5 Themed Outings to Pair with Gift Books For Kids

Snow Play and Little Fur Family, by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams
When my kids were little I started a family wintertime tradition by sending them out to play on snowy days, and then when they came back inside with pink cheeks and cold hands, I would give them a warm drink, a warm bath, and a warm story. My warm story of choice? Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown. This charming tale follows the little fur child as he plays all day in the wild woods. By the time he returns home in the evening, he’s ready to rejoin his little fur family, “warm as toast/smaller than most/in little fur coats.” Kids will love to rub the furry tummy of the bear on the front cover of the board book, and by the time the fur parents tuck their child in bed, “all soft and warm,” they will likely feel sleepy too! If you plan to take your children out to have cold weather fun skiing, sledding, or ice skating, let them know with a copy of this book.

At trip to the ice cream store and Should I Share My Ice Cream?, by Mo Willems
Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie books are my favorite series of easy readers because Willems manages to convey so much humor and affection, as well as a wide range of emotions through simple words and expressive drawings. In this story, the elephant Gerald, who is a serious worrier, buys some ice cream and then ponders whether he should share it with his best friend, the exuberant Piggie. Kids will be in suspense as Gerald debates whether or not to share the ice cream as the treat melts, drip by drip. By the time Gerald decides to share with his friend, his ice cream has melted. But luckily, Piggie happens by and shares her ice cream. “That was not my plan,” Gerald thinks. “Oh well. This works too.” This book will give the kids a good laugh, a lesson about sharing, and motivation to share (or eat) their own cones before their hands are covered with melted, sticky ice cream.

A visit to the dinosaur museum and Revenge of the Dinotrux, by Chris Gall
Chris Gall is the creative writing and illustrating force behind Dinotrux, a book that combines dinosaurs and trucks, the top two interests for many kids. (Why didn’t I think of that first?) In the sequel, Revenge of the Dinotrux, the rusty trucks have been confined to a museum in a display of prehistoric creatures. But that’s no fun, really, so a burst of electricity brings the rude, rowdy Dinotrux back to life and sets them loose in the modern world, where Craneosaurus peeps in windows, Cementosaurus leaves a mess in the town square, and Tyrannosaurus Trux ascends a skyscraper, à la King Kong. Now that’s more like it. Read your kids this book, take them to see dinosaur fossils at the museum, and then let their imaginations romp.

A trip to a beach and Pig Kahuna, by Jennifer Sattler
Perhaps you’re planning a major surprise among your holiday gifts, like a trip to Hawaii (or Florida). If taking the kids to the beach is your plan, a delightful book to give them is Pig Kahuna. Fergus the pig loves to go beach combing with his baby brother Dink, but he’s afraid to go into the water because of its “lurking, murky ickiness.” As they go along collecting shells and seaweed, they find a surfboard. Still, Fergus doesn’t want to try it in the water. Instead they name it Dave and play with it in the sand. When the tide carries Dave out, Fergus panics and swims out to save him. While he’s on the board, he inadvertently catches a wave, and the rest is cowabunga history.

A visit to the planetarium and Max Goes to the Moon, by Jeffrey Bennett and Alan Okamoto
Max is an intrepid space explorer who’s been to Jupiter, Mars, and the Space Station, among other interstellar destinations. He’s also a Rottweiler. This book pairs a fun fictional story about Max the dog going to the moon with lots of sidebars full of nonfiction facts about space and space travel. The Max books, written by astronomer and teacher Jeffrey Bennett, were chosen for the Story Time from Space program, through which astronauts on the Space Station record themselves reading children’s books for kids on earth to enjoy. Max Goes to the Moon has also been adapted into a planetarium show, so giving your kids this book would be a great way to herald a science-themed outing.
What fun book and activity themed pairings have you dreamed up?