Fun Crafts for Kids to Make Manners FUN
During the years that I did Story Time at our local library, I found it necessary to go over some basic manners, on occasion. Usually at the beginning of summer time and just before the holidays. I really love the book Manners Can Be Fun
Munro Leaf wrote his books in simple terms because, as he put it: “Early on in my writing career I realized that if one found some truths worth telling they should be told to the young in terms that were understandable to them.”
At the beginning of a new season, such as summer or fall, our Storytime would get a new group of kids, and they were usually pretty rambunctious ( a nice way of saying quite rude). So we would do our “Manners Storytime” to remind them how they ought to behave with others.
I would present Manners Can Be Fun along with some other related stories. My mother-in-law Deanna would present some of her finger plays and rhymes, which were always clever and very helpful, to help them get the idea we were trying to share.
My favorite craft for Manners Storytime was a place mat inspired by Munro Leaf’s drawings. The kids can draw food on the plate, if they like or decorate the silverware and glass spot any way they want. When possible we would laminate their work so they could be used as real place mats.
Another idea is to laminate the plain place mats and let the kids use washable markers so they can change their decorations when ever they want to.
Some other great books to go with a story time theme of manners are:
Dude, That’s Rude!
by Karen KatzOops! Excuse Me! Please!: And Other Mannerly Tales
by Sheryl Eberly
Click to Print - may need to be enlarged to make full sized Place Mat
Thank you so much for recommending our book, Dude, That’s Rude! (Get Some Manners) from Free Spirit Publishing. Since your post was about manners, I thought you might like to know about our newest manners book, Manners Time, by Elizabeth Verdick and illustrated by Marieka Heinlen. This book for little ones is a recent addition to our Toddler Tools series, created to help caregivers, parents, and tots the tools they need to get through traditionally difficult “times,” like naptime, saying good-bye, cleaning up, sharing toys, and using polite words and actions. I am happy to send you a review copy! Please contact me if you would like to see any of our books.
All the best,
-Jenni
Jenni Bowring
Free Spirit Publishing
bowring@freespirit.com
Dear Jenni,
Thank you so much for your comment. I would be thrilled to review your new book, Manners Time, by Elizabeth Verdick and Marieka Heinlen.
Story Time Crafts is new, but I am using all the materials gathered from years of presenting Story Time to local libraries and schools. Plus I am always searching for new books to read out loud, write about and make crafts for.