Pairing a craft with a book can be really fun. Plus, there are benefits to introducing your child to art. Art can develop a child's creativity, imagination, cognitive skills, problem-solving abilities, fine motor skills, and much more. It also helps build self esteem as the child takes pride in the works of art they create. I love Pinterest and I am always looking for crafts that would pair well with Barefoot Books. I recently came across a cute lion craft that would be perfect for preschoolers and pair well with How Loud is a Lion so I enlisted the help of my 6 yr old who loves crafts. I precut the felt pieces and if I was doing this craft for younger children, I would also prepaint the paper plate. Our first step was to paint the paper plate.

After letting the paint dry, we then glued on the yellow felt piece to the center of the plate and glued on the googly eyes. 

Then we glued on the black felt piece that was the nose and mouth. 

 

Our last step was to make cuts around the edge of the plate for the lion's mane. 

Our finished project!

This was very easy for my six year old, especially since I precut the felt pieces but he still had fun making it. I think younger children could do this with a little help from their parent. I know preschoolers love using scissors but have difficulty cutting anything other than straight lines so this is a great way to practice straight cuts with the scissors. If you can get a free paint stick from your local paint store, you could use some duct tape to attach it to the back of the plate and have yourself a lion puppet. Also, I think next time I will make the lion some ears. If you want the original instructions for this craft project, you can find it at http://www.preschoolcorner.com/Preschool_Art_Craft_Packages_Animals.html. 

As I said before, this would pair well with Barefoot Books How Loud is a Lion?. What do you think?

How Loud Is A Lion?

The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems is illustrated by Jackie Morris and is suitable for all ages.  I often get asked what the age range for our books is. I usually answer that I think that most of our books are suitable for grade 5 and below with the exception of a few books. This is one of them. I strongly believe that this book should be in every child's home, every adult's home, and every classroom. This book contains 74 classic and enduring poems in the English language. Each page is beautifully illustrated by Jackie Morris. As a watercolor artist, Jackie Morris creates dreamy and rich illustrations that really do spark a child's imagination. I am in love with her artwork and would recommend the book solely on the art. The poems in this collection trace our journey through life from birth to old age. They touch on topics such as childhood, animals, love, war, and the stages of life. You will see all the familiar poets such as E.E. Cummings, Edgar Allan Poe, Yeats, Lewis Carroll, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost, and Alfred, Lord Tennyson just to name a few! I highly recommend this as a perfect baby gift, graduation gift, end of the year teacher gift, and really any gift giving situation! This is a book that will be passed down from generation to generation.