Celebrating World Book Day 2022
28 February 2022
World Book Day, which takes place this year on Thursday the 3rd of March, celebrates its 25th anniversary with the message for all children 'you are a reader'. On World Book Day, a range of activities take place across schools and nurseries in the UK, and every child in full-time education is given a voucher to be spent on books.
What can you do at your school to get involved?
World Book Day is a fantastic opportunity to engage children in the classroom or playground. It isn't just limited to physical books - there are so many different forms of storytelling out there! The possibilities are endless, from audiobooks, video storytelling, writing competitions, and more. We've listed some of the free resources and ideas available suitable for all ages.
Decorate your classroom
Decorating can build up excitement and be a fun activity in itself, and children can create DIY decorations in the classroom prior to the day. With just some string and coloured paper, they can create paper fans, tassels, and bunting banners. You can even ask them to make some World Book Day posters.
£1 books
The official World Book Day website has listed 2022's £1 / €1.50 books that children can claim for free with their token. The website lists books for beginners right up to independent readers. You can implement a series of reading hours in your classroom or outdoor space to encourage children to engage with their new book.
Activity packs
The World Book Day website has a fantastic collection of resources for your classroom, including quizzes, word searches, 'Make your own book' worksheets, and colouring activities. These are especially great if you are last-minute planning for the big day!
Group reading
Group reading can promote teamwork and engage the whole class in a story. Some of the best-selling children's books from 2021 that you can choose for group reading include: Vetman and his Bionic Animal Clan, How I Became a Dog Called Midnight, Swarm Rising, The Boy With Wings, and Dragon City
Storytelling outdoors
Why not take your children out of their classroom environment and take storytelling to the playground? It will be a good opportunity to help explore their senses by asking them to go around the playground and choose something to tell a story about.
Playforce can help create seating, sheltered and quiet areas for your school or nursery which are perfect for storytelling outdoors. Contact us to book a free consultation to see how we can help create a comfortable surrounding that will stimulate imagination and help your children learn new experiences.
Character guessing
In this activity, one person describes a character, and the other has to draw who they’re describing. The one describing will then mark out of 10 on how close the drawing is to their description. Another approach is you, the teacher, being the one to give a character description. Each pupil will then draw what they think it looks like - it can be interesting to compare everyone's own perspective!
Performing
Every child has different learning styles and are creative in different ways. While some love reading words from a book, others want to express themselves through performance methods such as plays and talent shows. If you're last-minute planning, you can ask your class to get into groups of four and plan out a short performance to show to the rest of the class. Not only will this be great fun, but it can help to build their confidence.
Competitions
Let your students explore their creative side by hosting some competitions. This can include writing poems, short stories or comics. We've come up with some writing prompt ideas to get the creativity flowing:
1. It was the first day at their new house when Emily and Robin discovered a strange-looking key under a wobbly floorboard. "What could this be for?" Emily Asked. "Let's find out!" Robin replied….
2. Daniel discovered an underground bunker whilst walking home from school. The door was unlocked, and he slowly made his way inside. On a table at the end of the bunker, there was a red button saying 'Do not press'. Ignoring the sign, he pressed the button. Now he's in trouble…
3. I was doing my homework when a cat stopped on my windowsill. "I need your help", the cat said. Shocked, I replied, "You can speak?!". "Yes, and there is no time to explain. I need your help"...
4. "No, you can't wear my dress!" I shouted at my cousin. As she pulled it out of my hands, I pointed at her to demand it back. Suddenly, a ray of light came out of my finger and turned her into a frog. "Oh no, what am I going to do?"...
Book ‘trailers’
Get your pupils to talk about their favourite book! They can create presentations, posters, or a written paragraph. If you have a reading corner or library, you can display their ‘trailers’ in this section to help other children choose a book.
You can find out more about World Book Day through their website. And to find out how Playforce can help create outdoor areas for storytelling please call us on 01604 261690 or email us at sales@playforce.co.uk.
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