We are now into week 2 of the Family Book Club. How did the first week go for you? Were you able to read all four chapters? Did you and the kids enjoy it? Did you find the discussion questions helpful? I would love for you to leave feedback in the comment section. Let me know what you love and what you are struggling with. I want the family book club to be successful for all of us!
In case you are joining in now. We’re reading The Secret Garden
Reading Goal
This week read chapters 5-8. Oh this is an exciting 4 chapters! You might have a hard time stopping at chapter 8. 😉
Secret Garden Activites and Discussion Questions
Chapter 5 – Activity
- In chapter 5, Martha tells Mary to play with sticks and stones to entertain herself. Go on an adventure. Find a grassy area with no play ground equipment and leave the toys at home. Challenge your little one to find ways to play with what is available. Rocks, dirt, leaves and sticks. It might take some time to get rolling so plan on being there for an hour. Come back here and let us know what happened!
Chapter 6 – Discussion Questions
- What words would you use to describe Mr. Craven’s large house? How would you feel exploring it?
- Make predictions about the crying that Mary hears. (Don’t forget to add in your own ideas.)
Chapter 7 – Activity
She finds the key! (Sorry for the spoiler if you are reading this post before reading chapter 7.) Of course this is the perfect time to introduce a key activity. I’m going to suggest a few different ways that you can use old keys. You pick the one that works best for you or try them all. To get old keys try asking around. My sister had a big bag of them (and as it turns out so did Big M. He’s been collecting them. Little did I know!).
- Use play dough to create a matching game with the keys. Press the keys into small circles of play dough until they leave a mark and then scatter the keys around. Let your kids find which key matches which imprint. Make your own play dough or use store bought. Once they’ve had some fun with that, let them play with the play dough and keys.
- Fill a bowl with rice or beans. Bury a few keys inside and have your little one search for them.
- Take some old keys outside. Hide them in the dirt or sandbox. How magical would that be? I bet finding a key in the dirt would inspire hours of pretend play.
Chapter 8 – Activity
- Have some fun with a jump roping challenge. See who can get to 100 like Martha did.
Check in through the week. Leave activity ideas and discussion questions of your own in the comment section. Or just let us know you are reading along. Happy reading!
We started with an abridged version (accidentally), so we found the real deal at the library and re-read Ch 1-4 this week. But, we love to read and will play catch-up today and tomorrow. I plan on having my daughter decorate a key template – she loves to draw. I love the idea of the key matching game and the digging to find them in rice or beans….I think I’ll combine the two: Dig, find, match!!! 🙂 Thanks for this book club and the activity ideas!
We are playing a little catch-up this week and just finished reading week 2. DD went outside and dug around in the pile of dirt from the fire pit that I am digging, mixed the clay she found with sand from the sandbox and water from her puddle pond and made me a clay heart. Great activities, thank you.
I love that Kerry! Thanks for sharing.