NNFN2023 Ideas: Shape Books

Shape books are great fun to make and appeal to all ages! These can be made in a variety of different ways- regular (where the front and back cover match), those with added elements (such as legs or wings) and the three fold variety where the front cover opens down the middle instead of from the edge. There are some excellent books on this subject available and it can become very addictive!

A basic ‘body’ shape like the one on the left above can be transformed into a whole variety of creatures by adding (or drawing) additional elements. The cat could become a tiger or a lion, but also a rabbit or a dog. Add an ached shape under the body to create legs for an elephant or a cow…whatever you can imagine. A basic bird shape like the one shown can become a parrot or a penguin. Cut the feet off by curving into the body and you have a robin or a blackbird. Fish, butterflies, boats, buses…any basic shape can be stapled, sewn, hole-punched or glued to make a wonderful little book!

This is an activity which can be enjoyed at any time of year- not just saved for National Non-Fiction November.

NNFN2023 Ideas: Instant Ice Cream

This idea is instantly appealing because it has both ‘WOW’ and ‘YUM’ factors! The link https://learning.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/resources/instant-ice-cream/ takes you to the Science Museum website where it explains how to conduct the experiment - and offers additional things to try which will encourage scientific discussions and spark curiosity! I know, strictly speaking, it has little to do with the theme of ‘Wonderful Water’- but it’s a great way of engaging children and might lead to looking a recipe books to investigate other ice cream recipes as well as science books to explain the science. (Thankfully, the web page offers an explanation for those of us who need one!)

We had excellent fun as a family making this! Enjoy!

NNFN2023 Ideas: Matchboxes

‘Matchboxes’ is a lovely activity to share with children and one which is easily adapted to fiction, poetry- anything you wish! These boxes are readily available at craft shops, but any small- or larger- box can be used to accommodate the number and size of the objects. There is usually a lot of excitement around the opening of the box and exploring the contents. The idea is for the children to make a connection between the objects in the box and possible topics and, in my experience, the level of conversation, connections, ideas and memories this generates is amazing.

If the boxes are carefully created with some non-fiction texts in mind, then it becomes very easy to guide children to these so that they can discover more. An Egyptian themed box will quickly help identify what the group knows about each object- and by association, places they have visited, things they have seen, connected books and films and plenty of general knowledge facts. It might also raise questions- What is the significance of the hippo? Is the blue figure a mummy? How was papyrus made? - which can then be explored through some of the texts available. A good teacher knows that a little planning goes a long way and so making sure they can actually find information about the objects on offer is important. The children might wish to turn the box into a mini-museum by adding labels with information to each object.

Other boxes might be more open ended. Fossils and pictures/ small toys of dinosaurs might lead children to discuss the work of palaeontologists like Mary Anning, how fossils are created, the Jurassic Coast or Darwin and evolution.

Children also enjoy creating their own boxes and so another book group session might be devoted to sharing those they have made themselves! Have fun!