When I first heard about lapbooking, I thought it was a great concept. It’s essentially a way parents can inject fun into a boring curriculum and get children to be a little more hands-on. Lapbooking can stimulate children to think differently. It’s also a great way of gently testing their knowledge of the material you’ve just covered.
I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want to do my course on how to homeschool, click here.
Let’s learn more about it below.
What is Lapbooking
Lapbooking is a homeschooling method that involves getting children to make mini-books of the concepts they learn in their lessons. The mini-books are collated in a larger folder of other mini-books on the same topic. 
What is an Example of Lapbooking?
An example of Lapbooking would be if children were to make a mini-book of the:
- animals that live around the Nile river
- gods worshipped in Ancient Egypt
- weather patterns throughout the year that flood or cause drought to the Nile
Then they would collate all these smaller books into a larger book or folder named ‘Studies about Egypt’. And this would be your lapbook! (Here are some Pinterest examples of Egyptian lapbooks you might find helpful.)
What is the Purpose of Lapbooking?
The purpose of lapbooking is to (1) gently test children’s knowledge of the subject, (2) to reinforce concepts taught in books or textbooks, and (3) to get children using their hands as they learn. As such, these mini-books make lessons more enjoyable and change the pace a little more, so children can learn differently.
How to Lapbook
You can lapbook by following these steps:
- Grab a book or a folder with several thick papers inside (either thick paper or cardboard pages).
- Name the book with colorful markers (i.e. Studies of Egypt)
- Find some printer paper. Cut these into rectangular shapes of around 10cm x 20 cm.
- Place these rectangular pieces on each other and fold them in half.
- Staple along the fold.
- You’ve now made a mini-book.
- Get children to fill these books with the concepts students learn and glue them into your book/folder to make a larger book.
You can also paste in relevant pictures with captions beneath them. Or you can make a little pocket and get children to cut out notes or pictures and put these into these pockets.
What is the Place of Lapbooking in a Homeschool Situation?
Many homeschool curricula use this method to help children reinforce concepts they learn in their lessons. Indeed, I first learned about lapbooking when I studied the eclectic curriculum called Tapestry of Grace. Along with Charlotte Mason, Classical and Unit Study methods, they used this method to help children learn new things and consolidate old lessons. Lapbooking can also be a great method to learn a subject that no one is teaching. For example, if your child was interested in Boeing airplanes, you could get them to make a lapbook of:
- the different versions of Boeings (747, 737, 787 max),
- photographs of Boeings
- how airplanes work
- a black box, and how they work
Lapbooks can be a really great way to collate information on interesting topics where there is no written subject available.
Conclusion
If you want to get into hands-on learning, cement concepts in a fun way, and document some of the progress your children make, get them into lapbooking. It’s a whole lot of fun cutting and pasting, as well as a great way to have an enjoyable time together!
