#15 - Jake Stays Awake by Michael Wright

Summary: This book was written for all of the children who would rather not sleep in their own bed, and their tired  parents. This rollicking, rhyming book chronicles the restless nights of Mom, Dad, and Jake as they try out new spots for catching some ZZZZZ's. The roof, stairs, bathtub, kitchen counters, car, and trash cans, all prove not to be as comfortable as Jake had hoped. In the end, Jake decides that sleeping in his own bed doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all.   
 
Suggested Activity: Squishy Sensory Bag

Help Jake catch some ZZZZZ's by drawing the letter Z into this squishy sensory gel bag. This project is a cinch to make. All you'll need is a Ziplock bag, hair gel (I get mine at the Dollar Store), glitter, and food coloring. This is a great activity for practicing pre-writing skills such as "down", "over", "around", etc., shapes, and even more advanced writing skills - like letters or words. In addition, it offers a great therapeutic/calming effect for many children.

Curriculum Area: Fine Motor Skills (controls small muscles in hands, coordinates eye-hand movement, uses tools for writing and drawing)

Appropriate Age Group: 2 and up