Book Activities! Construction Site: Merry and Bright (plus: FREE Rhyming Words printable!)

Happy December!

In years past, we've done the 25 Books of Christmas. My kids loved it! They LOVED opening a book each night and then reading it together was very special.

I shared the activities that we did to build their communication skills. Usually, the ideas are things you can do right then as you read!

Most Popular Christmas Books

This year, I wanted to share some activities and ideas that you can do with your child that go along with books you probably already have at home! I've picked some of Amazon's top children's Christmas themed books!

Our first book is Construction Site: Merry and Bright by Sherri Duskey Rinker and illustrated by A.G. Ford. It's a quick lift-the-flap board book with great pictures and a cute rhyming rhythm! I know your 1-4 year old will love it!

Ready to Read?

On your first reading you have a few options! My favorite is to just read through it and enjoy it together! The flaps are delightful and each one is a surprise. Just reading it through will be a great literacy activity for your toddler or preschooler!

But don't stop there! The real treasure comes with multiple readings!

Vocabulary

On your second reading, you can focus on Vocabulary. There are some amazing words in this book that children aren't exposed to often! There are construction words like:

- construction

- tough

- boom

- hauling

- cargo

- miles

- toward

- giant

- raises

- gate

But there's also some great holiday words! Check these words out:

- glow

- Eve

- celebrate

- cheer

- garland

- gather

And there's more! You can emphasize the great vocabulary words as you read them and encourage your child to say them!

Prepositions (Location Concepts)

Now, read it again!! You may not read this book multiple times in one night, but over the next week or month, you could read it many, many times!

The next time you read it, I recommend talking about where things are! You'll be using lots of prepositional phrases!

There are decorations "behind" Skid Steer and Crane Truck takes the cover "off of" Flatbed to reveal a surprise! There's a star "in" Excavator's bucket and he places it "at the top!" There is something "next to" the tree, placed there by Bulldozer! Dump Truck pours presents "out of the truck" and "on the ground."

You don't have to do just the words in the story! Look at the pictures to find many more objects and tell where they are! A great question to ask yourself is: "Where is the ___?" and when you answer it, you will most likely be using a prepositional phrase! For example: "Where are the lights?" They are wrapped "around the poles!"

Rhyming Words

Another time you read the story you can focus on the rhyming words....and there are LOTS of rhyming words in this little book! Even in the title: Site - Bright! The whole story is one long poem!

After you read a page, go back and repeat the rhyming words. Look - hook! See-Tree!

If your child is enjoying the rhyming words, have him repeat them with you!

Then, do this Cut and Glue activity! Print pages 2-4 from the packet below. Cut out all of the pictures that are in the story: tree, star, wreath, present and lights. As you are reding the story (again!) glue each picture to an ornament as you find it in the book!

Then when you are done with the book, lay out the rhyming word pictues: three, car, teeth, pheasant and knights.

Work together to find the rhyming words! Pick up one of the ornaments you made earlier and say the word. "Tree" then look at all of the rhyming word pictures and figure out which word rhymes with "tree!" You will need to tell your child what all of the rhyming pictures are... the bird is a pheasant but not all kiddos know that! And the smile is "teeth."

When you find the rhyming word, glue it onto another ornament! Say the rhyming pair! Tree- Three!

Keep going until all of the pictures are matched and glued onto ornaments!

Your child can color the ornaments and hang them on your family tree! Or you can keep them out and play matching games with them like concentration/memory!

Have a great time reading, and re-reading, and re-reading and making these cute rhyming ornaments!

Get the printable here:

Happy Playing!

-Lauren :)

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