Reading Road Trip: Amusement Park

Welcome to stop number 7 on our Reading Road Trip! The journey is nearing an end, and we’ve had a great time driving through open country and construction zones, seeing the sights at overlooks and mountaintops, taking a breather at a rest stop, and learning something new at a museum. This week is all about having fun!

If this is your first week with us, you can still grab our map and join us in the adventure. You can also find the weekly coloring pages and other printable resources here. For today’s stop, we’re heading to an Amusement Park! The idea this week is to read books that are just plain fun! This can be books that make you laugh, books with fun language or wordplay, or any book that is just plain fun to read.

Read: Any book that makes you laugh or is just plain fun to read aloud!

Featured Book: The Forgetful Knight by Michele Robinson, illustrated by Fred Blunt. A hilarious story about a knight who has a score to settle with a…what was it again? Oh yes, a dragon! The rhythm and rhyme combined with the funny story make this book a delight to read aloud. 

Discuss:

• Why do you think the knight is so forgetful?
• Do you think the story is funny or fun to read aloud?
• How many pets had the dragon "snaffled"?
• What other dragon books have you read? How are they like this one? How are the different?

Do: Learn to draw a simple dragon! Follow the steps in the image below to draw a dragon like this one. You can also download and print the PDF!

How to draw the dragon:

Note: Draw lightly with a pencil for steps 1 - 6.

1. Draw an oval for the body.
2. Draw the tail with two curved lines. Put a triangle on the end for the tail spike.
3. Draw two lines for the neck.
4. Draw the head as a U shape with a smaller U shape at the top. This creates the spikes on the dragon’s head.
5. Draw the legs.
6. Add details to the dragon’s face.
7. Use a marker or crayon to draw around the dragon’s features. Add a flame if you want!
8. Erase the pencil lines and add details to your dragon!

If your kiddos draw this dragon, we’d love to see it!

Other activity ideas for Amusement Park week:

• Head to a playground, water park, or amusement park!
• Have a game night.
• Take turns telling jokes or making up funny stories.
• Build a blanket tent in the family room.
• Build something as a family with Lego.

You can also download this week’s coloring page!

Amusement Park Book List:

The Giant of Jum by Ellie Woollard, illustrated by Benji Davies. This book has a fun rhyming refrain that is a hoot to read aloud. It’s about a giant whose grumbling tummy urges him to head out to hunt for a boy named Jack who he heard would be a delicious snack! But his hunt doesn’t turn out quite the way he planned. 

Peg Gets Crackin’ by Jo Renfro  Peg is perfectly happy inside her egg because as her siblings hatch, she imagines all the scary things in the outside world. But even Peg must hatch and she discovers the big world isn’t so bad–it’s actually pretty wonderful. 

The Book With No Pictures By BJ Novack. A silly book that is sure to make you laugh out loud!

Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer. Wordy Birdy loves to talk, and talk, and talk…but when her talking leads her into trouble, it’s up to her heard-it-all-before friends to save their distracted friend. A goofy story about paying attention! 

Butt or Face? By Kari Lavelle. Take a look at up close pictures of animal creatures and then decide is it a butt or a face? This animal facts book is full of tricks from top to bottom!

For older readers:

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry. This darkly humorous middle grade novel is a parody of old fashioned stories about orphans or children with terrible parents. Great for fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.

Junie B. Jones (series) by Barbara Park. These chapter books are funny, and the main character’s unique voice makes these stories a hoot, especially to read aloud!

What amusing or fun-to-read books would you add to this list?

BONUS FUN!

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

What’s a trip to an amusement park without prizes? Be sure to visit us on Instagram this week for a special giveaway!