International Literacy Day Pretend Play Kids’ Activity
September 8th marks International Literacy Day! Celebrate reading with a fun-filled family book activity. What can your child do on this special day? Pick a favorite book to start with, and then turn it into a creative play. Your child doesn’t need to choose a piece of literature that’s already written out in play form for this activity to work. Instead, pick any book and transform it into one.
Starts With a Story
Ask your child to pick a book. Read it together before beginning the pretend play activity. After you’ve read the book at least once, start creating the play. Write down the character names, the plot and the setting. As your child lists these parts of the story, prompt her to get more in-depth. For example, what can she tell you about the characters? Go farther than just their names, and ask who the characters are and what they do within the story.
Costumes
After discussing who the characters are and what they do, it’s time to make the costumes. Use the dress-up bin or donate some of your old outfits. Along with what your child (and the rest of the family) will wear, find accessories or other appearance-related items. This may mean making a fake beard out of paper, finding glasses or gathering a few scarves.
Scenery
Before putting on the play, make some scenery. Your child can craft a backdrop, drawing or painting on butcher paper (hang it up behind a DIY stage). You can also use your home’s furniture as part of the scenery, dressing it up with colorful sheets or propping up cardboard items (such as hand-drawn trees) against it.
