Creative Classroom Activities for World Book Day
Each year we have the joy of whittling down our World Book Day selection to just five phenomenal books for our Bringing Books to Life dance workshops. With such an incredible array of children’s literature on offer it is a tough job - but one we believe we’ve become rather good at! This year we selected five stories for World Book Day, each with their own unique set of benefits for primary school students.
Sharing stories with children is an important part of their development, a topic we discussed in our ‘Storytelling and Children’s Brains’ blog. But, stories aren’t just for an English lesson! Below we’ve included some lesson ideas to get children thinking about books from all angles.
We wanted to share with you why we love these books so much, and also some fun ways to explore them back in the classroom. Simply click on the image to enlarge and download!
How to Catch a Star
by Oliver Jeffers
Who is it for: EYFS and KS1
Themes: Imagination, Exploration, Pursuing your Dreams
Why we love it: The illustrations, as in all Oliver Jeffer’s books, are simply stunning. They add an important dimension which allows younger students to engage and interpret books beyond the language. There are also plenty of questions the book raises for class discussions - what are your dreams and how can you reach them?
Where the Wild Things are
by Maurice Sendak
Who is it for: EYFS, KS1 and KS2
Themes: Imagination, Exploration, Emotions
Why we love it: Another book by an author/illustrator where pictures are vital! Sendak’s book really allows imagination to flow as this whole new world grows around Max. The wild things can be embodied and enjoyed by children of all ages.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
by Roald Dahl
Who is it for: EYFS, KS1 and KS2
Themes: Greed, Appearances vs Reality, Imagination, Consequences
Why we love it: A classic children’s book with something for everybody - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory provides a great stimulus for creative work. The imaginative nature of the factory means that students of all ages can interpret what they think it looks like or sounds like and there are no wrong answers!
The Iron Man
by Ted Hughes
Who is it for: EYFS, KS1 and KS2
Themes: Morals, Acceptance, Peace vs Violence
Why we love it: The Iron Man has been described as a ‘modern fairytale’, and rightfully so. This story is great for provoking debate and getting students to question the characters’ actions.
Kensuke’s Kingdom
by Micheal Morpurgo
Who is it for: KS2
Themes: Travel, Survival, Friendship, Family
Why we love it: Kensuke’s Kingdom is a real heart-warming tale. The leading characters demonstrate some of the best parts of humanity whilst also having to acknowledge some of the worst.
We hope you enjoy exploring these books as much as we have. We would love to see what you get up to - share with us on Twitter @WestEndinSchool with the hashtag #bringingbookstolife.
Happy World Book Day!
-Katie