A fabric activity book, also known as a quiet book, is a creative way to teach children how to tie laces, button, use zippers and much more. allows a child to practice her fine motor skills, forcing her to focus while playing. So how do you make a cloth activity book for your child, and why do so many moms recommend it?
There are several patterns and materials you can use to make a fabric activity book. you can add anything from laces, letters, shapes, colors and much more. These books are perfect for nurturing your child’s mental and physical development and keep them busy for hours.
You are reading: Cloth activity books for toddlers patterns
Not only is a cloth activity book great for kids to learn, but moms need “quiet time” too, and what better way to do that than with a personalized, homemade activity book? This article will teach you how to make a fabric activity book and why they’re great!
what is a fabric activity book?
A fabric activity book is a fabric scrapbook that is filled with interactive pages. they usually contain educational activities that promote sensory stimulation and mental development in young children.
Many people refer to this as a “quiet book” because children quietly concentrate while doing the activities. cloth activity books are customizable, so you can modify the pages to make the book age appropriate.
for example, a cloth activity book for a 1-2 year old toddler would contain different types of materials and textures for sensory development, while a 3-5 year old would be able to practice activities such as tie shoelaces, count, match, identify colors and shapes, and even learn to read.
a quiet bookimproves a child’s fine motor skills, imagination, patience, creativity and helps improve their auditory, kinesthetic, visual and tactile inputs simultaneously .
what does a cloth activity book teach young children?
Depending on what you add to the pages of your child’s quiet book, they are perfect for teaching children things like;
- opening and closing (a part of a design)
- remove pieces and put them back with velcro
- gumption
- focus
- logical thinking
- spatial imagination
Let’s take a look at some of the best activities to add to your toddler’s cloth activity book. these include;
1. numbers and counting
counting and numbers are one of the first things children learn, even before the alphabet. Adding a number section to your child’s cloth activity book is one of the most effective ways to teach addition, subtraction, and counting.
how to add numbers and count in a quiet book
We all learned to count on our fingers. trace the outline of your child’s hands on a piece of felt sheet (or any other material). cut them out and sew them together, or glue them to the page with a glue gun. Write the numbers from 1 to 10 on the fingers from left to right. see example below;
How To Introduce The Activity
Write the numbers 1-10 on small round sticky dots and stick them on your toddler’s fingernails, just like felt hands. show them how to place their correct finger on the corresponding number on the felt finger, starting with 1 (left little finger). As they place each finger, say the number they are touching and allow them to practice repeatedly.
2. colors
There are lots of fun ways to include a color page in your child’s cloth activity book. colors are also one of the first things a young child learns.
how to add colors to a quiet book
trace the shape of a balloon in felt of various colors. Cut out each balloon and glue a small string to the “opening” section of the balloon. Trace another set of felt balloons (same as the first set).
cut them out and use a glue gun to stick a small piece of velcro to the back of the second set of balloons. glue small pieces of velcro to the page where you will place the second set of balloons. fix them on the page (not aligned with a corresponding color balloon).
how to present the activity
Show your toddler how to attach a balloon to a matching colored balloon by extending the string from one balloon to the other balloon. you can rearrange the right side of the balloons any way you like. see example below;
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*You can replace the balloons with any shape you want
3. forms
Teaching basic shapes to young children is very effective with a cloth activity book because of the interactive activities. As we all know, practice makes perfect, and when your kids do this activity repeatedly, they will know all the basic shapes in no time!
how to add shapes to a quiet book
Trace the outlines of the few shapes on the blank felt page of your child’s cloth activity book (you can use a sharp pen or a fabric marker). trace the same shapes on a sheet of felt and cut them out.
how to present the activity
Demonstrate how you place each solid shape onto the corresponding outlined shapes on the page. as you place them, say the name of the shape.
Repeat the demonstration several times and give the shapes to your toddler to practice. You can also write the words and associate them with their corresponding shapes by linking them to the shapes with string. see example below;
4. Alphabet
This is one of my favorite activities to add to a quiet book. learning the alphabet opens up a whole new world for your toddler. improve their vocabulary, teach them to read, and let’s face it; all kids love the alphabet song!
how to add the alphabet to a quiet book
You will need two pages for this activity. you will need to cut out felt letters for each letter from a to z. decide which images you want to use to represent each letter (can be paper letters or materials) and stick the images onto small pieces of velcro tape to make it easy to stick them in the book.
You can make the letters out of felt, or you can do the same thing you did with the pictures by gluing paper letters onto Velcro tape or felt.
how to present the activity
Scatter the pictures on the floor in front of your toddler. place the letters in a bag or container. place your hand inside the bag or container and pull out a card. Place the letter on the page and look for the corresponding picture spread out in front of your toddler.
place the image next to the correct letter. continue until the pages are full, then remove the letters and pictures and set them aside. continue working with all the letters in a bag. see alphabet picture ideas below;
5. Facial Features
It is easy to teach a child the names of their facial features. Simply place your finger on her nose, eyes, or mouth and say each name as she touches it. showing a child how to build a face in front of him is a little more complicated but a lot more fun.
how to add facial features to a quiet book
trace and cut out the shape of the face and all the features of the face on different colors of felt.
how to present the activity
This activity is easy to demonstrate. all you need to do is build the face in front of your child and then give them a turn. You could make it fun by adding a mustache, glasses, a hat, earrings, wool hair (different colors), and different colored eyes.
more fun things to add to your toddler’s cloth activity book
- braiding
- tying shoelaces and tying shoes
- fastening a shirt
- dressing a doll
- counting beads (abacus)
- the four seasons
- using a zipper
- days of the week
- telling time
- months of the year
- fastening buckles
- mittens (to put hands in)
- teddy bear in sleeping bag
How To Make A Cloth Activity Book
you will need
- a minimum of 1½ yards (45 inches) of fabric such as duck, cotton, light canvas, or denim
- scissors
- a glue gun
- felt sheets
- basic sewing supplies
- fabric of any kind
- wadding for the inside of the pages (wadding gives some dimension to the pages)</li
- thread and needles for embroidery
- various colors of fabric
- needle and normal threads
- sewing machine (optional)
- fabric markers/pens
- velcro branded fastening tape
- buckles
- buttons
- zippers
- eyelets
- laces
- ribbons
let’s get started!
plan what activities you would like to include in your book. cut enough fabric for all the pages of the activity book. you can use any material you prefer (not too thick). create all pages before binding them into a book. this allows you to sew other pieces of fabric to the pages more easily, for example a zipper or button activity.
be sure to include lots of colors to keep your young child interested and make it more exciting. the work of art is applied or embroidered on plain fabric. Once you’ve finished designing and creating all the activity pages, it’s time to put all the pages together.
cover and book pages
To make a book, decide what size you want it to be and cut your fabric accordingly. remember to leave a ¼ inch seam allowance along the edges of each page.
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Use your iron to fold under a ¼ inch hem on all sides of each rectangle, flattening it with the iron, remembering to smooth the corners. cut the same size of batting for the number of double pages you have.
if using a solid piece of fabric to make a double page spread, fold the fabric in half (from left to right) and iron in the fold to create a center page.
sew the pages onto a sheet of fabric using a needle and thread or a sewing machine.cut the double pages around the edges.
Place a double page face up on one of the batting sheets, flip it over with the batting sheet back now facing up (as seen in the diagram below).
place another double page face up on the batting; now you have two pages on each side of the batting.
sew your double pages together (with wadding in the middle) as indicated in the diagram below;
Stitch the edges and leave a 4-inch slip open at the top of the double page. See demonstration below;
Cover Page:
Finally, arrange all your double-layered pages in the order that you want them and sew them together on the center crease. Well done! You have made your very own cloth activity book!
conclusion
Creativity has no limits and this project is perfect for fun. A fabric activity book is a wonderful way to teach children the basics, and as they get older, you can include activities that are a bit more advanced.
These books also make perfect gifts. there is something special about handmade gifts. almost as if it contained a bit of magic.
Now that you know how to make a fabric activity book, you can start planning all the activities you want your toddler to enjoy. your kids will be happy and you can enjoy some peace and quiet!
sources
nora’s homemade cloth activity book | andrea dekker.
how to make a quiet book from your own design – diy – mother earth news
Ultimate Guide to Quiet Books: Everything You Need to Know About Busy Books for Young Children (craftlearnandplay.com)
how to make a quiet book for your toddler: intentional by grace
how to make a quiet book: includes 11 inside pages (all unstitched!) (powerfulmothering.com)
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