Tree up. Check. Stockings hung. Check. Gift list written. Check. Now, it’s time to kick back and relax, build memories, and spend time with family. Gather the kids, grandparents, cousins and extended family and hold a Cookies and Bookies event. A day filled with making Christmas cookies and then sharing them while reading your favorite holiday books.
This is low stress. I’ve made it super easy for you.
Bake cookies. Read books.
I have some yummy cookie recipe ideas and awesome book recommendations.
First up, cookies.
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Use your family favorite Christmas cookie recipes or try some of these ideas.
Ornament Cookies from Craftulate
Eggnog Sugar Cookies by Playground Parkbench
Poinsettia Spritz Cookies from Arts & Crackers
Stained Glass Window Cookies from Life is a Cabernet
Then you need some great holiday books to read. Check out this list.—>NEW CHRISTMAS BOOKS
Sounds fun, right?
Continue this new family tradition of Cookie and Bookies throughout the year with 11 more themed cookie and book ideas.
You can even knit a little mascot for your new family tradition. Knits End has a great tutorial for knitting the cutest little gingerbread man.
MORE Themed Cookie and Bookie Ideas
January
Celebrate the Chinese New Year with fortune cookies and some of these Chinese New Year books.
February
Enjoy a box or two of Girl Scout cookies. Or, make your own version of one type. Then, read lots of books that feature a girl as the main character. Here’s a list of strong women protagonist books to explore.
March
Read books about creativity and inventors. Then create your own Smart Cookies.
April
Make “Snicker”doodles and then read lots and lots of jokes from different joke books or try these super silly books for kids.
May
Things only get better with chocolate. Enjoy chocolate cookies while devouring some books about chocolate.
June
Rainforest Cookies paired with fiction and non-fiction books about the rainforest.
July
Make your own thumbprint books. Use Ed Emberly’s Great Thumbprint Drawing Book for inspiration. Then, enjoy a batch of thumbprint cookies.
August
Grab a stack of ABC books and make Letter Gingerbread Men or ABC Letter cookies.
September
Pair sandwich cookies with the following: The Giant Jam Sandwich, The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, and Sam’s Sandwich. Need some sandwich cookie ideas? Try these Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies.
October
Chocolate Chip Cookies paired with several of Laura Numeroff’s books including If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
November
Gingerbread Cookies paired with several variations of The Gingerbread Man.
December
Repeat the Christmas cookies and holiday book tradition.
Looking for even more cookie fun? After the kids have gone to bed, print out this cookie coloring page from Moms and Crafters. Then, eat a few more cookies and color a bit to relax even more.
And, if you still have cookies leftover, share them with others with this clever DIY Cocoa and Cookies idea from Sunny Day Family.
Make Cookies and Bookies a new family ritual. Time spent with family. Check. Happy Reading!
Rachelle Douglas says
This is an awesome list of cookies and books! Two things that make such wonderful family memories – reading together and baking together. My kids love to be in the kitchen and it is a great opportunity to mix literacy and math. Thank you for continuing to share your love of literature and creativity.
Patricia Tilton says
Boy you are organized! I thought I did pretty well, but you have it down to perfection. Haven’t wrapped presents and order cookies from a friend who bakes 7,000 every year. Merry Christmas!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Awww..thank you! I love to plan.
Georgina says
What an amazing idea! And your cookies look fantastic!
Jodie Rodriguez says
Thank you George!