Advent Books and Festive Bookish Play

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I have been sharing some of our advent books

Along with our book inspired play

Over on Instagram

And thought I would share some of them here too

We have, literally, hundreds of Christmas books

That I have collected over the years

First as a teacher and then as a parent

We love bringing them down at the start of advent

And reading a few everyday

There is never time to share them all

But here is what I have been sharing so far

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We have been reading Alfie’s Christmas by Shirley Hughes. This classic book tells little ones all about Christmas time. It tells about choosing a tree and decorating a tree. It tells about making special foods and wrapping presents. For little ones who are unsure what to expect from Christmas this beautiful classic book is a great place to start. Whenever we sit down to read it I give Edie this little tree and a plate of mini Pom Poms to use as baubles so that she can decorate her tree. Such a simple activity to get toddlers in the festive spirit and to develop their fine motor skills. It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Edspire HQ!! #welovechristmas #welovechristmasbooks #bookishplay #readchatplay #bookbasedplay #bookinspiredplay #shirleyhughes #alfieschristmas #christmasiscoming #welovechristmasplay #festivefun #christmasactivities #ohchristmastree #pompomplay #toddlerplay #toddlerfun #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #picturebooks #kidsbookstagram #bookishchristmas #kidsbookadvent #bookadvent

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Are you looking for books for your #bookadvent We love Make and Play Christmas by Joey Chou and published by @nosycrow This sturdy cardboard book has press out decorations that you can stand up or hang from your tree. The figures would work well for small world play and acting out Christmas songs and stories. As well as the figures to make there are song words to learn for festive favourites, ideas for baking and craft activities and gifts to make for family and friends. This would be a wonderful book to open and share during advent. There is also Make & Play Nativity which is just as wonderful. We are so excited for advent and think these books offer great value festive family fun. Perfect for #kidsbookadvent #bookstagram #bookishchristmas #bookishchristmas19 #bookishplay #booksforchristmas #booksforchildren #welovechristmasplay #welovechristmasbooks #readalongplayalong #readchatplay #advent #bookadventcalendar #nosycrow #nosycrowbooks #christmasplay

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This is the most beautiful book! Tonight we start our #adventfortilda and we will be having this as our bedtime story. Follow The Star. A pop up Christmas journey by Andy Mansfield and published by @templarpublishing The story follows the star that appeared on the very first Christmas and still shines today. The simple rhyming text reads like a lullaby and the pop up diorama style scenes are stunning. This book would make a beautiful display for advent with a carefully placed and watched candle nearby. This is just the right book to begin our #adventtoremember as we countdown to Christmas with our very own baby in the stars carried in our hearts. If you are still buying books for a #bookadvent this would be a magical choice to share as a family at this most special time of year. #kidsbookadvent #booksforchristmas #booksforchildren #adventbooks #christmasbooks #followthestar

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In the advent of 2012 I had three children. Two year old twins and a 7 month old baby. Every evening I would sing to them Silent Night. This carol is one of my favourites from my childhood in Germany. It is the Carol I sang to our beautiful Baby Tilda throughout her only advent and Christmas. I had no idea her first Christmas would also be her last. But I am so grateful now that I spent much of that advent and Christmas cuddling, rocking and nursing my baby girl quietly singing Stille Nacht. This year I have four children when I should have five and in honour of Tilda we sing Silent Night with the help of this beautiful picture book. We see Baby Jesus, the angels and the shepherds, the kings and the Christmas star. The illustrations are beautiful, the story one we love to hear over and over again the Carol one I sing through tears, every word laden with memories of Christmases past. Sleep in heavenly sleep Baby Tilda, sleep in heavenly sleep x #adventfortilda #adventtoremember #bookadvent #kidsbookadvent #silentnight #matildamae

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This book was #gifted to us last year by @penwizard It is a beautiful version of @officialthesnowman with our Matilda’s name all through it, pictures of what I think Tilda would look like now and dedication to our baby in the sky at the beginning. Tilda loves The Snowman. We watched it and The Snowman and Snowdog so very many times when she was alive. The music from Snowman and the Snowdog was almost the music for her final goodbye. Making a personalised book like this one is a really special way to help us all include Matilda Mae in our Christmas celebrations. I love reading this out loud to my living children and it makes my heart sing when they as to hear it over and over again. It is wonderful hearing Tilda’s name. She is such a huge part of our family. We love her and miss her at Christmas and always. #saytheirname #sayhername #matildamae #adventtoremember #adventfortilda #babytilda #thesnowman #kidsbookadvent #bookadvent #raymondbriggs #babyloss #babylossawareness #babylossatchristmas

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I just want to flag up this book to you. The Day Santa Stopped Believing In Harold. I bought it and put it out for us to read this advent. I started reading it to the children at tea time today and had to stop. This is not a book for believers!! This is a great book for older children who are starting to doubt. But if your little ones have never questioned Father Christmas do not read them this book! It will put questions in their head that cannot be taken out again! I am going to be hiding this one til the time comes that we need it but for now we believe and I want to preserver the magic for as long as we can. This is a great idea for a book and a wonderful story for those children who need some help to prolong their Christmas magic but do not read this to your young children without reading it yourself first! @tundrabooks #bookadvent #kidsbookadvent #childrensbooks #christmasbooks #kidlitadvent2019 #booksforchristmas #picturebooks #kidsbookstagram #childrensbookstagram #thedaysantastoppedbelievinginharold

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Starting some festive play today. We got out all our winter and Christmas That’s Not My books and found some characters to go with them. I set up a small winter world with polar bears and penguins, reindeer and donkeys. Edie has been playing with this super simple set up all morning. She mostly likes the penguins and asked me to make them a pool for swimming. We love these books and they make perfect Christmas gifts especially when bundled with a cuddly toy or some small world figures. We have worked with @Usborne this year but these are books we have bought ourselves over the years. We have a huge collection of #thatsnotmy books that I plan to keep for grandchildren with the matching wooden toys. @lankakade toys are perfect That’s Not My companions. This small world bookish set up will be adapted and added to over this week encouraging Christmas play and storytelling. #somanywaystoplay #welovechristmasplay #christmasplay #bookishplay #bookinspiredplay #bookbasedplay #readchatplay #readalongplayalong #thatsnotmy20 #usbornebooks #smallworldplay #sensoryplay #sensorystorytime #sensorystorytelling #imaginativeplay

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Night Tree by Eve Bunting is one of my favourite books. A family have adopted a tree in a local woods. Each Christmas they decorate their tree with edible garlands for the animals go eat. They decorate the tree and they sing carols and have hit chocolate in the dark, admiring their tree before leaving it for the animals to enjoy. I think this is a wonderful advent tradition. Choose a tree and decorate it with edible garlands for the wild animals to enjoy. We are going to do this with the tree in Baby Tilda’s memory garden for the birds. #adventtoremember #adventfortilda #adventideas #edspireadventadventures #bookadvent #kidlitbookadvent #kidsbookadvent #bookadvent #christmasbooks #welovechristmastime #welovechristmasbooks #kidsbookstagram #childrensbooks #picturebooks #adventideas #christmastree #christmastreedecorating #nighttree #bookish

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We have been #gifted a fun festive #poppyandsam book from @usborne_books Full of all our favourite farmyard characters, the book tells the story of snowy Christmas preparations on the farm. Every page is interactive with flaps galore. Open doors to animal homes to feed the animals, read cards and letters, open presents. We love Poppy and Sam books and this Christmas story is our new favourite. We have set up a snowy farm tuff tray for some bookish play and sensory storytelling. Esther set this up and I love that she added details and characters inside the house as well as on the farmyard. #somanywaystoplay #bookishplay #bookish_bingo #snow #welovechristmasplay #bookbasedplay #bookinspiredplay #sensoryplay #oursensorychristmas #trayfortheday #tufftrayplay #tufftrayideas #tuffspotideas #messyplay #childrensbooks #picturebooks #kidsbookadvent #christmasbooks #booksforchristmas #bookadvent

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For lots more festive fiction and bookish play

Do come and follow all our advent antics on Instagram

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