Adventures are a great way for nannies and sitters to leverage their creativity to make more money and provide a unique child care experience for families. There are many ways to approach creating an Adventure, but one way is to draw inspiration from books.
Books are a great way to grow a child’s imagination, teach them something, or expand what they understand about the world. Similarly, Adventures bring a new level of enrichment to the time a sitter spends with a child. Why not combine their powers? The Adventure can start with reading the book with the child. Then you can do some activities you planned based on what happens in the story. This could work with any book, but here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Bob the Artist by Marion Deuchars
An affirming picture book for ages 3+ about the power of art and of being confident enough to be yourself.
Why Kids Will Love It
Art is messy and fun–especially Jackson Pollock!
Why Parents Will Love It
Learning about these artists in a fun, hands-on way hones fine motor skills with a heaping dose of art education.
Details
Read the book and explore the different artists showcased in the story (using the internet or other art books). Try making your own paintings together in the style of the artists from the book with an inexpensive pack of mini canvases and paint.
Make It Extra Special
Using the plain side of an old cardboard box, cut out frames for your artwork. Paint or add swirls and lines to make them “fancy,” then hang your new art gallery together.
2. The Piñata that the Farm Maiden Hung by Samantha R. Vamos
A bilingual story for ages 4+ that celebrates Mexican culture and makes learning the Spanish language easy and fun.
Why Kids Will Love It
It’s a craft project filled with candy. What’s not to love?!
Why Parents Will Love It
Children will learn Spanish words along with a lesson on Mexican culture in a fun and engaging way.
Details
Read the book and talk about piñatas and what they’re used for. Make your own piñata together using one of the four methods linked here or here (based on the time available and the age/skill of the child).
Make It Extra Special
Cascarones are also a part of Mexican celebrations. Make a set of the colorful eggs to use at a party or just for fun.
3. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
A story for august 4+ that quietly celebrates a child’s ingenuity and her ability to change the world around her.
Why Kids Will Love It
Children will revel at their spider-like ability to knit with just yarn and their own fingers.
Why Parents Will Love It
While simple at its core, finger knitting encourages following directions, careful hand-eye coordination, and patience.
Details
Read the story and learn how to finger knit together. Practice a bit, then try out a project with your new skill. Here are a few ideas to inspire: decorative garland, necklace, rug or trivet, animals.
Make It Extra Special
Gift one of your creations to a loved one. Finger knit a long strand to tie up the package or decorate it with a finger-knitted bow.
4. Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle
Bold illustrations and poetry for ages 3+ tells the biography of a Chinese-African-Cuban girl who broke the Cuban taboo against female drummers.
Why Kids Will Love It
There is something oh-so-satisfying about creating a loud and beautiful sound on your very own drum.
Why Parents Will Love It
Yes, this is a noisy project, but it includes a musical and cultural lesson while teaching children about rhythm, control, and the science of sound.
Details
Read the story. Explore drums and rhythm around the house by testing out the sounds made when you tap your hands or a soft mallet (or spoon) on different surfaces. Experiment with tapping glasses filled with different amounts of water. Make your own bongo-style drum using a balloon and can or a decorated coffee tin. Find a simple, bass-heavy song and practice drumming the beat along with it.
Make It Extra Special
Add another instrument by making a simple hand drum. Share your instruments with a friend and make music together!
5. Rainbow Weaver by Linda Elovitz Marshall
Based on true events, a story for ages 5+ about how repurposing can benefit a community and the environment.
Why Kids Will Love It
Children will be delighted that they can create beautiful and functional items with such a simple maneuver.
Why Parents Will Love It
The simplicity of weaving makes this activity accessible to children of most ages. It encourages calmness and focus while providing an opportunity to practice those critical fine-motor skills.
Details
Read the story and talk about weaving together. Explore items in the home that are made from weaving (clothing, blankets, tapestries). Make a simple cardboard loom (make this ahead of time for younger, less patient children), and weave together using fabric strips, yarn, embroidery floss, cut up plastic bags or strips of old t-shirts.
Make It Extra Special
Mastered the art of simple weaving? Try making something beautiful for your walls like this dreamcatcher made with an old CD or something useful like a small woven bowl or woven bookmark.
6. The Leaf Detective: How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets in the Rainforest by Heather Lang
This picture book biography for ages 7+ tells the story of a female scientist who was determined to investigate the undiscovered world of the rainforest treetops.
Why Kids Will Love It
Baking cookies together is a fun and delicious way to spend an afternoon.
Why Parents Will Love It
Baking with children teaches patience, the importance of following directions, science, and creativity.
Details
Read and learn about the rainforest together. Then bake Rainforest Cookies using ingredients found in the rainforest.
Make It Extra Special
While the cookies are in the oven, keep the rainforest fun going by making paper bag puppets of common rainforest animals.
