Hair might seem like an odd theme for storytime, but hear me out. Hair is fun. It is varied in texture, color, and how you cut and shape it. It is a path into a discussion about diversity in a child friendly, relatable way. And as a bonus, there are some super fun picture books about hair that have come out in the past few years.
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Children’s Books about Hair that Are Great for Reading Aloud
My Hair is Magic!
by M. L. Marroquin
A little girl who is proud of her hair. This is a vibrant, spunky, and isn’t afraid to shout to the rooftops her opinions about her hair.
Hair Love
by Matthew A. Cherry
illustrated by Vashti Harrison
LOVE this book. It is such a sweet daddy-daughter story. It is also about hair – the crazy, curly, hard to control kind. It ends with the sweetest ending that makes me tear up every time.
The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School
by Laurie Halse Anderson
illustrated by Ard Hoyt
Zoe Fleefenbacher has hair, oh boy does she have hair. It is bright red and takes up more room than Zoe herself. Hair like that is not allowed in first grade and Zoe does her very best to control it. But the hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher has a mind of its own.
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut
by Derrick Barnes
This is an engaging, poetic celebration of a black boy’s haircut. The energetic languages pairs with vibrant collage illustrations and together you have a masterful ode to the barber shop experience and how it feels to have a fresh cut.
On Account of the Gum
by Adam Rex
This is pure genius. Such a simple concept – gum stuck in a little girl’s hair – but it is perfectly written and illustrated with humor on every page turn. The text rhymes, the page turns are well executed, and the laughs are over the top. A witty read aloud that will have your listeners giggling.
You May Also Like: Heart-filled Children’s Books for Black History Month You Don’t Want to Miss
Storytime Songs
- Hat Storytime Song from Jbrary
Hair Playdo Invitation for After Storytime
Hair is a fun feature. Color, texture, style all vary from person to person. This playdough invitation encourages kids to use creativity and their senses to explore different kinds of hair.
Materials:
For this activity you need playdough and then a variety of materials that can be used for facial features and HAIR! I have some suggestions below but feel free creative, use materials you have, or think outside the box. What different materials could represent hair?
- Playdo (any kind will work although I do love this Multicultural Playdoh set for this activity)
- Construction Paper
- Yarn
- Scissors
- Pipe cleaners
- Googly Eyes
- Pasta (we liked this curly pasta)
Set Up
For each kid, set up a workspace that protects your table. I think it helps to define your workspace with some sort of mat. We use simple kid placemats.
Then for every 3-4 kids offer a selection of playdo and a variety of collage supplies. I like to make this supplies communal to combine social skills of navigating shared materials with peers into your activity.
More Activity Ideas:
- Cutting Activity from Mama Teaches
- Several Fun Hair Activities on A Little Pinch of Perfect
- All About Me Drawing Activity on Arty Crafty Kids
Another great book is Bedtime Bonnet by Nancy Amanda Redd.