International Day of Families is May 15th. Here are some resources to explore, and activities to try with your students.

• Explore these curated lists of titles about families:
  • All Kinds of Families
  • Embracing All Families Booklist for Elementary

Connections for Younger Readers

• Draw scenes from family or community inspired by the cover of Family Pictures. Additionally, write a description of what is happening in your scene.

• Enjoy this complete video reading of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, then share these activity sheets with a coloring page, self-portrait space, and family activity.

• Use these writing workshop sheets after watching the complete video reading of The Most Beautiful Thing to inspire reflection and assess comprehension.

• Interview someone you love about their day using the template in this activity kit for Let's Do Everything and Nothing. Then, watch the complete video reading, and have students imagine something they would like to do together with a loved one.

• Craft family albums after watching this complete video reading of Alma and How She Got Her Name. Use these teacher tips to introduce concepts of cultural research and share this activity kit for additional fun.

• Try crafts, a listening activity, and prompts to reflect together from this classroom activity guide for Our Table after watching this complete video book reading.

• Share this complete video reading of One Hug with your students, then ask, what are ways you show people around you that you care?

• Brainstorm different types of families using this lesson plan for Who's In My Family?: All About Our Families as a guide. Have students share what a typical day is like in their family.

• Draw a scene to give to a family member using this printable activity sheet for My Grandma and Me.

• Follow Leila’s journey as she uses her senses to explore her family’s cultural identity in this complete video reading of Leila in Saffron. Her family has a weekly tradition of dinner every Friday at Naani’s. Ask students: what are some traditions in your family? Do you frequently see your extended family? What does your family do together?

• Watch the video book trailer for When Lola Visits, then watch this video excerpt from the book in which a Filipino girl describes her grandmother’s visit, the Philippines, and the United States using smells and tastes. Ask your students to think of some tastes and smells that remind them of their home and family.

• Share this complete video book reading for Cora Cooks Pancit, a book about a young Filipino American girl cooking a traditional recipe with her family. Ask students to think about what foods they make in their families.

Connections for Older Readers

• Write fiction inspired by family using this educators' guide after listening to this audiobook excerpt of Turtle in Paradise for inspiration.

• Help students develop awareness and appreciation of their own family stories and personal histories by asking them to write about or share stories that are special to them or their families using ideas in this reading guide for This is the Rope.

• Interview family members using this family history activity and hear how family stories influenced Ellen Oh in this Meet-the-Author Recording for Finding Junie Kim.

• Share this Meet-the-Author Recording with Nic Stone for Clean Getaway, and then discuss what we can learn from family members that grew up in a different time. Ask students, what is something you were surprised to learn about someone in your family?