📚 World Book Day 2026 at Fun Box Day Nursery

Books have a special place at Fun Box Day Nursery, and World Book Day 2026 gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the joy of stories all week long. Through imaginative play, sensory exploration, outdoor adventures and plenty of shared reading moments, the children stepped into the magical worlds created by some of their favourite authors.

Stories are a powerful part of early childhood learning. They support children’s Communication and Language, help develop imagination and creativity, and strengthen early literacy skills as children begin to understand how stories are structured. Throughout the week, our activities allowed children to explore stories not only by listening — but by acting, creating, investigating and playing.

🐻 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

One of the highlights of the week was bringing the beloved story We're Going on a Bear Hunt to life in our garden. (See the story here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OI7fe766nk )

Using binoculars made from cardboard tubes and tape, the children eagerly searched the outdoor area for the hidden bear. The garden had been transformed into the story’s landscape: long wavy grass to swish through, a cold river to splash across, sticky mud to squelch in, a big forest to tiptoe through, a swirling snowstorm, a mysterious cave — and finally, a cosy bed to run back to!

The children absolutely loved the immersive dramatization. Acting out the story helped develop confidence, physical coordination and expressive language, while also encouraging children to retell familiar events and sequences — an important step in early literacy development.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67bb0c_cfc8b939f0874617aecedc1e28b67922/720p/mp4/file.mp4

🥣 Goldilocks and the Three Bears – Sticky Porridge Play

We then explored the classic tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears through wonderfully messy sensory play. (See the story here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg1sgUWzJcM )

In our sensory tray, the children mixed deliciously icky-sticky porridge, using small, medium and large bowls just like in the story. As they scooped, poured and stirred, the children naturally began talking about sizes, comparisons and quantities, supporting their early mathematical understanding.

The activity also provided a fantastic opportunity to develop fine motor skills while enjoying the simple joy of messy play.

🐱 Pete the Cat and His White Shoes – Colourful Exploration

Another firm favourite was Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, a lively American story about a cheerful cat who walks through different colours and discovers that getting messy can be fun. (See the story here 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USVgkMrtHqA )

Inspired by Pete’s colourful adventures, the children experimented with paint in a sensory tray, mixing colours and watching how they changed. A big bowl of water allowed them to wash, splash and explore how the colours transformed — just like Pete’s shoes in the story.

This playful activity supported creative expression, sensory exploration and early understanding of colour and change, while encouraging children to talk about what they observed.

🌊 World Book Day Stories in the Sunshine

With spring slowly approaching and some lovely sunshine appearing, we also took many of our stories outdoors. Sitting together in the fresh air, we explored several Under the Sea books alongside a themed sensory tray filled with ocean-inspired materials.

The children were fascinated by the textures, colours and tiny sea creatures they discovered while listening to the stories. Outdoor storytelling provides wonderful opportunities for calm shared moments, curiosity and imagination, while helping children connect stories to the wider world around them.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/67bb0c_d00fd392dcdd4eac9e7e16e0eb538b34/720p/mp4/file.mp4

📖 Beloved Storytime Classics

Of course, no World Book Day celebration would be complete without some well-loved classics. This week we also enjoyed reading:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NQK-Sm1YY )

  

  

• The Gruffalo ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_EM-iZNguo )

  

  

• Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiwtL9OOTcM )

  

  

These familiar favourites sparked wonderful conversations, laughter and excitement as the children recognised characters, predicted what might happen next and joined in with repeated phrases.

Inspired by these stories, our preschoolers even began creating their own stories, practising mark-making and early writing while experimenting with sequencing and storytelling — fantastic foundations for Literacy development.

🦒 Dear Zoo Story Box for Our Babies

Our youngest children had their own special story experience with a Dear Zoo themed story box. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqGYWRHOV6E )

The babies explored the different animals from the story through textures, pictures and small objects, helping them develop early language, curiosity and sensory awareness while enjoying shared moments with their educators.

🍊 A Paddington Treat

To crown our World Book Day 2026 celebrations, the children enjoyed a delightful Paddington-themed snack — delicious marmalade sandwiches, just like Paddington Bear loves! ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOq83_9NbbM )

They were a definite hit with the children and a lovely way to bring another beloved story character to life.

🚲 And a Little Extra Fun…

Alongside all our book adventures, the children were also very excited about the new bikes that arrived this week. These quickly became a favourite activity outdoors, supporting gross motor development, balance and coordination while giving the children plenty of opportunities for energetic play.

At Fun Box, we believe stories help children dream, imagine and explore the world. World Book Day may come once a year, but the love of books continues in our nursery every single day.