Typically taking place on Fridays, Saturdays and school holidays, CBN workshops are a definite page-turner. A lot of effort goes into each workshop to make them a space where each child can feel safe and comfortable enough to participate. Each child is provided transport to and from the workshops to ensure their safety and is given food and drinks to keep them energized and excited about what’s to come.

Each workshop ideally spans two days, a Friday afternoon (after school) and a full day on Saturday, or two consecutive Saturdays. To break the ice, the presenters (teachers or librarians) start off with a fun game that the kids can all enjoy. That is followed by a few fun activities that are related to the specific theme of the Toolbox. Then the reading begins and a variety of reading materials are given to the kids such are pictures, books, poetry, children’s books and snippets from more complex adult books. After the reading has been done the presenter and kids discuss what happened in the book and how they liked the book.

Activities done at CBN workshops:

• Listening to beautiful language
• Writing in all media - handwritten and on electronic tablets
• Individual journals and stories
• Making books on electronic tablets that are provided to them
• Photojournalism
• Children’s own illustrations, photographs and words
• Mapping in words and illustration - creating home and landscape on paper
• Communicating: Comparing and sharing landscapes with children in other environments
• Shadow puppets
• Song-writing: Songs to build a nation! – Children’s anthems
• Singing
• Drumming and playing on rock gongs
• Landscape in art

For more information, contact Children's Book Network today!