Make a Cereal Book

Background/Purpose:  Most 3-4 year-olds are very aware of the print they see in the environment around them.  For example, they can easily remember the name of their favorite cereals as written on the box.  This activity produces a book that children can immediately read.  If one child doesn't know one of the cereals he or she can ask another child, who may know it.  This kind of book helps children to feel more confident as they learn about the process of reading.

 

Materials/Advance Preparation:

• Have children bring in empty cereal boxes.  You might want to send a note home, giving parents plenty of notice (a few weeks), and place a container where parents can deposit the empty boxes when they drop off or pick up their children.
• Cut off the front of each cereal box.
• Three-ring binder
• Hole puncher
• Punch three holes in each box front to match the binder's rings.

 

Directions:

1. Assemble the punched pages and insert each in the binder to create a "cereal book."
2. Read the book with the children. 
3. Be sure to leave it where they can read it themselves.

Notes:

You can extend this activity by writing a short sentence on each page, such as, "Captain Crunch is Mary's favorite cereal."

 

Eric Gidseg

 

Activities Home | Language Strand | Skills | Theme | Type | All