We are big readers around here, and over the years I’ve created a huge collection of book activities for kids.
One of my favorite ways to extend a great book is to pair it with something hands-on. A story can lead naturally into a science experiment, STEM challenge, math activity, art project, recipe, sensory experience, geography lesson, or creative writing activity.
These ideas are great for parents, teachers, homeschoolers, book clubs, library programs, and anyone who wants to bring a favorite book to life.
Whether you’re looking for a STEM activity to go with a picture book, a math lesson inspired by a story, or a seasonal book activity, you’ll find plenty of ideas below.
Book Activities for Kids
STEM & Science Book Activities
Books and science make such a natural pairing. These activities use stories and nonfiction books as a springboard for experiments, engineering challenges, nature study, and hands-on discovery.
- Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie — Pie Crust Experiments
- Are You My Mother? — Bird Life Cycle Spinners
- The Ear Book — Magic Ear Trick
- Elevator Magic — Story Book STEM: Hydraulic Elevator
- Green Eggs and Ham — Green Eggs Chemistry Experiment
- How to Survive as a Firefly — Origami Firefly Paper Circuit
- If I Built a Car — If I Built a Car Storybook STEM Activities
- Little Cloud — Ink Blot Cloud Shapes
- Mosby’s Magic Carpet Handbook — Magic Flying Carpet in a Jar: Magnet Science
- Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash — Autumn Science: Comparing Squash
- Old Tracks New Tricks — Train Chain Reactions
- Papa’s Mechanical Fish — Submarine Science
- The Raft — Storybook STEM Raft Building Challenge
- A Rainbow of My Own — Awesome Rainbow Experiments for Kids
- The Snowy Day — Winter Science: Fizzing Snowmen
- Stellaluna — Flapping Bat Wings STEM
- The Sword in the Stone — Magic Wands and Potions
- Ten Apples Up On Top — Storybook STEM: Levitating Magnets
- Three Billy Goats Gruff — Storybook STEM Bridge Challenge
- The Tiny Seed — The Seeds We Eat
- Toy Boat — Rubber Band Paddle Boats
- Bone by Bone — Animal Skeleton Matching Cards
- How Mountains Are Made — Plate Tectonics with Kinetic Sand
- Let’s Go Rock Collecting — Identify Rocks With Kids
- Oil Spill! — Oil Spill Clean-Up Experiment
- Digging Up Dinosaurs — Making Dinosaur Fossils
Math Book Activities
Stories can make abstract math ideas much easier for kids to understand. These book-based activities explore counting, fractions, measurement, geometry, time, and number lines.
- The Gruffalo — Fraction Math Trees
- The Grouchy Ladybug — Clock Story
- How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World — Pi Day with Apple Pie
- Kite Day — Kite-Themed Preschool Math
- Knuffle Bunny — Bunny Hop Number Line Game
- Me Telling Time — Chalkboard Clock Learning
- Ten Red Apples — Apple Math: Counting & Fractions
- Each Orange Had Eight Slices — Orange Fraction Flip Book
- Hershey Fraction Book — Hershey’s Fractions Printable
- Hershey’s Weights and Measures — Candy Math
- Skittles Riddles Math — Skittles Math Printable
- Twizzlers Shapes and Patterns — Licorice Shapes and Angles
Literacy, Poetry & Language Activities
Extend reading into phonics, spelling, poetry, handwriting, punctuation, and literary discussion with these language arts activities.
- Click Clack Moo — Farm Word Spelling Mats
- Fox in Socks — Rhyming Word Puzzles
- Freight Train — Preschool Alphabet Train
- Matilda — The Book vs. The Movie
- Poetry for Young People — Poetry Tea Party
- Winnie the Pooh — A.A. Milne Handwriting Pages
- Children’s Intro to Poetry — Poetry Drawings
- Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson — Riddle Poems
- Semicolons, Cupcakes and Cucumbers — Printable Punctuation Book for Kids
Geography, History & Social Studies Books
Books can also help kids understand places, people, history, culture, and the world around them.
- Greek Myths — Greek Olympics Activities
- Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again — Road Safety Game for Kids
- Me on the Map — Geography Nesting Cans
- The Pirate’s Handbook — Treasure Hunt Map of Your Yard
- The Girl Who Thought in Pictures — Temple Grandin Unit Study
- Geography from A to Z
Art, Crafts & Creative Book Activities
Some books practically beg to be turned into art. These activities let kids create, build, sew, paint, and make while connecting with favorite stories.
- The Adventures of Peter Rabbit — Felt Peter Rabbit Easter Craft
- The Bird Alphabet Book — Storybook Art: Bird Craft for Kids
- The Busy Tree — Four Seasons Tree Craft
- The Doll People — Clothespin Doll Craft
- From Head to Toe — From Head to Toe Activity Cards
- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site — Fabric Roads
- The Little Island — Island Sensory Play
- My Many Colored Days — Color My Feelings
- Ocean Books — Snapping Fish Craft
- The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly — Old Lady Craft
- A Rainbow of My Own — Rainbow Play Dough Color Mixing
- A Remnant Surprise — Make a Family Quilt Craft
- Scaredy Squirrel — Acorn Color Matching
- The Sword in the Stone — Magic Wands and Potions
- The Tailor of Gloucester — Hand Sewing with Beatrix Potter
Sensory Play & Early Learning Book Activities
These story-inspired activities are especially fun for preschool and early elementary kids who learn best through movement, sensory play, and hands-on exploration.
- Little Blue Truck — Little Blue Truck Sensory Play
- Planting A Rainbow — Rainbow Vegetable Garden
Cooking & Food Activities Inspired by Books
Books and food are always a fun combination. These activities let kids cook, taste, experiment, and learn in the kitchen.
- Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie — Pie Crust Experiments
- If You Give a Pig a Pancake — Kids Cooking Lesson: German Pancake Visual Recipe
- Thunder Cake — Thunder Cake Recipe
Fairy Tales, Legends & Classic Literature Activities
Classic stories, fairy tales, myths, and legends are especially fun to explore beyond the book.
- Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales — Fairy Tale Lesson Ideas
- St. George and the Dragon — St. George and the Dragon Activities
- The Sword in the Stone — Magic Wands and Potions
- Fairy Tale Puppet Show Theater
Fall & Halloween Book Activities
Fall is a wonderful time to bring books into seasonal science, crafts, and STEM.
- 5 Little Pumpkins — Pumpkin Math: How Many Segments?
- Inside a House that is Haunted — Haunted House Craft
- Room on the Broom — Edible Witches Brew Slime
- Stellaluna — Halloween STEM: Flapping Bat Wings
Thanksgiving Book Activities
- Run, Turkey Run! — Thanksgiving Turkey Tag
- This is the Feast — This is the Feast Story Sticks
Christmas Book Activities
Pair favorite Christmas stories with crafts, music, history, and literature activities.
- A Christmas Bell for Anya — Christmas Bell Ornament
- A Christmas Carol — Christmas Carol Lesson Ideas
- Drummer Boy — Christmas Drum Craft
- The Legend of the Candy Cane — Baby Jesus Craft
- The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree — Christmas Music Tree Ornament
Easter & Spring Book Activities
- Duck! Rabbit! — Duck or Rabbit Craft & Science Activity
- The Easter Egg — Easter Science: Borax Crystal Eggs
- The Legend of Three Trees — Three Trees Craft
- Peter Rabbit — Felt Easter Craft
More Ways to Learn With Books
You don’t have to stop when the activity is finished. Use these ideas as a jumping-off point for even more learning.
Kids can:
- Retell the story in their own words.
- Draw or write about their favorite part.
- Compare the book with another story on the same topic.
- Research a science, history, or geography idea mentioned in the book.
- Create their own STEM challenge inspired by the story.
- Write an alternate ending.
- Make a comic, puppet show, or reader’s theater version.
- Cook a food mentioned in the story.
- Create a map of the setting.
- Keep a reading journal or book notebook.
The goal isn’t to turn every book into an assignment. Sometimes the best thing to do with a wonderful book is simply enjoy it! But when a story sparks curiosity, these kinds of hands-on activities can help kids make memorable connections between reading and the world around them.
More Reading Resources for Kids
If you’re looking for more great books to read together, you can also explore my grade-level book lists, classic literature resources, poetry activities, and other reading ideas here on Teach Beside Me.
- 25+ Best Books for 1st Graders (Teacher & Homeschool Favorites)
- 25 Best 2nd Grade Books Kids Will Love (Teacher Recommendations)
- Best Books for Third Graders: Chapter Books, Read-Alouds & Series
- Best Books for Fourth Graders: Chapter Books, Classics & Read-Alouds
- Teacher Recommended: Fifth Grade Books
- 50 Must Read Classic Books for Kids