5 reasons sticker books will make you happy — and your little ones too!
Do not underestimate the value of simple things — a sticker book is like giving a child unicorns, candy and rainbows of happiness!
1. Cost effective!
When our children were little, there was always something they were intensely into. There was the vehicle phase where anything with wheels transfixed them. There was the dinosaur phase where they remembered the complex names of all the dinosaurs and knew the difference between a palaeontologist and an archaeologist. It was very important to get it right. Occasionally a Pixar/Disney character made it into their frame of reference. One was the Lightening McQueen character from Cars. Our boys loved everything about that film and the paraphernalia made its way into our home bit by bit until there were a water bottle, the CD soundtrack, various young readers and even a Lightening McQueen bed…
I love the way young children tend to absolutely adore a certain theme until they have explored it fully and then, move on to the next all-absorbing topic until that too is exhausted. This is where I find sticker books to be of immense value. They don’t cost much, and you can purchase the one that works for your child at that point in time So, whether it be farms/space/animals/Star Wars/Pocahontas, you’ll find the book you need for hours and hours of concentrated, cost-effective fun.
2. Sticker books enable children to follow instructions and be creative
My boys enjoyed filling out the books according to the recommended instructions, but they also enjoyed the stickers at the back of the book for free-play/free-stick! Give your child a blank sheet of paper and create a new story together. If they’re too little to write, you can write down the story that they come up with. What an awesome insight into their imaginations. You could also divide your page into squares to create a comic book layout. This can help advance a story if your child is less fluent and needs a prompt.
3. Teaching aids
Sometimes, I would choose a sticker book for its educational content. For example, I was keen for the boys to have a basic understanding of the globe and countries. A friend sent us the most magical sticker book which detailed the countries of the world and what each destination was famous for. You can’t ask for a more fun way to learn.
4. Some are reusable
We had a couple of sticker books that were reusable. The base detailed a classic background such as a seaside scene and then, had stickers little ones could add — again and again — into the scene in any way they pleased. I found it fascinating how logical my children are. The items for the beach were always placed on the beach. The items for the sea were always placed in the sea. Have some fun with it and set it up in a topsy turvy way to see whether it makes them laugh and if they would like to correct it. Perhaps they would prefer to keep it topsy turvy and make up a crazy story.
Another version of this that we enjoyed was a felt kit. We had one of an astronaut with a rocket and a couple of stars and planets. I would bring it out when the children wanted something focused to work on. I kept the pieces in a plastic container, and we’d always pack it away after playing with it. It’s one of those toys that would be less meaningful if half the pieces were missing or at the bottom of another toy box when you wanted to use it.
Yet another reusable and inexpensive “sticker” was using foam sheets which you cut into different shapes. You can purchase them from most art stores, and they come in a whole array of colours. They’re perfect for learning about shapes and colours. All you need to do is to wipe a windowpane with a damp cloth and children can then use that as their sticking board.
5. When the sticker books are complete, you can use them for other projects
Once my boys had finished a sticker book and no longer wanted to keep it, we would collect any stickers that hadn’t been used and keep them for making birthday cards. That’s even more cost effective and creative fun for all!
There you have it — five reasons why stickers books will make you happy and are one of the best gifts you can find for little people. Engaged little people make for very happy parents too!
