Lap Books are everywhere! If you like hands-on projects, interactive notebooks, or creative ways to engage your students in learning, then you may want to give lapbooks a try. Today’s post is on how to make a lap book. Plus, I have a FREE Book Report Lapbook Template for teachers and homeschooling families to download for use with their kiddos!
When I first heard of lapbooks and saw some samples that other teachers had made, I was afraid it would be too time-consuming and project-heavy without a focus on real learning. I was wrong. (Don’t tell my husband I said that…he may write it down for future reference!) 😉
Lap books do not have to be huge, multi-paged contraptions. They are actually quite simple to make. Here is how to create a basic lap book, using ONE file folder. 😀 I’m a simple gal at heart!
Materials needed:
- 1 file folder
- 1 sheet colored construction paper (or cardstock)
- glue stick
- scissors
- colored pencils, crayons, extra paper
Step 1: Place the file folder open flat on the table.
Step 2: Fold each side of the folder inward toward the center fold. Crease strongly on the 2 new folds. (It should look like a French Door.)
Step 3: Cut a piece of heavy construction paper or card stock and glue it to the inside back wall of the lap book. This not only reinforces and strengthens the book, but it also adds some color to the project.
Step 4: Add interactive notes, titles, research, and any desired features to your lap book.
The photos of this finished lap book are from the My State Lap Book Packet.
If you are interested in using this packet, which has maps for all 50 states, foldable templates, photo examples, and instructions, you can find it HERE in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Interested in trying a lapbook for FREE? Click HERE to download the Book Report Lapbook! It includes photo examples, easy-to-follow directions, and ALL the printable templates you need to complete the project with your kiddos. Yes, the COMPLETE project is FREE. Here are some photos of the completed project:
Looking for other book report ideas? Check out this blog post on Cereal Box Book Reports. They are a hit with students and a nice change of pace from the traditional book report. Here’s 10 Book Report Ideas that Kids Will Love.Here are a few other lap books that you may find useful (click on the images):
Now that you know how to make a lap book, what projects do you have in mind? I’d love to hear your ideas and how you use lap books in the classroom and in your homeschooling! Thanks for following along, and happy teaching!
Download the FREE teaching printables today!
Download over $30 worth of free teaching printables when you sign up for the Appletastic Learning newsletter!
We respect your privacy. You can unsubscribe at any time. View our privacy policy here.
18 Comments
Very nice information! I thought the same thing about lap books, but I was wrong! Can't wait to make my own!
I will use this for my American Revolution unit. So cool.
Great idea! I’m sure your students will enjoy the project!
I am making one on the state of Hawaii
Awesome! What a great project…hope it goes well!
Great idea! It’s wonderful thankyou????
VERY CREATIVE. I WILL SURELY USE THESE IDEAS.
I’m thinking about how to use as a PBL product for a unit on Early Man. Seems like a fun option!
We have beginning of the year “Summer Book Lunches”. I plan to use this idea for us to review our summer book. Thank you so much!
Thanks for the instructions would love to use it again.
This is very helpful for my class thank you
Under the “Who, What, When, Where” flaps, did you have the students write a few words about the book or questions? The space underneath is very small.
I had them write shorter answers under these flaps. We did not use complete sentences. Thanks for the question!
Have you ever done a tutorial on how to make an exploding box book? Would really be helpful to respond if you’ve done something like this in the past, or if you could do one for me.
Thanks
No, I haven’t, but they do look pretty fun. Thank you!
Ist there a Norm for which subject is in which Side? I wanna do that in Germany / my class …..
It really is up to you! That’s the nice thing about lap books….you can set them up however you would like. Thanks!
Thank you for the step-by-step instructions on how to create the Lap Book. I really appreciate it!