These three activities are all Canva templates, which you can quickly edit with your own kid’s book illustrations, so you have custom crafts for the kids to create at your book events!
I’m a children’s book illustrator and also a graphic designer, so I create a number of templates for my own book events. (“Maybe A Whale” - written by Kirsten Pendreigh, “Mother Aspen” - written by Annette LeBox)
Each of these activities also includes instructions (with screenshots) on how to customize it with your own illustrations in Canva! Scroll down to find all three…
A Paper Mobile Cut-Out Activity
Check out this unique craft template—a paper mobile! You can add your own book illustrations to the Canva template and print it out. Three or four circles hang, double-sided, on string and can be hung from the ceiling, by a window, or against a wall. This also works well to hang in bookstores, as an added bonus.
Customize Your Own 'Story Cube' Craft for Your Kids Book!
A story cube is a fun craft to cut and glue and afterwards, you can use it for activities with the kids!
Once it’s been cut and pasted, have the kids roll it and then try to recall the part of the story that matches the image that comes up.
Have kids tell the story by using the cube, see if they can do it in order.
Let kids roll the cube and make up a new story using the pictures that come up.
Print out a blank copy of the cube and have the kids draw their own pictures to go with the story!
Bookmark Activities!
Check out these bookmark templates on Canva, which come in a number of different styles, and can be customized with the illustrations from your children’s book. There is also room for the kids to draw their own interpretations of the story! Add a tassel and you’re ready to go.
Each of these blog posts has examples, ways to use the activity, and instructions for using the Canva templates with screenshots. I hope your next book event is a brilliant success!
Learn more about me as an illustrator or check out the kid’s books I’ve illustrated over on my website here.
Say hello over on BlueSky where I hang out quite a bit!