Every year, I buy my son one book for each holiday – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. And now that he’s 2, I’m trying to connect those books to a learning experience or sensory bin or craft as well. Here’s the first of my new Toddler Books & Crafts Series: Love Monster Book and Craft. 

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Love Monster by Rachel Bright (Toddler Book and Craft Series – #1)

Last year I got Camden the book Love Monster by Rachel Bright. This book is the adorable story of a sweet Love Monster that no one wants to cuddle or love because he’s not as cute as kittens or puppies. So he ventures off on his own to find someone who will love him and whom he can love, too. He looks high, low and middle-ish and you’ll have to read it to find out if he finds what he is looking for.

Questions to Ask Your Toddler While Reading

Asking questions and having discussions while reading helps teach your child to comprehend what they’re reading, hearing and seeing. Questions can be natural, based on what your child says, or they can be ones that you bring up and ask to get conversation started. Here’s a few that go specifically with Love Monster:

For 0-3 years old:

• What is Love Monster doing on this page?
• What do you see?
• Who is that?
• Where are they?
• How does Love Monster feel here?

For 2-5 years old:

(you can start with the 0-3 questions and build from there)

• Why do you think no one wants to cuddle Love Monster?
• Would you cuddle Love Monster? Why?
• Where do you think Love Monster is going to look for love?
• How do you think Love Monster feels? How would you feel?

Love Monster Craft (Toddler Books and Crafts Series #1)

Your toddler can make a super cute Love Monster craft to love and cuddle and play with while you read Love Monster to him. In fact, she can make a whole army of Love Monsters! They’re really that simple. 

You’ll need:

• an empty egg carton
• colored yarn
• 4 inch cardboard or craft foam piece
• googly eyes or foam eyes
• glue (crafting glue or tacky glue works best)
• scissors (an adult will need to do the cutting)
• pipe cleaners
• craft foam/cardstock/construction paper

Directions:

Before it’s crafting time, cut the top off of the egg carton. Then cut the bottom of the egg carton apart to make 12 separate cups. turn the cups upside down. These will be the bases of your Love Monsters.

Let your toddler pick out the yarn color (or colors – you can absolutely do multiple colors) he would like his monster to be.

Have him wrap the yarn around the cardboard or craft foam over and over. He’ll want to wrap it at least 100 times. You may need to help him get started (you can tape the end of the yarn to the cardboard to help it stay).

Once your toddler is done wrapping, cut end of the yarn. Then cut a piece of yarn off of the remaining ball. Slide it underneath the yarn on one side of the cardboard and tie it tightly.

Flip the cardboard over and cut completely through the yarn on this side.

Spread glue over the top and sides of an upside down egg carton cup.

Place your yarn strings over the cup so that the tied part is on top and the strings are hanging down around the sides. Help your toddler arrange the strings to completely cover the egg carton and press them to stick to the glue.

Put dots of glue on the front of the monster and let your toddler attach googly or foam eyes to his monster.

Optional: use pipe cleaners to make antennaes. Cut heart shaped hands, feet, and antennae ends out of construction paper (or buy foam hearts at the craft store) and glue onto the Love Monster.

Repeat for as many Love Monsters as your toddler is interested in making!

How to Use Your Love Monster in Guided Reading and Play

You should absolutely let your toddler play freely with the Love Monsters, because they’re great for imaginative independent play.

But it’s also a great idea to use the Love Monster creations for a bit of guided play too. Here are some suggestions:

• Let her choose two Love Monsters, and as you read Love Monster together, have her act use her Love Monsters to act out the story.
• Practice counting, sorting or color identification with your set of Love Monsters.
• Stack Love Monsters on top of each other. Guess how many you can stack. Then count as you stack them, and laugh together when they fall over.

This Love Monster book and craft is the first of my Toddler Books and Crafts series. Look for a St. Patrick’s Day themed one coming in the next couple of weeks! I’ve got a fun Pete the Cat Easter book and craft planned too. 

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