Flashlight by Lizi BoydThis gorgeous book is wordless. It begins with a boy in his tent looking out at at the dark. Then with his flashlight, he ventures out into the forest to reveal what is roaming between the dark trees. It would be nice to read before camping to help allay any fear that might arise from 'what's outside the tent'.
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⚈ 1 Play ideas ⚈ 2 Classroom Activities Get your hands on this book here: |
Chalk drawings - Age 2+
The beautiful illustrations in this book really make you want to make more beautiful things. Try using light coloured chalk on dark construction paper. Little ones will have fun with the texture of the chalk (and dust!) and older ones can experiment with different effects that can be made with chalk on paper. |
I spy game - Age 2+
This book has so many sweet little creatures hidden away in every nook that an "I spy" game is inevitable. Ask your children to find something small on each page and have them challenge you too. For kids who respond better to visual prompts, use cards or pictures and have them hunt for the items on the page. |
What type of tree is this? STEM activity - Age 4+
Every page of this book is full of trees, which can naturally lead to questions such as, "What type of tree is that?". What a fun way to start a tree-identification activity! Many forestry websites have pages dedicated to this, so have a look online for a list of your local trees. Your kids can be leaf detectives, using print outs of leaf shapes or even bark detectives, looking at the tree trunk for clues. A wonderful outdoor investigation.
Every page of this book is full of trees, which can naturally lead to questions such as, "What type of tree is that?". What a fun way to start a tree-identification activity! Many forestry websites have pages dedicated to this, so have a look online for a list of your local trees. Your kids can be leaf detectives, using print outs of leaf shapes or even bark detectives, looking at the tree trunk for clues. A wonderful outdoor investigation.
How old is this tree? STEM activity - Age 4+
Another great early science and math activity that links nicely to this book, is finding out the age of trees around you. You are supposed to be able to measure a tree at 5 feet high (your kids can measure lower down and compare that to the higher measurement) and then the distance in inches should be the age of the tree. The exact measurements differs depending on tree species, but the activity itself is quite fun, if you can look past the slight generalisation! |
- Try adding a flashlight to different activities during the day, just to change things up! Reading in the dark with a flashlight makes it a bit more of a sensory experience
- Use flashlights for a science shadow investigation
- Hide objects around the classroom, turn the lights off and have students hunt using flashlights. Objects could include things like the alphabet for your younger learners or new facts/revision points for older learners
- Write dialogue to go with the wordless story
- Watch the book trailer below on YouTube
Click below for other books and activities about camping/outdoors: