Activities to Spark Conversation Between Adults and Children

Books are great tools for sparking conversation between adults and children.

They can inspire conversation and activities around a diverse range of topics, including feelings, imagination and different family structures. These conversations can help you share lessons with students and can deepen bonds between family members.

Use the books and activities below to get kids and families talking!

Marisol McDonald and the Clash Bash / Marisol McDonald y la fiesta sin igual (Bilingual, English/Spanish) by Monica Brown

Marisol’s birthday is coming up. She wonders how she can decide on a theme for her birthday party; all the things she loves seem to clash! All she really wants is to see her grandmother who lives in Peru, but visiting is difficult and expensive. However, with some creative thinking, there may be a way to plan the perfect party and see her abuela.

Try this activity with this book:

Have everyone in the family spend some time writing down the things that make them unique or one of a kind. Some specific prompts you may want to use are:

• My appearance is unique because…
• I’m unique at school or work because…
• I’m unique because I’m good at…
• I’m unique because I enjoy…

Share your unique qualities with one another, and talk about how you are similar and different.

Little Pink Pup by Johanna Kerby

Pink was the runt of a litter of 12 piglets. He had trouble growing and thriving until he was welcomed and cared for by a dachshund foster mom. Real photographs show the development of the unlikely bond between puppies and pig in this touching true story.

Try this activity with this book:

Talk and ask questions before, during and after reading the story together. One question you could ask is “Many people in our lives can show us that they care about us, not just our biological families. Who are some people who care about you? How do they show you that they care about you?”

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting

Flower Garden is a sweet, rhyming story about the work that goes into creating a very special surprise for a mother’s birthday.

Try this activity with this book:

Take some time to go on a nature walk by visiting a nearby park or walking around your neighborhood, and talk about what you see. Talk about the ways in which nature looks different during the different seasons. If possible, collect some bits and pieces of natural objects along your way and place them in a bag. When you get home, use the natural objects you have collected, glue, and some paper or cardboard to create a nature poster.

These are just three of the books from First Book’s Read Together, Talk Together section that can be used to start conversations. Made possible by generous support from Disney, each hand-picked book is paired with a FREE downloadable tip sheet.

For all of our tips and an even larger selection of books, visit the Read Together, Talk Together section on the First Book Marketplace.