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January 25, 2013

David McPhail Book Activities for Children

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This month’s Virtual Book Club for Kids author, David McPhail, was new to us so I am super excited to see all of the fun book activities for children featuring his work that everyone is linking up.  We checked out many of his books from the library, but the one we had the most fun with was Piggy’s Pancake Parlor (Action Packs).

Piggy’s Pancake Parlor is the story of a little pig who is taken in by a farmer family.  Mrs. Farmer teaches him how to make a pancake recipe with a special secret ingredient.  Piggy befriends Fox and they open a successful pancake parlor together in town.

Pig Book Activities for Children and the Virtual Book Club for KidsThe kids loved the idea of having a pancake parlor and decided to make their own.  They started talking about what they were going to do even before we had finished the book (it’s written in a chapter book style so we didn’t read it all in one sitting.)

They even designed costumes for their characters.  They created a pig nose for Piggy like we did during our Letter P Play Date and cut out cardboard ears for Fox and taped them onto a headband.  The customer carried a purse/wallet with play money in it to pay for the pancakes.

Piggy's Pancake Parlor Book Activities for ChildrenNot only was their pretend pancake parlor fun, it was also packed full of early literacy practice!

  • They used writing and prewriting skills while creating the sign, writing (and pretending to write) the orders, and filling out the bill.
  • They recalled and sequenced story events while planning and acting out the book.
  • They identified the main characters and were able to describe each the characteristics of each.
  • They made text to self connections and used their background knowledge of really going out to eat pancakes to help remember and understand what happened in the story.

It’s amazing how much learning takes place while kids are playing!

Here are all of the bloggers who are participating in the Virtual Book Club for Kids this year!  Be sure to visit to see all of the fun they have had!

Toddler Approved – Rainy Day Mum – Adventures in Reading with Kids – 3 Dinosaurs – Royal Baloo – The Educators’ Spin On It – Inspiration Laboratories – Pleasantest Thing – Edventures with Kids – Two Big Two Little – Playing With Words 365 – Kitchen Counter Chronicles – Outlaw Mom – Mommy and Me Book Club – Crafty Moms Share – No Twiddle Twaddle – The Good Long Road – Ready. Set. Read 2 Me – Reading Confetti – Mama Smiles – Juggling with Kids– Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas – Creekside Learning – Creative Family Fun – The Usual Mayhem – Teach Preschool – PlayDrMom – CraftoArt – Here Come the Girls – Being a Conscious Parent – Smiling like Sunshine – Crayon Freckles – Train Up a Child – Smile Play Learn – Enchanted Homeschooling Mom – Coffee Cups and Crayons – Having Fun at Chelle’s House- Love, Play, Learn – Juggling With Kids

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

About Megan Sheakoski

Megan is the creator of Coffee Cups and Crayons, a blog full of simple fun and learning. She believes that kids’ activities don’t have to be complicated to be fun and that learning is better with play.

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Comments

  1. Lorie says

    January 25, 2013 at 7:34 pm

    I love how so much learning is packed into fun pretend play! Also the pig noses. 🙂

    Reply
    • Megan Sheakoski says

      January 25, 2013 at 8:46 pm

      Ha! I had forgotten we made those noses and wasn’t sure why they needed ribbon for the pig’s nose at first! Thanks Lorie!

      Reply
  2. Trisha @ Inspiration Laboratories says

    January 25, 2013 at 8:30 pm

    It looks like they had so much fun! We really need to check out some of David McPhail’s piggy books.

    Reply
    • Megan Sheakoski says

      January 25, 2013 at 8:48 pm

      The Piggy ones were our favorites of the bunch we got from the library. This one is a hybrid of picture and chapter book so it was especially appealing to my 3!

      Reply
  3. maryanne @ mama smiles says

    January 26, 2013 at 10:15 am

    I love the piggy nose! We really enjoyed this book, too 🙂

    Reply
    • Megan Sheakoski says

      January 26, 2013 at 4:12 pm

      Thanks MaryAnne! They’ve been wearing it a lot!

      Reply
  4. Jen Fischer says

    January 28, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    Love the piggy pancake parlor pretend play you all did!

    Reply
    • Megan Sheakoski says

      January 28, 2013 at 7:49 pm

      Thanks! Yours looked like lots of fun too!!!

      Reply

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