pixie dust!" | @oskarswoodenark
Other Favourites
As we mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, there is a vast amount of books, films and shows that we can continue to be inspired by when it comes to Bookish Play and Crafts. There is no right or wrong way to interpret literary prompts, with the only limit being our imagination!
"I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet." | @mumz.world
Dear Zoo
Create your own small zoo with all of your favourite animal figurines. Will you be sending any of them back?
The Rainbow Fish
Recreate this well-recognised and dazzling fishy friend using Grapat Loose Parts and Kitpas Crayons!
"The rainbow fish shared his scales left and right." | @_simply_bea_
"He built a great tower in only a hour." | @learnandbloom
Iggy Peck Architect STEM Challenge
Have your little architects put their building skills to the test by erecting a bridge just like Iggy Peck! Encourage them to use whatever blocks or toys they wish in order to make a stable bridge for their toy cars to cross.
The Story Orchestra: Four Seasons in One Day
Can your little one distinguish the differences between the four seasons? This book contains wonderful illustrations that are perfect to replicate using Stockmar Paints and Crayons as a way of understanding the characteristics of nature.
"See spring blossom, feel the summer's heat, gather in the autumn harvest and gasp at the cold of winter." | @learnandbloom
Bring your favourite characters to life! | @mumz.world
Illustrating Book Characters
Sharpen those pencils and dust off those paints as we recreate all of our favourite book characters! Simply have a visual prompt in front of your little artist and let them use whatever materials they wish to bring the character to life.
And they lived happily ever after...
We hope this blog post inspired you to introduce some Bookish Play and Crafts into your little book worm's playtime! Happy reading!
