BOOK WEEK 2018: Find Your Treasure

BOOK WEEK is here!! I just love this year's theme Find Your Treasure, don't you? Taking place across the country from the 18th - 24th August, teachers are preparing their engaging activities and parents have (most likely) organised their child's costume.

To me, books themselves are treasured items. Your child's favourite book is a treasure. The one you've read to them over and over again, so often that they can recite it by heart. But of course there are some more literal ways to interpret this year's theme... here are some of my favourite activities!

This is a sponsored post as part of my Brand Ambassadorship with Teach Starter. 

Image Credit - CBCA

My two kids absolutely love going on treasure hunts in the back yard (ever since Easter - go figure?). It's actually one of the few times they can get along and play nicely together. So Miss M was so excited to design her own treasure map for her next treasure hunt with her brother.

I printed the blank pirate map worksheet template from Teach Starter for her (and it comes in three options, small grid, large grid or blank). They also have this fun "Roll to create" which I think would be ideal for older students. 

This Walt Disney quote is absolutely perfect for this year's Book Week theme...and Teach Starter has created book marks and a poster version for you to display in your classroom. I would laminate the book marks and add a little bit of glitter to make them extra special! Book Week is not complete without book marks!

Another great classroom display is this book week bunting. Perfect for the school library! 

Last year Teach Starter bought out a series of Book Week themed task cards which covered several learning areas (my Year 2s loved them!). So I was pleased to see a new set for this year! The STEM ideas are awesome. 

It's so fitting during book week to invite your students to create their own books - I don't know what it is but they always seem more enthusiastic doing these types of tasks than just a simple worksheet. And they get to take them home after and share their learning with their parents! This 8 page book report mini book is great and examines many different elements of the book; the cover, characters, setting and a rating. 

Image credit: Teach Starter

Want more ideas?

• Put out some rainbow rice and ask children to search for (and count or divide) the hidden treasure. Adding in some magnifying glasses and other scoopy toys this one is sure to be a hit!
• Go on a treasure hunt around the classroom, looking for sight words (or any other kids of treasures you can think of)
• Make up a scavenger hunt around the school yard (for example, how many windows in the Library, what colours are the play ground, how many cubby houses are there? etc)
• Select a well known character such as the Green Sheep, Possum Magic or The Very Hungry Caterpillar to hide somewhere in your school. Give your students a series of clues taking them from place to place all over the school and finally they'll find their treasured book character. Better yet, you could hide "Jenny" from Rodney Looses It, the CBA Early Childhood Picture book winner!
• Create your own puzzle from a well known book cover design and each child in a group has to find one piece and then work as a team to put it back together. 
• What a fantastic week to introduce mapping as part of your Maths studies. Design your own treasure map on yellow paper and simply cut it out and paste onto blue card for the water background. 

Happy Book Week everyone!

Lauren x