What do dreams, giants, and vegetables have in common? Apparently, more than you’d think. We learned just how much during The BFG Book Club.
The BFG Book Club Discussion
This month, our homeschool book club read The BFG by Roald Dahl, and it quickly turned into one of our most imaginative book clubs yet. Between planting snozzcumbers, mixing up fizzy drinks, and catching dreams, our students had a blast exploring this story of friendship, courage, and just a bit of nonsense.
We started out by taking a Rabbit Trail into something unexpected, the plant life cycle.
The BFG Book Club Activities
When the Big Friendly Giant proudly shows off his collection of snozzcumbers, we couldn’t resist making our own connection to plants and how they grow. What starts as a seed becomes something incredible, and isn’t that the same with imagination? It begins small, then grows and blooms into something magical.
To bring that idea to life, we decided to learn about what it takes for plants to grow: sunlight, water, and patience (lots of patience). Then we started our own mini gardens inspired by the BFG’s favorite snack.
Each child planted seeds and began tracking their plants’ growth in their BFG Gardening Journal.
We drew what our seeds looked like on planting day, and got ready to record how tall our sprouts grew each week, while comparing how much light and water would help them thrive.
Once our projects were done, it was time for Party School! We played games inspired by the story, including our version of “catching dreams” using balloons and a large sheet (which was a hit with everyone).
The BFG Book Club Snacks
Of course, no BFG party school would be complete without some silly snacks and magical moments.
For snacks, we had sliced snozzcumbers (cucumbers), snozzcumber sandwhiches, and even a few pickled snozzcumbers. They were served with frobscottle (sparkling juice). There were giggles all around as we talked about what might happen if our frobscottle gave us “whizpoppers.” For those whose palates weren't quite as refined, we served some Human Bean Soup!
More BFG Homeschool Activities
After our snacks, we made dream jars to capture the story’s most enchanting moment. Each child decorated a mason jar with paint and glitter, then filled it with “dream dust.”
We talked about the dreams we’d want to catch if we were the BFG.
We also made giant BFG ears to wear while we were listening for the dreams in the dream jars. The final result? A table full of shimmering jars and smiling faces.
There’s something special about seeing kids’ imaginations come to life. Whether they were pretending to sneak through the streets of London or mix dreams in jars, they were fully connected to the story (and learning without even realizing it).
The BFG Online Book Club
We had so much fun that we carried it over to a full month of language arts learning!
Join us on a Big Friendly Adventure!
In the course, The BFG Online Book Club, we read through the book and go on rabbit trails of discovery into science, history, geography, and more. We find ways to learn by experiencing parts of the book through hands-on activities, and we end with a Party School to celebrate Sophie and the Big Friendly Giant!
This online literary guide has everything you need to study the book. This course includes:
- spelling,
- grammar,
- vocabulary,
- rabbit trails to boost reading comprehension,
- hands-on activities to make connections to the literature,
- and a writing project.
It is perfect for a month of elementary language arts.
Would you like a preview?
Just click the link below to take a peek inside the book club.
If this is your first book club....
A Language Arts Curriculum and Literary Adventure All-In-One!
Hi, I’m Dachelle. I’m a homeschooling mom of 3 in the South. I love chocolate and have been known to hide it from my children. I can often be found reading a good book (or even sometimes just an okay book) and enjoying a jar of Nutella — don’t judge. I blog, here, at HideTheChocolate.com when I’m not creating book clubs and making lists…lots and lots of lists (it’s an addiction). Learn more…
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