Storybook Activities: Room on the Broom 

Book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

(Support the author by purchasing this book here.)

One Sunday morning with my 2 year old granddaughter Bella,  I turned on Netflix looking for something quick to entertain her as we got ready for our day together. There it was: "Room on the Broom" by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.  Bella has loved this book, as have all of my students, so I put it on the TV. Bella was so excited! But she didn't just mindlessly stare at the TV show; she ran to get the book! She patiently watched the movie turning the pages of the book along with the show. 2 year old... patiently.... connecting a book with video.... and engaged page by page.. And, this impromptu experience led to more creative discussions and pretend play!  

While the Netflix show is wonderful - this experience is a testiment to both Bella's family who read to their child daily and the book itself capturing the imagination of its readers. 

Playing with stories increases imagination and creativity, vocabulary, comprehension skills, and an overall love of books. 

When we connect stories to our actions and daily lives, we have a deeper relationship with the story. LessonPix provides an easy tool for creating customized activities to use with your favorite stories. (Click pictures below for links of the materials in the Sharing Center.)

Picture Cards

I love board books! Board books allow me to select characters, story vocabulary, or plot sequences and velcro the pictures right in the book. Students love the sounds and feel of velcro as picture details are connected and played with right in the story.

Puppets

Cut out story puppet characters and place on popsicle sticks for retelling. I stick th e puppets in a pool noodle cut in half. 

Sorting Mats

Using the picture cards from the story or new cards, students can sort the pictures as "character" or "object". I may also sort by character or prop when planning how to act out the story (in theater-style production).

Find the Match

Find the Match template allows the students to connect the character with the object they found. In the story, each character is introduced as they find and return an object to the witch. For example, the dog finds the hat and asks the witch, "Is there room on the broom for a dog like me". I love to use wikisticks with the find the match printable. 

Picture Schedule

I created a Flap Schedule (under picture schedules) that lists each character by the order of their appearance in the story. As we read, we can lift the flap as we predict who is next in the story. Great for vocabulary, story prediction, and retelling. Typically I print on paper that is colored on one side and white on the other - just to make it prettier! 

More Ideas from the Sharing Center

Have fun learning and playing together!