Calling all book lovers! Today is the perfect day to celebrate storytelling, and we want to share some of our favorite ways to! Whether you want to read, write, or craft – we have something for you. Get creative today and have fun exploring the pages of a new book!

1. Make Your Own Story Book

This activity is great for all ages! Learning to make your own book is a great way for kids to learn new skills and practice their writing, drawing, and creative expression. This project utilizes recycled materials and left over scraps found around your classroom or home. Have fun creating something you will want to share with everyone!

What you will need:

• Cardboard

• Scissors

• Craft Paper

• Glue

• Yarn

• Printer Paper

• Stickers/gems

• Coloring Supplies

• Pencils/Erasers

Instructions:

1. Begin by collecting your materials! Decide on the color craft paper you are going to use for your cover, and how many pages you want in your book.

2. Have you decided on what story you're going to tell? If not, spend some time sketching some ideas and brainstorming with friends.

3. Now it's time to decorate your cover! Fold your colorful craft paper in half to create the front and back of your book. Using coloring supplies add a title and an awesome drawing to the front of your book.

4. Add on any gems, stickers, or other decorative elements to the front and back of your book.

5. Take your paper for the pages of your book, fold them all in half and stack them to create turnable pages. Staple this inside the cover of your book! You can also hole-punch 3 holes along the fold of each paper and the cover, and use yarn to tie your pages together.

6. Now it's time to tell your story! Using pencils and coloring supplies, write or draw out your story to fill your book. Have fun and don’t forget to share your book with your friends!

2. Create Your Own Coloring Book

Ever wanted a personalized coloring book? Make your own! For adult makers, this is a great project to add your own flare and artistic touch to a fun activity for your kids! For little makers, this is an awesome chance to make a fun collaborative project in a classroom!

What you will need:

• Paper

• pencils/erasers/pens

• markers/coloring tools

• Colorful craft paper

• Stapler

• Computer

• Phone/camera

• Printer

Instructions:

1. Begin by drawing out your designs! Depending on how many pages you want, you may want to work on this project over time! You can draw digitally, or physically.

2. If you draw with pencil and paper, outline your drawings when you're happy with them, and take a clean photo of them.

3. Upload all your images online, and using canva, photoshop, or a software you are comfortable with, arrange your drawings to print as pages for a book.

4. Using craft paper, design a cover for your coloring book – customizing it for your kids, class, or family.

5. If your kids are designing the pages, the steps are essentially the same! Have each student draw their page and take photos of each drawing. Remember - no color besides black and white right now!

6. Print out as many copies as you need, and now you have a personalized coloring book unique to you and your kids!

3. Join a STEM Class for storytelling inspiration!

At Maker Studio Kidz, we offer super cool STEM classes with a wide range of mediums and projects! Whether it's drawing, painting, building, or sewing - we love to take inspiration from books to add storytelling into our work! Learn new techniques from our amazing Creative STEM teachers as you explore your artistic voice!

Click here to learn more about what classes we offer at our studio!

4. Visit a local library near you

Support your local libraries and find a new book! Check out what your community has to offer, and have fun trading in your stories for new ones! This is a great resource for teachers to find books to introduce to their students, or for parents to let their kids explore the world of reading. We love our local libraries in San Francisco!

Find a local library near you!

5. Try out a new book! Here are some of our favorites

Good Things by Maryah Greene

We Waited For You by Cindy Chupack and Illustrated by Emily Hampton

The Little Girl or Boy Who Dared to Dream by Wonderbly

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We hope you enjoy a day full of enchanted stories, fun and educational crafts, and community connectivity! Storytelling is a great way to make friends, explore your imagination, and push your curiosity!

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