A lovely tradition in Iceland for Christmas Eve is Jolabokflod which means ‘Christmas Book Flood’. At this time, people give each other new books and then spend the evening reading them – with a hot cup of cocoa, of course! For this activity, we make our own books to gift to a loved one.
Set up Time: 5 minutes
Directions
- Make a small book with pages by cutting paper in half widthwise, fold down the center and staple on the fold.
- Invite your child create a story using words and/or pictures.
- Gift to a loved one!
Materials
- White paper or construction paper
- Stapler
- Markers, crayons or pen
- Scissors
Learning Through Play
Language: Conversation – Making books together is a great opportunity for rich conversation. Talk to children about their drawings, their story, and ask them open-ended questions such as “Where did you get the idea to write that?” or “How did you decide to draw this picture here?”.
Social-Emotional: Bonding – Creating a book for someone is a really lovely, personalized gift. Talk about what it means to make a gift for someone “from the heart” and ask them how they are making the book especially for their chosen recipient. For example, if making it for their father, ask children open-ended questions about what their father likes, what their favorite memories are, and how they are including that in the book.
School Readiness: Writing – Invite children to scribble write the accompanying text to their book, to sign their name on the cover, or copy the letters of an adult to create the title page. All of these invitations demonstrate that what we write has value, and in this case, creative and personal value.
See this activity in the Rayz Kidz app along with the other fun activities. Rayz Kidz is your trusted source for play-based activities featuring over 100 themes and 500+ hands-on activities and clear descriptions of the beautiful learning that is happening through play.
