The Swiss Family Robinson Book is a classic tale of a family lost at sea and the adventure that is born from survival. Also, you’ll love more ideas on my post Swiss Family Robinson Unit Study.
Having read The Swiss Family Robinson Book as a child and then again in my own homeschool I can attest to it being a wonderful piece of literature that should not be missed!
I have a fun craft that can be used to show off your love of books whether you have a garden, walkway, or just a small plot of book bricks.
They are a lovely way to brighten up an area and trust me while I may be creative, I am no artist and if I can do it I know that you can too.
This craft can be done by any age, especially with help but I think you will find that middle and high school is the sweet spot for this one.
I also have a handful of questions to go along with the story to help everyone remember what was read.
More Resources for Learning About Swiss Family Robinson & Survival Activities
- Where Did Swiss Family Robinson Land And Their Unique Homes | Cave Activity
- From Switzerland to the Author of Swiss Family Robinson Quick Study
- How to Create Swiss Family Treehouse Blueprints With Kids
- What is the Swiss Family Robinson About | Simple Jeopardy Style Game
- How to Make Adorable Swiss Family Robinson Book Characters Bookmarks
- Exciting Swiss Family Robinson Activities | From Oyster To Pearl
- The Swiss Family Robinson Fun and Easy Movie Night Ideas
- Embrace Island Life: How To Eat A Coconut Like Swiss Family Robinson
- Animals in The Swiss Family Robinson Book | Parrot Craft
- Lost In Adventure: 10 Books Like Swiss Family Robinson
- How to Build a LEGO Swiss Family Robinson STEM Challenge Treehouse
- Survival to Inspiration The Swiss Family Robinson Book | Brick Book
- How To Make A Swiss Family Robinson Map | Easy Swiss Geography
- DIY Easy Compass Activity and Survival Ideas
- Simple Candle
- Hunting Deer
- How to Plan And Start an Easy Gardening Unit Study for Kids
Books for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson
Also, you’ll love reading these books to go with your study of Swiss Family Robinson.
8 Books & Resources for Learning About The Swiss Family Robinson
Add some of these books to your unit study of The Swiss Family Robinson and their adventures on a deserted island.
More than 100 original illustrations by Louis Rhead. You want to read this book with illustrations.
See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.
Become a nature detective with this illustrative, engaging and fun Take-Along-Guide. You may not know where to look, or what to look for, but animal signs are everywhere and this guide will help you learn how to read them. You'll learn how to spot and identify common clues that 17 wildlife species leave behind in the woods, in the fields and along ponds.
The heroic tale of the courageous exploits of the Robinson family after they are shipwrecked on a deserted island. Using teamwork and ingenuity, they overcome the obstacles of nature and transform their new home into a "civilized" community.
From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.
Bear Grylls The Complete Adventures Collection 12 Books Set: Titles In This Set: The Blizzard Challenge The Desert Challenge The Jungle Challenge The Sea Challenge The River Challenge The Earthquake Challenge The Volcano Challenge The Safari Challenge The Cave Challenge The Mountain Challenge The Arctic Challenge The Sailing Challenge
By Pro-Knot, the number one trusted name in Knots with over 7,000 5 Star reviews! This complete knot tying KIT includes everything you need to learn and practice how to tie 23 essential rope knots. The six card/twelve page waterproof plastic card set contains 23 best all purpose rope knots
clearly illustrated and described, bound together with a no-rust brass grommet in the corner!
Edible wild plants are nature’s natural food source, growing along roadsides, sprouting in backyards, and blooming in country fields. North America’s diverse geography overflows with edible plant species.
Book Questions
- Who is the author of the Swiss Family book? Johann Wyss
- What are the names of the Robinson children? Franz, Fritz, Ernest, Jack
- Who narrates the Swiss Family Robinson Book? Father
- Where are the Robinsons traveling from? Switzerland
- Where are the the Robinsons traveling to? New Guinea
- What day of the journey did the storm hit the boat? The 6th day
- Name 3 animals that the Robinson’s brought from the boat. Dogs, chickens, cows, sheep, pigs, ducks, geese.
- How did the family reach the island? They tied tubs together to make a boat.
You can pick up 8×4 pavers at your local home and garden store for around .50 a piece so it’s affordable to do an entire library around your garden if you wanted.
How fun would it be to make one for every read aloud you do together as a family?
How to Make a Brick Book The Swiss Family Robinson Book
First, decide if you want to try to copy your book closely or if you just want to create your own interpretation inspired by the book cover.
I did a little of both here, not going for an exact replica.
One thing I have found that makes simple paintings look better is to use 2 or 3 colors for most things rather than everything being a flat color- sky, wood, greenery, etc.. all look better with different shades of the same color.
You will need:
- Garden brick
- Craft paints
- Paint pens
- Paintbrushes
- Matte sealer spray
- Your book for inspiration
The first thing you want to do is give your brick a good dry scrub to remove any dust and dirt to prepare the surface for painting.
If you use water to scrub your brick, that’s absolutely fine, but you won’t need to give it a few days out in the sun to dry thoroughly.
If desired, you could first paint the entire brick with a spray primer.
I don’t usually do this and I have pretty good success as long as I clean it to begin with and seal it afterwards.
Paint three edges of the brick white, over lap a bit onto the wider surfaces to be sure its covered edge to edge. Allow it to dry and give it another coat.
These will be the exposed pages of your book.
Now paint your main color, covering the “front” and “back” of the book as well as the spine”.
If you keep a damp cloth handy you can use it for any paint mistakes. I did a sky to sand combination. Allow this to dry completely.
Grab an assortment of the paint colors you need for your version and a variety of paintbrushes, as well as paint pens.
I find for writing and small details these are easier to use than tiny paint brushes.
The Swiss Family Robinson Brick Book
Begin creating the largest piece of your cover by painting it on, for me that was the tree and the treehouse front and center, I layered 2 colors of green to make it more interesting and create depth.
Layer on more elements like the treehouse.
Because it was important to show the family of 5 but difficult to get tiny details with the texture of the brick I chose to make them faceless with enough detail to make it obvious.
I used the thicker end of a paint pen to make a dot for each face.
And then went back with colored paint pens to draw on hair, clothing, etc…layering details as I went.
If you make a mistake it is very easy to cover with paint, dry, and redo it.
Allow to dry before moving on.
Depending on the background colors you may need to write your book title in black or white, to make mine pop I wrote it with a white paint pen and then outlined it in black.
Don’t forget to add the title of the book down the spine as well.
The final artistic step is to draw lines along the edges of your book to resemble pages.
Give your finished book brick 2 coats of a matte sealer to protect it.
It’s ready. Place it in your garden or walkway.
You can create as many book bricks as you like to brighten up any area of your yard.
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