You have a library of books for your kiddo to browse. But what about a totally personalized pick that the two of you create together? Your literary little learner can build their own book, starting with the story selection. Brainstorm ideas and make a list of your child’s favorite tales or base the narrative on a character that your kiddo already knows and loves. Don’t stress if you’re not Pinterest-ingly crafty. This kids’ storybook activity is easy for child-parent duos of all ages and artsy abilities. Check out these easy-to-follow steps and help your child create their very own “My Story Book”!
After choosing a story, it’s time to start the writing process. Younger children may not have the literacy skills to write long sentences or paragraphs. That’s okay. Your child can tell their tale through their art. Draw a picture for each page of the book. Use something simple, such as crayons or markers, or try oil pastels. Your creative kid can even paint the pictures with watercolors, tempera paint or even finger paints are all easy options. If you want to take the creativity up a notch, you can even help them to sculpt the main characters.
There’s no reason to wait until your child is in kindergarten to start building early literacy skills. Toddlers and preschoolers need exposure to words, speech and all kinds of communication. If your child can’t write the words that accompany their story, do it for them. Don’t worry, this isn’t helicopter parenting at its finest. You can lightly write the letters in pencil, giving your child something to trace with a crayon or marker. Another option is to use stampers, stencils or foam letters to help your child spell simple words. Add these directly to the pictures, make separate word pages or write on another piece of paper, cut the words or sentences out and then glue them onto the drawing.
Your child has endless options when it comes to a story theme pick. Set their imagination free and encourage your kiddo to come up with a fanciful storyline and creative characters. If your child is more of a realistic thinker, that’s okay too. They can craft a tale that tells the story of your family’s day or something else that’s equally as familiar
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Each drawing that your child makes can magically transform into one page of their very own book. How should you photograph your child’s artwork to turn it into photos or book pages? Place the pictures on a flat surface, such as the kitchen table or the living room floor. Avoid direct sunlight or artificial light. Even though it may seem like you need a spotlight on the drawings or paintings to make them shine, the direct light can cause a glare or odd-looking halo effect.
While you could bind the drawings together to make a book, this type of DIY design can easily tear or break. This gives you added design option, such as adding words to the pages or rearranging images. Not only does a personalized board book give you a sturdy option for showcasing your child’s art, but it also provides you with an easy way to make duplicates. You can keep one at home, send one to grandma or gift any other relative with the beautiful book-making project.
We hope these ideas inspired you to create your own children’s story book! Ready to get started? Check out our Personalized Board Book templates or make a totally Custom Board Book from scratch.
