Saving money by curtailing the vacation budget, doesn’t have to mean a summer without adventure. When the kids were young, we spent a summer at home discovering our city through the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. Each book stars Jack and Annie, a sibling duo, who find a tree house that spins them to a new location and time with each book. Throughout the summer, I found an excursion or activity that matched the subject of the book. When Jack and Annie traveled to the Cretaceous period, we went to a Natural History Museum. They met ninjas in ancient Japan; we ate sushi at a Japanese restaurant. The kids flew to old England to help Shakespeare stage a play; we attended an outdoor Shakespeare production. Revolutionary War on Wednesday perfectly compliments 4th of July celebrations. I found it a fun summer to plan. I was surprised at what our local museums and cultural festivals offer kids in the summer once I started looking for them.
There were some books with themes that I couldn’t find an excursion, but the Magic Tree House website has suggested activities for every book, plus computer activities, perfect for slow summer days. In any event, it isn’t necessary to plan something for every book, just enough to create an atmosphere of fun around reading the books. Here are some suggestions:
Dinosaurs Before Dark – Natural History Museum
Mummies in the Morning – Egyptian art in a museum
Night of the Ninjas – Shinto Temple, Japanese restaurant, Japanese grocery store
Afternoon on the Amazon – Conservatory or jungle type garden, zoo
Sunset of the Sabertooth – Natural History Museum with fossilized bones, zoo
Midnight on the Moon – any space exhibit
Dolphins at Daybreak – beach, aquarium, aquatic park
Ghost Town at Sundown – hoe down, square dancing, hay ride
Lions at Lunch Time – zoo
Polar Bears past Bedtime – zoo or aquatic park
Day of the Dragon King - Chinatown, Chinese restaurant or grocery store or cooking a Chinese recipe together
Tigers at Twilight – zoo
Revolutionary War on Wednesday – 4th of July celebrations
Stage Fright on a Summer Night – kid’s theatre production, Shakespeare production
Good Morning, Gorillas – zoo
High Tide in Hawaii – Gidget movie
Once my kids started reading the series, they were addicted. Written for beginning independent readers they are perfect for kids just ready to enjoy reading alone and discover that the joy of reading isn’t limited to the book. The series is truly gender neutral, both boys and girls enjoy it. The books don’t have to be read in order, but there is a background story of Jack and Annie helping create a library of books found throughout history with Morgan le Fay, King Arthur’s sister. Some of the stories have accompanying Research Guides, so if a subject sparks a passion, explore the non-fiction companion.
Staying close to home for most of the summer shouldn’t mean boredom, add a spice of adventure with the help of Jack, Annie and their creator, Mary Pope Osborne.
Tags: adventures with books, beyond the book, fun with books, kids adventure books, kids reading activities, Magic Tree House, reading adventures, staycation
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I loved this post, except I realized that I should have done way more with my son when he was reading these. Oh well, my daughter hasn’t started them yet so I can redeem myself when she does. I have two kids who are big readers (my 6 year old is still learning so she does lots of listening) and I am always looking for new ideas since I wasn’t much of a reader as a kid. I would love to read more posts about kid’s books. Or maybe you could suggest a kid’s book blog?
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I love how much can be done with these books. We’ll try to work in a few more kid’s posts during the summer!
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