12 Children’s Books with Fun Activity Ideas Inside

12 Children’s Books with Fun Activity Ideas Inside

12 Children’s Books with Fun Activity Ideas Inside. This article treats Wild About Books like the gateway drug it is: a rhyming, animal-filled portal that makes children want to read, craft, sing, sort, and demand yet another round of the same pages. The writer—who prefers the term “overly affectionate chaos coordinator”—will outline activities and lesson plans that keep tiny humans engaged while pretending all of this was absolutely planned.

About the Book

Wild About Books, written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Marc Brown, follows Molly McGrew, a librarian who accidentally lands her bookmobile at a zoo. The animals, it turns out, have excellent literary taste and immediately begin reading everything from picture books to how-to manuals. The tone is playful, the rhyme is sing-songy, and the situations are simultaneously charming and quietly catastrophic (in the best possible way).

This book works for read-alouds, small-group lessons, and family-snuggle reading sessions. It invites repeating lines, dramatic animal voices, and a thousand tiny follow-up activities that teachers and caregivers will later swear they invented.

Quick Book Snapshot

• Title: Wild About Books
• Author: Judy Sierra
• Illustrator: Marc Brown
• Reading level: Preschool–2nd grade (but older kids and adults like chaos too)
• Themes: Literacy excitement, animals, libraries, community, imagination

Why This Book Works for Learning

Wild About Books mixes rhyme, repetition, and animals—three things that make young children declare something “the best ever” within five seconds. The rhymes help with phonological awareness, the animals invite science and classification activities, and the bookmobile/zoo premise gives a physical, play-based hook for dramatics and movables. The result is a text that supports literacy, science, social-emotional learning, motor skills, and even a little math.

The writer insists that if a child insists on hearing a book for the hundredth time, that is not stubbornness; that is curriculum alignment.

Learning Goals

Below are concise learning goals that these activities will target. Each activity below lists which goals it supports.

• Literacy: vocabulary, rhyme recognition, comprehension, book handling, reading interest
• Science: animal classification, habitats, adaptations, life cycles
• Math: sorting, graphing, measurement, simple data collection
• Art and Fine Motor: cutting, gluing, drawing, mask-making
• Social-Emotional: turn-taking, empathy, expressing preferences, cooperative play
• Physical Development: gross motor through dramatic play and obstacle courses

Materials Needed

The writer recommends gathering common classroom/home supplies and a few optional items for maximum chaos. Most materials are cheap and likely already hiding in a drawer.

• Paper (construction, printer, index cards)

• Markers, crayons, colored pencils

• Glue sticks, child-safe scissors, tape

• Old cardboard boxes (bookmobile chassis)

• Binder clips, rubber bands, string, wooden dowels

• Animal figurines or printable animal cards (see printable ideas section)

• Shoeboxes, toilet paper rolls, and other recyclables

• Optional: inexpensive felt, stickers, stamps, laminator (if the adult is feeling particularly long-term)

Activity Overview

This section lists activities and the primary skills they promote. Each activity is described in more detail below.

• Animal Research and Classification (Science, Literacy)

• Haiku and Silly Poetry (Literacy, Creative Writing)

• Build a Branch Library (Craft, Literacy)

• Bookmobile Obstacle Course / Dramatic Play (Gross Motor, Social Skills)

• Sorting & Graphing Books (Math, Data)

• Engineering Challenge: Bookmobile Design (STEM)

• Sensory Zoo Bins (Fine Motor, Vocabulary)

• Art: Design a Book Cover for an Animal (Art, Publishing)

• Extension Reading Lists and Read-Aloud Strategies (Literacy Development)

Animal Research Activities

Children will meet many animals in the book: lemurs, lynx, zebras, giraffes, geckos, pandas, and others. These animals are invitations to curiosity, not tests. The goal is fascination.

Activity: “Find, Name, Sort”

The child reads (or listens to) Wild About Books and draws a list of all animals mentioned. Then the animals are sorted into categories. The writer suggests letting the child pick one odd category just to see what creative chaos ensues (e.g., “animals that would prefer to read upside down”).

Learning outcomes: identification, vocabulary, basic taxonomy, speaking in full sentences.

Materials: animal cards or figurines, sticky notes, a poster board for category labels.

Activity: Research Report Cards

For each selected animal, the child fills out a “Library Report Card” with fields like: Name, Scientific Name, Favorite Book (very important), Habitat, Diet, and One Weird Fact.

Learning outcomes: note-taking, summarizing, typing or handwriting practice.

Materials: printable report card template (can be made with simple table layout), pencils, reference books or supervised internet search.

Animal Grouping Table (example)

This table is a template; the child may elaborate.

Habitat and Biomes Activity

A line from the book—“Forsaking their niches, their nests, and their nooks”—makes habitat study both relevant and funny. Children can build biome dioramas based on the animals they’ve chosen.

Learning outcomes: understanding habitats, ecosystems, food chains.

Materials: shoeboxes, construction paper, clay, toy animals, labels.

The writer suggests that sometimes the child will insist a polar bear reads magazines on the savanna. That’s a teachable moment about climate and also about humor.

Writing and Poetry Activities

Wild About Books features haiku at the insect zoo and a lot of play with rhythm. This opens the door for playful writing activities that feel like play but teach structure.

Looking for engaging childrens books with activity ideas that keep young readers learning and entertained?
Explore our complete guide to childrens books to discover more themed collections designed to spark creativity and imagination.

For calming nighttime reading, download our free bedtime stories pdf and build a peaceful bedtime routine.

Activity: Bug Haiku Station

Introduce haiku as short, 5-7-5 syllable poems. Use insects as subjects. Encourage silly imagery: “A beetle in sun / hides its tiny sunscreen hat / bugs sing book reviews.” Children often invent absurd metaphors, which is good practice.

Learning outcomes: syllable awareness, descriptive language, creative expression.

Materials: index cards, markers, magnifying glasses for real bugs (only for observation—not for eating).

Activity: Animal Book Reviews

Children write short book reviews as if they were the animals. For example, “The giraffe gave three leaves out of five because the pictures were high and hard to reach.” These teach opinion writing and supporting reasons.

Learning outcomes: opinion writing, persuasive language, sentence structure.

Materials: lined paper, pencils, star stickers for a rating system.

Build a Branch Library (Craft + Literacy)

At the end of Wild About Books, Molly builds a branch library in the zoo. The child can build their own “branch library” for stuffed animals or plastic figurines.

Steps

1. Choose a location (a shelf, a corner, a big cardboard box).

2. Make tiny catalogs by writing titles and organizing books by subject (very official-looking).

3. Create membership cards for animals (laminate if possible).

4. Host “storytime” for the toys where the child reads aloud.

Learning outcomes: book handling, organizational skills, dramatic play.

Materials: small books, index cards, string for lanyards, stickers, cardboard.

The writer will not be judged for making laminated library cards with excessive flourish.

Bookmobile Role-Play and Obstacle Course

The bookmobile can be a box on wheels (or pretend). The child drives from “neighborhood to zoo,” delivering books. The obstacle course can include tunnels (cardboard), bridges (planks), and speed bumps (pillows). Adults or older kids can time runs, but the timekeeping should be described as “encouragement” rather than “pressure.”

Learning outcomes: gross motor, spatial awareness, cooperative play, following directions.

Materials: large cardboard box, tape, cushions, masking tape for lanes, toy steering wheel (optional).

Safety note: Always supervise and avoid letting the child stand inside a rolling box on hard surfaces. The writer recommends capsizing gently on the couch instead.

Sorting and Graphing Books (Mathy Fun)

Pretend the animals have opinions about genres. Children sort books by size, color, genre, or the number of pages and then graph the results. Graphs can be pictographs (one sticker equals two books), bar graphs, or tally charts.

Learning outcomes: sorting, categorization, counting, simple data visualization.

Materials: books, stickers, graph paper.

Sample Graph Activity

1. Sort all books into categories (e.g., animal books, ABC books, picture books).

2. Count how many books in each category.

3. Create a bar graph on chart paper.

4. Ask questions: Which category is biggest? Which is smallest? How many more picture books than ABC books?

This tiny research project teaches that numbers can describe real-world preferences and that persuasion sometimes involves charts.

Engineering Challenge: Design a Bookmobile

Children design and build a model bookmobile that must carry “books” (blocks or small boxes) across a short ramp or distance without letting the books fall out. Encourage iteration—if it falls apart, redesign.

Learning outcomes: engineering process, simple machines, problem-solving, measurement.

Materials: cardboard, wheels (toy car parts or foam discs), glue, tape, measuring tape, small boxes as books.

Challenge Constraints (example)

• The bookmobile must carry at least three books.

• It must travel at least one meter down a ramp without losing books.

• The adult acts as tester and overly dramatic critic (an essential role).

The writer insists that failure is learning and that celebratory snacks should follow every successful design whether efficient or flamboyantly held together with glitter.

Sensory Zoo Bins (Fine Motor + Language)

Create small bins themed to habitats: desert sand, forest leaves, ocean beads. Hide animal cards or figurines in each bin. Children find animals, describe them, and match them to books.

Learning outcomes: vocabulary, tactile exploration, fine motor control, classification.

Materials: rice, sand, water beads, dried beans, scoops, animal figurines, trays.

Safety note: Supervise to avoid swallowing. The writer remembers the era when cereal was a craft supply and notes that those were the days of temporary panic.

Art: Design a Book Cover for an Animal

Children pick an animal and create a “book cover” that would entice that animal to read. Ask: What colors would entice a panda? Would a gecko prefer sparkles or camouflage? This fuels imagination and teaches marketing basics: audience matters.

Learning outcomes: design thinking, artistic skills, considering audience.

Materials: paper, watercolor or crayons, collage materials, stickers.

Extension Reading List

A list of follow-up books keeps momentum going. The writer insists that each book here is a gentle nudge toward more reading mischief.

• Library Lion by Michelle Knudsen (gentle humor about rules and libraries)

• The Bookmobile by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville (another bookmobile story for building context)

• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (rhyme and mischief)

• The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen (rhythm and repetition)

• Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller (social skills via animals)

Printable Ideas (DIY)

The writer advises making simple printables—animal flashcards, library membership cards, report cards. A table layout works well for printable templates.

A note about handwriting: the writer suggests that messy handwriting is a sign of living through creation, not failure.

Classroom Management and Group Tips

When many tiny humans are present, a kibosh-free plan is essential.

• Use stations. Rotate groups every 12–20 minutes. Short attention spans will unite to revolt against longer sessions.

• Keep clean-up time fun: sing a specific “clean-up” rhyme. The writer adds that dramatic bribery with snacks works too.

• Assign roles for dramatics (driver, librarian, zebra with a loud laugh). Roles help children feel responsible.

• Use timers that are visual so children can see how long until rotation. The writer recommends sand timers for dramatic effect.

Sample Week-Long Lesson Plan

This table gives a simple schedule for five sessions. Each session is 30–45 minutes (adjust as needed).

The writer notes that time will likely bend, children will request repeat readings, and the schedule will be gloriously ignored at least once.

Assessment and Portfolios

Assessment here is formative and playful. The writer recommends documenting through photos, child-made items, and short voice recordings. Include a simple checklist aligned with the learning goals—for example, “Can name three animals from the book” or “Wrote a 5-7-5 haiku.”

Portfolios should celebrate progress, not perfection.

Adaptations for Different Ages and Needs

• Preschool: focus on read-aloud and sensory bins; limit table tasks to 10–15 minutes.

• Kindergarten–1st Grade: include simple research tasks, haiku practice, and independent sorting.

• 2nd–3rd Grade: encourage written reports, engineering iterations, and data graphs with scaling.

• Special Needs: provide visual schedules, simplified choices, tactile-friendly materials, and predictable routines.

The writer insists that all adaptations require empathy and sometimes chocolate.

Tips for Repeated Readings (so adults survive)

Children will request the book repeatedly. The following strategies keep it fresh:

• Use props: animal masks, puppets, or tiny signs for different animal voices.

• Change the reading voice: try whisper narrations, opera versions, or monotone for a friend who is asleep (dramatic irony alert).

• Ask new questions each time: “What would the lemur check out next time?”

• Let the child “read” the pictures while the adult narrates.

These tactics keep the adult brain from fraying and increase the child’s predictive and inferential skills.

Behavior and Social-Emotional Learning

This book and the activities are ripe for discussing library manners, sharing, and empathy. Role-play situations can teach conflict resolution: what happens when two animals want the same book? Teach negotiation phrases like, “Can I trade you my picture book for your how-to?” (The writer understands that trading is a currency almost as valuable as stickers in the pre-K economy.)

Troubleshooting Common Classroom Problems

• Problem: Children lose interest mid-activity. Fix: Shrink tasks into bite-sized pieces and add choice.

• Problem: Messes proliferate like small friendly tornadoes. Fix: Contain activities to trays or mats and have labeled bins for quick pick-up.

• Problem: The child insists a rhino is the librarian and refuses to give up the role. Fix: Offer other roles with perks (e.g., “chief book-stacker gets first pick of snacks”).

The writer treats creative defiance as an evolutionary advantage in children.

Safety and Accessibility

Always check small parts, supervise small children around sensory materials, and set clear boundaries for physical play. For a child with sensory sensitivities, offer visual or auditory alternatives (recorded haiku, digital picture books).

Resources and Further Reading

• Wild About Books by Judy Sierra (primary text)

• DK Encyclopedia of Animals (great for quick facts)

• Local library programming guides (many libraries provide free kits and storytime ideas)

• Printable templates: animal cards, haiku sheets, library card designs (create in a simple word processor)

The writer recommends libraries for free resources and for the quiet thrill of being surrounded by books like one is inside a very gentle paper jungle.

Closing Notes (and Confessions)

The writer confesses to having once cried at a library after a toddler recited an entire haiku about beetles. It was a small, snotty affair and worth every tissue. Wild About Books is not just a book; it is a vehicle—sometimes literally—for cultivating curiosity. It will make the child love reading a little more and the adults laugh a little harder when the penguins demand biographies.

If the child learns to treat books like friends, if they begin to invent imaginary library fines payable in hugs or stickers, then the activities have succeeded. And if the adult emerges from the week slightly more patient, slightly more creative, and with an inexplicable desire to build a cardboard engine, then the bookmobile has arrived safe and sound.

The writer recommends starting with a read-aloud, keeping a sense of humor at hand, and accepting that some activities will be perfect and some will be gloriously ridiculous. That, after all, is the point.