My plan
Fun Littles

Fun and easy kids activities

Homemade Storybook

Jul 21, 20124,718 views
Crafts
Homemade Storybook Save

by TurkeyMom in Crafts

Ages3–6 yrs
Prep—
Activity—
Leveleasy
MessLow
Works for1:1 · Small group

Your child makes up a story, you write it down word for word, then print it on cardstock with space for your child to illustrate each page. Bind it with ribbon or staples for a special Father's Day or Mother's Day gift.

⚠️ Safety first

  • Adult handles the hole puncher and stapler.
  • Supervise young children with marker caps and small decorations like sparkles.

Before the kids arrive

  • Get your child into storytelling mode and write down their story word for word. Bath time worked for us.
  • Split the story into a few pages, then type and print each page on cardstock, leaving space for illustrations.

Steps

  1. Tell your child you are making a special storybook for daddy (or mommy).

  2. Get your child telling a story: try bath time, or spread a few favorite toys in a large flat box and let them make up a story with the characters.

  3. Write the story down word for word, without correcting the grammar.

  4. Split the story into a few pages.

  5. Print each page on cardstock, leaving space for your child's drawings.

  6. Read each page aloud and have your child draw a picture to match.

  7. Decorate the front cover with sparkles and drawings.

  8. Punch holes and tie the pages together with a pretty ribbon, or staple them.

Tips

  • Great ideas pop up during the shower, right? Same holds for kids. Bath time is the happiest time of the day, and there was no stopping ours in the tub.from the author
  • Verbatim is what makes the story special. Seize the grammar-teaching opportunity if you like, but resist paraphrasing or correcting the written story. Of course "Gived" is the past tense of give!from the author
  • You may need to steer the drawings back to the story. I kinda had to talk mine into drawing bears and a storm, not ice cream and puppies.from the author
  • Let the kid do it. Whatever you see here is all hers. Mine will never let me help with her play ideas without a fit.from the author
  • If your child grumbles about making yet another gift, keep it light and let the story be the fun part.from the author

Make it your own

  • Make it a Mother's Day gift instead of a Father's Day one.
  • Use a box of favorite toys as the characters to spark the story.
  • Bind with ribbon for a pretty finish, or just staple it.

The story behind it

By TurkeyMom · July 2012
Homemade Storybook
Once the story is completed, split it into a few pages and print on cardstock, making space for your kid's illustrations. Read out the pages and have the kid draw related images.
1 / 1

Homemade Storybook: the original post

This make your own homemade storybook project could turn into a great Father’s day or Mother’s day activity. Given that most pre-schoolers have great imaginations, moms shouldn’t have a hard time pulling out a captivating story from your kid. Once the story part is out, the rest is easy. In order to get the kid into story telling mode I would use various methods.

Making a storybook

  1. Just ask him/her mentioning we are making a special storybook for daddy 2. Get a few of your kid’s favorite toys and spread them out in a large flat box or any container. Now you could ask your chlid to make up the story using the characters. Let me move on to our story Mommy S : Hey do you want to make a gift for daddy for Father’s day? (Expecting an excited YES!) Big A: What again we have to make gifts? Why can’t we just buy a gift from Target? Mommy S: !!! We did make two cards this week. I guess this is done with the whole mommy breathing down her neck ” ahh! make it look a little bit pretty or decent”. I’m sure if i leave the kid alone with a marker and a paper and have her do the gift/art by herself she wouldn’t have an issue. That is why I insist that this blog is all about the kid and what the kids actually did. Mine will never let me help her with any of her play ideas without a fit. So you can be assured that whatever you see here is all her.

  2. Card stock paper

  3. Hole puncher

  4. Markers

  5. Printer

The idea to to first come up with a special story for someone (In my case it is the dad) I had her come up with a story during bath time; the happiest time during the day. Great ideas pop during the shower right? Same holds good for kids as well. It was no stopping Big A in the tub. She came up with this amazing, creative of course ridiculous story about 4 bears. Try to take notes. Verbatim is what makes the story special. You can seize the grammar teaching opportunity but resist paraphrasing and correcting grammar in the written story. Of course “Gived” is the past tense of give!. Once the story is completed, split the story into a few pages. Print on cardstock paper making space for your kid’s illustrations. Read out the pages and have the kid draw related images. With mine I kinda had to talk her into drawing images of bear and a storm and not ice cream and puppies eventhough she liked ice creams more than bears. Punch out holes and tie it up with a pretty ribbon or you just staple it because we LOVE TO STAPLE. Pretty up the front cover with sparkles and a spider man boat ! Yay for Spider Man. There you go! A homemade storybook as a Father’s day or Mother’s day gift. Don’t worry Big A, I’ll still take you to Target. What’s with Target and this kid?

What readers say

💬 1 comments

Tried it?

Reviewed before it appears. No links, and please no children's names.

Similar activities

25 Butterfly Crafts and Art Activities

25 ideas2–8 yrs

Easy Toddler Christmas Wreath

35 min2–5 yrs

Jack-O-Lantern Silhouette Sun Catchers

35 min2–7 yrs

Simple Hanging Ghost Craft

20 min3–6 yrs
🛒 Materials