How to Run a Book Club for Preschoolers – Part 1: The Plan

March Book Madness

Part One

For the past two years, T and I have participated in March Book Madness, which is what it sounds like – March Madness, but with books. It's an international event, with the Sweet 16 selected by two teachers in Ohio, and the winners selected by votes from readers worldwide. (Here's the link to March Book Madness: http://marchbookmadness.weebly.com/ ) This year, instead of reading and voting just the two of us, we've invited a number of T's friends to join us for a March Book Madness book club.

Over the next several weeks, I'll be sharing tips on running a book club for preschoolers, reviews of some of the 2020MBM selections, and reflections on the entire experience. If you do a bookclub with your children or participate in MBM at all, I'd love to hear from you!

A Book Club for Preschoolers

 > more than *just* story time <

My plan for our book club is pretty simple: combine the best parts of story time with a playdate and good friends.

Each meeting we will read one or two pairs and select a winner. We'll do a craft that is related to one of the books. We'll have a snack. The children will have time to play. And the adults can talk with each other over coffee. A perfect world, no? I'll be sharing what worked and what didn't in upcoming posts.

My first two books will be Game Changers and I am Farmer, both non-fiction selections. After reading, each child will have a chance to share what he/she liked, and then we'll vote on a winner. My planned craft relates to I am Farmer this week. Farmer Tantoh helps ensure access to clean water in Cameroon, in part through planting botanical gardens that keep water in the soil. We will make tiny succulent gardens. 

Craft directions:

Adhere moss to a base (we're reusing yogurt cups), decorate the border with glass gems to simulate water, and white-glue tiny succulents to the moss. Add decorations to the gardens – shells, pine cones, or acorns. Last time T and I did this, it was on pumpkins (Grammy's idea), and lasted months with just a tiny bit of water, and the succulents sprouted leaves.