In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by Look and Find Bugs, you can create your own spider's web using paper and scissors. You may need a grown up to help with some of the cutting.

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• White paper
• Scissors
• Markers/ colouring pencils (optional) to decorate

Just like a paper snowflake, all you need is a square of paper and some scissors. Then it’s as simple as cutting out a spiderweb pattern and unfolding your creation.

Draw and cut following the instructions and pictures below.

 xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by Peep Inside Bug Homes, you can create your own bug hotel using just a normal porcelain mug and things you can find around the garden!

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Porcelain mug
• Assorted size sticks
• Bamboo stakes (optional) - available at Bunnings
• Porcelain paint to decorate mug (optional)

Step 1. Go on a nature walk to collect various size sticks for your bug hotel. It's good to use some smaller twigs, and some larger sticks. You might also want to use some bamboo stakes (available at Bunnings) as the bugs will be able to crawl inside.

Step 2. Have a grown up cut down the sticks/ stakes to fit into the mug.  

Step 3. Decorate your mug and hang by the handle on a tree!

xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by A is for Ant, you can create your own ant out of an empty egg carton! 

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Egg carton
• Scissors
• Paint colour of choice (we suggest black, brown, or red)
• Pipecleaners
• Glue
• Googley eyes

Step 1. Cut egg carton in half vertically, and then in half. This will leave you with three egg containers to form the body.

Step 2. Poke 6 holes in the carton for legs (space them evenly- 3 small holes on each side). 

Step 3. Choose which kind of ant to create and paint egg carton. You might want to make a black ant, a brown ant, or even a red ant!

Step 4. Glue on googley eyes.

Step 5. Insert pipe cleaners into the holes to create legs. Bend each pipe cleaner at 90 degree angles to make them hold up the ant.

xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by Kookaburras Love to Laugh, you can create your own kookaburra using a pine cone! 

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• A pine cone
• Brown cardboard (a cereal box works great!)
• Googley eyes
• Scissors
• Paint or markers to decorate
• Hot glue 

Step 1: The first step is to create the kookaburra's wings and beak. To do this, you can have a grown up help you to trace shapes similar to the below on brown cardboard and cut out. 

Step 2: If you would like to decorate your kookaburra's wings, you can do this now.

Step 2: Have a grown up use a hot glue gun to glue the wings, beak and googley eyes onto the kookaburra. Most normal glue won't be strong enough to have the paper stick to the pine cone, so hot glue works best but is very hot so please do not use this yourself! 

Step 4: Once your kookaburra is all dry, you are finished! Tell your bird a joke and see if you can make them laugh!

xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by In the City I See, you can create your very own city scape using painted toilet paper and paper towel rolls. You can make your city as big or as small as you'd like - you might even try to make some of the buildings look like those you see in your own city!

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Empty toilet paper/ paper towel rolls - at least 5 for a good sized city
• Paint or markers to decorate
• Scissors to cut buildings different sizes

Step 1: Decide how many buildings you would like to have in your city and how tall they will be. Will you have lots of tall buildings and then some short houses, or maybe lots of smaller buildings and only a couple really tall buildings? You might want to use the paper towel roll for the really tall buildings and toilet paper rolls for smaller buildings.

Step 2: Once you decide how you would like to set out your city, have a grown up help you to cut the toilet/ paper towel rolls down to the right sizes. 

Step 3: Use paint or markers to decorate your buildings. Make sure to add lots of windows!

Step 4: Once all your buildings are finished, it's time to put your city together! If you'd like to attach some of your buildings together, you can cut a slit in the side of the rolls and join them up.

That's it - you have now made your very own city! What other things can you make to add to your city? How about people or trees? 

xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by Jungle: A Slide and Play Book, you can create your very own slithery snake!

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Paper (thick coloured paper works best but plain will work too)
• Scissors
• Sticky tape
• Markers to decorate
• Googly eyes (optional)

This activity is SO easy!

Step 1: Cut your paper into strips and then in half lengthwise.

Step 2: Roll a strip for the head and tape it into a circle. Thread the next strip through the first, roll and tape to secure. Continue until your snake is as long as you would like it.

Step 3: Use another piece of construction paper cut into a triangle for a tongue. Tape the tongue to the underside of the snake head.

Step 4: Add googly eyes or draw eyes on using a marker. Decorate your snake however you would like! 

That's it - maybe try making a snake friend next!

xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by Animal Families: Forest, you can create your very own fox family. Try making the mummy fox (vixen), daddy fox (dog), and baby fox (kit) just like in the book!

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Paper plate
• Orange marker or paint
• Glue
• Scissors
• Black pom pom
• Googly eyes (optional)
• Thick white paper or cardboard (to cut out for ears)

Step 1: Draw a "V" shape on the paper plate and colour/ paint orange.

Step 2: Fold over the edges of the plate and glue down.

Step 3: Glue a black pom pom onto the plate for a nose, and glue on googly eyes. If you do not have googly eyes, you can draw them on instead.

Step 4: Cut two triangle shapes out of the thick paper or cardboard. Colour/ paint orange and glue to the back of the plate on each side to make ears.

That's it - you have now made a fox! Can you make the rest of the fox family?

xx Bookieboo

In this beyond the book activity inspired by Square, you can create your very own Square and Circle characters using just a sponge and some paint!

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Kitchen sponges (at least 2)
• Paint - black if you'd like to create Square and Circle
• Paper
• Paper plate (for putting paint on)
• Scissors
• Googley eyes (optional)

1. Using scissors, help your little one to cut each sponge into the shape of their choice. Try a square or circle to make the characters from the book, or try other shapes e.g., triangle is an easy one!
2. Squirt out some paint on a paper plate and dip the sponge, being sure to cover the whole shape. It might be helpful to use a paintbrush to paint the paint directly on the sponge.
3. Put the sponge paint-side down onto the paper and press firmly. Lift up and check out your artwork!
4. Once dry, you can add on extra features, like the characters' feet or glue on googley eyes!

xx Bookieboo

In this simple beyond the book activity inspired by Zoom: An Epic Journey Through Circles, you can create your very own circle artwork using a simple toilet paper roll!

To set up this activity, you'll need:

• Empty toilet roll (or a few if you do not want colours to mix)
• Paint - any colours you'd like!
• Paper
• Paper plate (for putting paint on)

This activity is SO easy! Simply squeeze a few colours of paint into blobs on a paper plate or similar. Take the end of the toilet roll, dip in the paint and then use the end of the roll to stamp circles on the paper. You can use different toilet paper rolls for each paint colour. 

That's it - enjoy your beautiful artwork! 

xx Bookieboo