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How To

6 Bookish Craft Projects for Kids

Cassandra Neace

Staff Writer

Cassandra Neace is a high school English teacher in Houston. When she's not in the classroom, she reads books and writes about them. She prides herself on her ability to recommend a book for most any occasion. She can be found on Instagram @read_write_make

It’s summer time, and that means that there are a lot of kids out there with a lot of time on their hands. And that means that there are a lot of adults out there who are trying to keep those kids busy. If the kids in your life are readers, and it’s likely that they are, here are a few things you can do with them to take up some of those endless hours. When you’re all done, tell them they can relax by reading a good book.

Shh! I’m Reading Door Sign

ShhIAmReading

This project is about as simple as they come, yet there’s room for endless creativity. The sign can be as simple or as complicated as they want it to be. Adults can make one, too, with the reminder that if the kid wants their sign to be respected, they’ll have to respect the adult’s sign when it goes up. It’s only fair.

DIY Homework Center and Bookmarks 

Homework Center and Bookmarks

 

This is one of the projects where you can knock out several items all at one time with one set of materials. It’s a great project for creating a space for kids to read in and to respond to their reading. Go beyond the crayons and pencils and include a composition book to use as a reading journal.

Library Book Bag

library book bags 

Blank canvas bags are usually pretty easy to find, and with printer-friendly iron-on transfers, the sky is really the limit in terms of decoration. I really like how these kids paid homage to their favorite books. Excellent idea!

Blank Books 

finished-book

One of the lovely side-effects that comes with a love of reading books is, in many cases, a desire to try one’s hand at writing one. Making up a stack of blank books like this can do more than keep a kid busy for an afternoon. It could set them on the path to being a writer!

Make a “Play Library” 

library8

Kids already play school, doctor, and grocery store. Why shouldn’t they play library? Make this a whole day endeavor – take them to your local library, show them around, check out a book.  Then go home and put their play library together. If you want to get super fancy (and the kid has a smartphone or tablet), you can even trade the library cards for QR codes.

Book Crate

book-crate-1

This is a logical follow-up (or concurrent) project for the kid that is now operating their own library. They need a place to store all those books, right?

What fun bookish crafts have you done with the kids in your life? We’re always on the lookout for ideas.