Best Books For Ages 0-5 {+ Giveaway for Children’s Books from Bucket Fillers Inc. ENDS 2/9}

Probably one of my favorite reasons for having kids is having the excuse to read children’s books again. There are so many great ones out there and I love researching them and finding ones I know my kids will adore. After 3 kids, many of our books are in well-loved condition and it warms my heart so much. Pretty sure books will be the hardest thing to let go of for this mama…My kids just love that special time with us every night, and honestly I look forward to it too!

We frequent the library to keep things interesting, and have a massive collection of books, which can be found in just about every room throughout the house. Some have been gifts or special treats on birthdays, etc., and many have been found second-hand, too. I never feel guilty spending money on books because I know it is the one thing that brings great joy to our family.

In fact, books are also one of the only ‘toys’ we allow our kids to keep in their room. If they go to bed saying they aren’t tired, we let them “read” by flashlight. We figure starting the habit of reading before bed isn’t a bad thing, and we chuckle every time we go check on them and they are passed out with their books 😉

It’s amazing to me that all 3 of my kids seem to have similar taste in books — each of them have reached for the exact same books at the same periods in their life.

Here’s a list of our favorites for each stage so far.

Best Books For Ages 0-5

6 months – 12 months old

• Five Little Ladybugs
• Goodnight Moon
• Sleep {babies love to look at other babies!}
• Moo Baa La La La {or anything by Sandra Boyton, really}
• Baby Touch and Feel Animals

12 months – 24 months old

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• The Very Busy Spider
• Little Blue Truck
• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie {or any in the series}
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2-3 years old

• Where the Wild Things Are
• A Fly Went By
• Green Eggs and Ham
• Harold and the Purple Crayon
• The Snowy Day

4-5 years old

• Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs
• The Giving Tree
• Where the Sidewalk Ends
• Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please?
• Just Imagine {this book is fantastic for critical thinking and discussion}

Another book our entire family has loved and used as an amazing tool for learning is Have You Filled a Bucket Today?: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Michigan author Carol McCloud. This book has been such a valuable asset to our family and has provided us with a wonderful tool to teach our kids about kindness, appreciation and positive behavior {coined “bucketfilling” in the book}.

Click on the image below to see examples of content inside

The book is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and has recently updated and revised it to include more positive language. The new edition encourages positive behavior and helps readers better understand that bucket filling is a choice, bucket dipping is a negative behavior caused by a too empty bucket, and we an fill and dip into our own buckets, too.

I often recommend this book {and all the other books McCloud has written} when friends say they are looking for something to teach kindness. I love that when I see my kids being kind to each other I can say “You’re filling each other’s buckets right now,” or “You’re bucket dipping” and they know exactly what I mean and stop to smile or think about what they have done.

GIVEAWAY

I am excited to host a fun giveaway with the latest edition, plus other great books and goodies to get you started on your bucket filling journey! Follow the prompts below to enter to win. Must be a U.S. resident, age 18+. Giveaway ends on 2/9/16 at midnight. Good luck!

Bucket Filling Books Prize Pack