Show your child how the world works using storybook characters or finger puppets. Activities like this will help them understand emotions and improve their reading and writing. Not only that but they’ll help your child talk about their own thoughts and feelings.

  • There's a bear on my chair
  • Finger puppets
  • The Day the Crayons Quit
Read the book together encouraging your child to point at Mouse on every page. When you've finished, turn to a random page and ask your child how Mouse might be feeling. Encourage them to use words like 'sad', 'angry', 'annoyed', 'hopeful' and 'happy'.
Choose your favourite character together. Point to their face and encourage your child to describe how that character might be feeling (e.g. Are they happy, sad, angry or excited?) Flip it over and talk about how the puppet is feeling now (e.g. Did they become sad or happy? And what happened to make them feel different?).
Read the letters together pointing out the different colours and drawings along the way. When you've finished reading ask: 'Who had the best reason to quit?' and then encourage your child to draw a picture especially for that crayon. Perhaps they could draw clothes for Peach Crayon or even a yellow and orange sun.

Hang on! Try my amazing Read ideas.

Try reading

Don't forget about the everyday Count ideas.

Start counting

Handy tips

TIP

Be patient when your child is learning to read

TIP

Talk about words that are the same, but have different meanings (e.g. traffic jam and strawberry jam)

TIP

Look for books on topics that your child likes