20 of the Most Engaging Class Book Ideas for Preschool
Class books are some of the most engaging books for young children. They are often kids’ favorite books in a classroom library.
It’s not difficult to make your own book!
Here are some great ideas to help you add some fun DIY books to your class library. Take a look at these class book ideas for preschool. I’m sure you will find some inspiration for customer children’s books that your kids will read again and again. You’ll even find a few free books that you can try out.
What is a Class Book?
Class books are unique books that you create for your kids. Usually, they include a page created by or featuring every student in your class. Class books can also be easily adapted for home use by including pages for each family member.
Why Should You Use Class Books?
I already mentioned that class books are some of the most engaging books for preschoolers. A book that features them?!?!…That’s COOL! How could they NOT love that? Kids feel sense of ownership and pride and when they are part of a book.
Class books can be used to help create a classroom community. This is particularly helpful at the beginning of the year. Use a book featuring all your kids to introduce them to each other and help them remember all the students’ names. The fun books are perfect for small groups, large groups at circle time, and for independent reading.
While home made books are FUN, they are also a great way to teach important literacy concepts.
When kids find high-interest books that they like to read again and again, they learn the basic concepts of print. They begin to understand important things like print has meaning, that books have a front, back, top & bottom, and they begin to become aware of words and letters on the pages.
You can also use class books to teach additional literacy concepts to kids. Alphabet books feature letters and sounds. You can also make silly books to introduce rhyming in a fun and meaningful way.
Don’t limit yourself to teaching literacy skills with class books. You can also use them to teach counting, shapes, colors, texture, vocabulary, etc.
How to Create a Class Book
You don’t have to be creative to make a cool class book that your kids will LOVE. I’ll show you many examples below to give you some great class book ideas for preschool classrooms. Many only require some photos and construction paper.
If you are feeling short of time or creativity, you can also purchase a printable template to help you along.
There are many different ways to assemble and bind your books.
- Punch holes in each page and assemble them in a 3 ring binder
- Use binding rings or ribbon to hold those hole-punched pages together.
- Bind them with a comb or spiral binding. If you don’t have a binding machine, a copy shop can do this for you.
- You can also change the pages on a bulletin board or in the hallway. I enjoyed reading the pages of class books when I visited my son’s classroom.
Use Class Books at Home
If you homeschool, don’t feel like you have to miss out on the class book fun. You can totally make a book featuring your family and friends instead of classmates.
Class Book Ideas
Okay…now for the fun part. Here are some of the best class book ideas for preschool kids. Some of these ideas are from Early Learning Ideas, but I have also linked them to ideas from others.
Children Children, Who Do You See?
This Children, Children book from my store is a take on the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear children’s book. Each page features a child’s name and picture, so this is a great way to introduce kids to each other at the start of the year. You can also use this when a new student joins your class.
Whose Smile
This smile book by Share and Remember is a great addition to an All About Me unit. You can make similar books with different body parts….hands, noses, feet, ears, etc… such a sweet book!
ABC Lift the Flap Books
You might have to make a few of these because kids like them so much. Teach the letters of the alphabet and beginning sounds with this fun lift the flap book. This is also a GREAT book to use at home. You can make pages for Mom, Dad, Grandma…..etc.
Our Families
This is the perfect way to help kids share an interesting fact or two about their families with the whole class. You can get a free Family Theme Printable to help you make a family class book. A family book is great as a Thanksgiving activity but is really fun any time of year.
School Shoes Book
Make this school shoe book inspired by Pete the Cat by Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes.
How Many Apples on Top
Use this free printable apple book template to make an apple-theme counting book to go along with Dr. Seuess’ How Many Apples on Top.
Rhyming Name Book
These rhyming name books are a fun twist on the Willoughby, Wallaby song by Raphie. Kids love that the books feature their names and pictures of animals sitting on their heads.
Who’s at the Top of the Coconut Tree
This version of a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom class book by Kindergarten Works features your children’s photos and all the letters of the alphabet.
Tactile Alphabet Book
Each child can create a letter collage page to create an alphabet book for your class.
Color Books
Here is a great color book idea by Things to Share and Remember. Each child can make a different page and you can assemble a book with all the colors.
Number Books
Kids can practice counting and work on fine motor skills as they each create a page for a number book.
Silly Sally Book
I love all the silliness of Silly Sally. Here is a template from my store to help you create your own version of the book.
Additional Class Book Ideas for Preschool
Here are some additional class book topic ideas.
- Class Schedule – Docuemnt your class schedule and routines is is class routines book by Kindergarten Nana
- Environmental Print Book – Kids can help gather labels and logos to add to alphabet pages
- Sensory Books – Make a book of softness. Each can add something to a page that is soft. You can also make rough, smooth, bumpy books too.
- School Tour– Take pictures of the school and create kids can go on a tour as they look at the book
- Our Neighborhood Book – Make a neighborhood book highlighting everyone’s favorite places.
- Field Trip Book – Document field trips with photos from the trip.
- Classroom Procedure Book – Take pictures of kids as they demonstrate how to wash their hands, walk in a line, or go on a fire drill.
- Art Book – Compile your kids’ artwork into a book.
- 10 Dots Book – Here is a 10 Dots book idea from Rainbows Within Reach
- Favorite Books – This is kind of like mini book reports for little kids. Help your kids create a page about their favorite children’s books. Be sure to stock those books in your class library so kids can check them out.
- Book Extension Activity – After reading a fun book from the “old lady” series, you can make a If I were an Old Lady, I would Swallow…. by Mrs. Williamsons Kinders
Purchase Class Book Templates from the Store
Are you ready to start making some class books with your kids? My templates will help you with the task. The following class book templates are available in my store. Click on the images below to purchase the printables today.
Purchase the Class Book Templates on TPT
Do you prefer to shop at Teachers Pay Teachers? You can also purchase my class book templates in my TPT store.
