Festive Book Snuggle

What you need

• a board book or picture book with winter or Christmas pictures in it
• a blanket

How to do it

1. Snuggle up under the blanket together with the book, before lights out.
2. Look at one page at a time and point to the pictures: snow, a hat, a light, a present.
3. Make a little sound for each one: "brrr" for snow, "ooh" for a light, "rustle" for a present.
4. Read the last page in a whisper, close the book and say goodnight to it together.

Why it matters

Pointing at pictures and hearing the same little sounds each night builds their words, and the snuggle is a calm way to end the day.

What they're learning

Pointing to pictures

Finding the snow or the hat when you name it links words to pictures.

First sounds

Brrr and ooh are easy sounds to copy, and early steps towards words.

Settling

The same snuggle and the same book each night help their body know sleep comes next.

What to look for

Watch for them pointing at a picture before you do, or making the sound with you.

A tip

Any book with winter pictures works, including one from the library. Keep the same book for the whole week if they love it.

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