I’m a huge proponent of self-love and self-acceptance, and I want to make sure I teach my kids the importance of it. So when I stumbled on the book I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont, I knew I needed to combine it with a learning experience. Here’s a simple self-love activity for kids that pairs well with the book and includes a free printable activity sheet.
Simple Fun with Books
Reading books to my kids is one of my favorite activities, and while I’m lucky to have kids who love to read, they aren’t always 100% happy about it. I want to make books FUN for them, but I also don’t want to burn myself out.
I used to search Pinterest for book activities to keep my kids engaged and would end up feeling overwhelmed before I even started. They seemed like cute ideas, but for an impatient, not-so-crafty mama like me, it was too much.
And if I did attempt one of these activities, what was supposed to be a meaningful way to have fun and connect with my kids turned into an afternoon of frustration, tension, and a greater dislike for books. Sigh.
I still wanted to make reading books fun and meaningful for my kids. And I still wanted to spend extra time with them talking about reading and making meaningful connections. So I set out to create my own simple, stress-free book activities, much like our Family Movie Fun activities.
And it worked! I had fun. My kids had fun. We connected. We discussed the books and learned something new. And a new tradition was born: Simple Fun with Books.
I Like Myself
The first book I tackled was I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont. I stumbled across this book during a family outing to Barnes & Noble and instantly fell in love. I’m all about self-love and try my best to teach my kids to love themselves, imperfections and all.
So naturally I was drawn to this book. It’s narrated by a girl who talks about all the things she loves about herself and shares how she’d love herself even if she had a series of unusual attributes, like polka-dotted lips or porcupine hair. I loved every single word!
It has a great message, and will also have your kids laughing out loud at the dose of silly it delivers–the perfect combo for mom + kids!
Self-Love Activity for Kids
For this book, I knew I wanted to create a meaningful activity–something that would help my kids really learn to love themselves (not that my daughter needs any help in this area–she has a very high opinion of herself 😅😂).
I decided to help them make their own little book all about who they are and what’s great about them!
This little booklet has a spot for them to write and/or draw:
- Who they are
- Affirmations
- What they love about themselves
Plus it has a spot for them to write their name and age so you never forget the things they wrote!
Printable
I created this free printable booklet download so you can do this activity with your kids at home. You can download it here or click on the image below.
I recommend printing and folding the book ahead of time, as it can be a little confusing to fold and might overwhelm little ones. Here’s a photo illustration to help:
- Lay the paper horizontally with I Like Myself on the bottom.
- Fold the right half of the page behind the left half.
- Fold the left half of the page behind the right half.
- Reopen the last fold.
- Fold the top half of the page behind the bottom half.
- Cut a slit at the top of the paper, just until the fold (cut the half that says I Like Myself)
- Open the paper all the way back up horizontally, with I Like Myself on the bottom again.
- Fold the top half of the page behind the bottom half.
- Stand it up and start to push the sides inward. The middle should start to form a diamond.
- Keep pushing inward until the sheets fold in on themselves.
- Crease the booklet closed.
- Enjoy your booklet!
Book with a Message
I adore a book with a positive message, and we also love being silly in our house, so I Like Myself is at the top of our lists! Plus, this activity allowed us to talk about some important things in a fun way.
It’s also an activity that can take as long or as little time as you want it to. If kids want to rush to finish, great! If you have a little artist who wants to take his time, awesome! Let your kids and their moods guide the activity so it becomes a positive experience to enhance the reading.
What’s your favorite book to read with your kids?
Britney is a wife and mom with a passion for helping other women see the good inside of them. She loves podcasts, polka dots, and dancing around the kitchen with her family.