Lunchtime Book Club for Preschoolers

There’s no denying that reading aloud to your children is one of the most beneficial ways to start their literacy journey.

So many studies show how sharing books with your kids when they’re little can encourage a lifelong love of reading.

In our family, we read books before bedtime, but we could always use more quiet, storytime moments during the day.

Sometimes, it’s tricky to get my active kids to sit and be engaged in a story. But they will sit for food!

So I started reading to my kids while we ate lunch and the lunchtime book club for preschoolers was born!

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There’s no real magic formula to our lunchtime book club.

As the name implies, we read books during lunch. And usually, add a simple craft project.

But by giving this reading time an official name, it makes the time feel even more special.

Now that my son is in school every day, it’s often just my 4-year-old daughter and me. But the more the merrier. If you have a playgroup, this lunchtime book club would be a great addition!

Recently, during lunch, my girl and I sat down to read Penguins Don’t Wear Sweaters by Marikka Tamura, with illustrations by Daniel Rieley.

It’s a simply written story that highlights the effects of oil spills on wildlife from the penguins’ point of view, and, as the author’s note at the end explains, there was a drive to knit sweaters for the birds after an oil spill in Australia.

While we were reading, my daughter and I had some great conversations about what was really the best way to help the penguins, and how sometimes people make choices that can harm animals and nature.

Then, it was time for crafts!

We decided to try to match the cover art and make paper sweaters for our penguins.

I cut out the basic penguin body, eyes, feet, and beak from construction paper. Then, my daughter glued everything together. She’s getting pretty good with that glue stick!

If you want to build up your craft supply stash and want to save some money while you do, check out these tips!

We designed our own sweaters for our penguins by cutting and tearing strips of colored paper. Yay for scissor practice! We also talked about making patterns with the paper to make designs on the sweaters.

This project was a hit!

She spent about 25 minutes precisely gluing tiny strips of construction paper all over her penguin’s belly. She was super concerned with her bird being chilly.

My daughter was so proud of her little penguin when she was finished.

And she loved the time we got to spend together!

Our lunchtime book club has become such an easy way to add another reading time to our day.

Even if we don’t have time for a craft, there always seems to be a chance for a sweet discussion, no matter the subject of the book.

For more ideas and inspiration for your own lunchtime book club for preschoolers, check out the site Babies to Bookworms. There former teacher and mom, Vicki, shares book recommendations and matching crafts for kids.

I’ve been a fan of this site for a long time, and Vicki never seems to run out of brilliant ideas. Plus, she comes up with projects for everyone from toddlers to school-age children, so the whole family can join in!

I hope this post encourages you to start your own lunchtime book club for your preschooler.

One on one, or with a group, it just takes a couple of minutes to read a children’s book, even while you’re eating lunch!