Books You Can Play

Do you ever wish you’d like to read more books with your child, but they just won’t sit still long enough to get through them?

Good news! There are many wonderful books that kids can wiggle and fidget and even play along with – and so can you! Play is an integral part of learning how to read because it physically connects the reader to the story and engages more than just the mind.

Keep in mind all the ways you can connect children to the words on the pages of books. For example, point to the words on the page and then ask children to act out what the sentence just said. So, if you read to your child the line “The frog jumped!”, point to the words while you say them and ask, “Can you jump like a frog?” They’ll love jumping like a frog and ribbit-ing, but more importantly, they’ve physically connected with the story. They understand there is a frog jumping in the book and they themselves are acting like the jumping frog in the book.

The Perfect Play List

Here are some of my go-to storytime books that keep kids moving but connected.

Play Games with Me by Kat Chen and illustrated by Lorraine Nam

Play along with Alex and their best friend, Rex, in this colorful board book for all ages! You and your child can build with blocks, play hide and seek, and cook in your play kitchen all while interacting with Alex. And just when you think you’ve played all you can, Alex asks you to play one more game: cleanup!

Jump! by Scott M. Fischer

This repetitious rhyming book is similar to the classic There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and is a particular favorite of mine during the summer when I have a wide variety of ages at storytime. Each page introduces a new animal that falls prey to a bigger animal that must jump to catch them. While you are reading, ask your child what sound the animal makes and jump with them whenever you read the word jump. It’s a silly story and a great way to get in some cardio. (And don’t worry, all the animals live to jump another day!)

Can You Make a Scary Face? by Jan Thomas

You may think that this book is just about making silly faces, but it is actually an exercise in using your imagination and doing the chicken dance. While you read it, be sure both you and your child are following the instructions so you can escape the giant hungry frog. Sometimes I like to read this one twice in a row because the first time can be too exciting for littles to manage following along with their bodies. It’s just too silly!

Perros! Perros! Dogs! Dogs! by Ginger Foglesong Guy and illustrated by Sharon Glick

Don’t worry if you don’t know any Spanish; this book is bilingual! Follow along and learn about opposites as more and more dogs join in the fun around the town. When I read this one in storytime, I like to ask how the children think the different dogs sound when they bark. How does the fast dog bark? What about the curly dog? There are no wrong answers!

Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

This is a delightful book that gives you and your child instructions to follow that help the magic tree change throughout the year. Children get to learn about the changing seasons while they tap, wiggle, shake and pat the magic tree. I like to use this book as a mindfulness practice in storytime if my group is wiggly but doesn’t have a lot of energy. We practice taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling before we do each action, which helps me calm my mind too. 

A final word: Reading, listening and playing can go together

Remember, even if your child looks like they are more interested in playing with toys on the floor than listening to you read a story, they can actually do both at the same time. Just like grownups can listen to an audiobook or podcast while we do the dishes, kids can play and listen at the same time.

It’s developmentally appropriate for children ages 0-5 to move around while listening, and it’s a great opportunity for them to engage with the book. That engagement increases their overall understanding of the story and their world. And if they still don’t seem interested in listening to you read a story, try hopping around the room like a frog because the more you participate, the more they will!