Bring a Book, Get a Book: A Picture Book Exchange

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For the last couple of years, my homeschool group has been hosting a Christmas Picture Book Exchange. It has been lovely as well as a great success. I was thinking that summer time would be a wonderful time to do something similar. Here is a little “how to” for a summer picture book exchange, a wonderful time for moms to reconnect, exchange ideas for the upcoming year and strengthen friendships.

Who

Personally I love it when we do a picture book exchange during Mom’s Night Out. It is so important for moms to be able to connect and deepen their friendships undistracted from time to time. Mom Night Out gatherings allow for a strengthening of the whole community. It also allows us some down time, to recharge our batteries to love our families even better. A Mom Night Out is a wonderful opportunity to invite new ladies in your area, new moms that might not be in the homeschooling circuit yet but who are thinking about it. I also love when older ladies who have homeschooled in the past but whose children are now grown,  join us. They have so much wisdom to impart and some seriously funny stories! I would keep the numbers low, 10 to 15 ladies at most in order to keep it a cozy gathering.

Where

This time of year it would be lovely to host a picture book exchange on someone’s patio or backyard or at a park. An outdoor setting on a warm summer evening might be just the ticket. Maybe have a bonfire. It’s not because we are grown up that we have to stop having fun and S’mores are always a treat, no matter our age, lol! If an outdoor venue is not possible maybe a quiet coffee shop, someone’s living room or library meeting room might be just as fun. No matter the environment, make sure that it is inviting, cozy and a place where moms can relax and interact freely.

What

The best part! What do you bring to a picture book exchange? Obviously, a picture book. Set some rules: the book should be in good condition without tears, scribbles or missing pages. Used books are totally fine as long as they are in good condition. We want to keep this easy, fun and cheap. It can be a book from your own library or a duplicate of a favorite book in your own library. I personally love themed picture book exchanges. I think that they are so much fun to plan for, choose the book and discover a new one. The picture book should be wrapped (see more below).

When

Evenings and weekends are usually best to host a Mom’s Night Out as dads are usually home to watch the children. Try not to plan it during a holiday weekend or just before school starts again. For us Friday or Saturday evenings have been the best times. It does not need to be very long, 2 to 3 hours is usually lovely. Make sure to have an end time so that the hostess can plan adequately for her family.

How

The picture book exchange rules

Picture books should be wrapped. Upon arrival each lady receives a number and all picture books are put together on a table. Once everyone is gathered the person with the number 1 ticket gets to pick the first picture book. She opens it and shares the picture book with everyone. The person who brought the book could say why they chose this specific book and why their family likes it. Each person can exchange their book once, if they want to, or if the book they opened is a duplicate that they already own. Exchanging can take place as each person is opening or at the end when everyone has opened their books.

Picture Book Exchange progress

Each lady picks and opens a picture book at her turn. We usually follow the chronological order of the numbers received upon arrival. Sometimes we will read one of the picture books, especially if it is a new one to everyone. Another reason I love inviting older ladies, their knowledge is priceless and they have the best books! After opening and exchanging, we take the time to socialize and just hang out together.

Swapping

There has to be swapping rules, it ensures no one leaves disappointed or with a book that they already own. You can choose to allow one swap at the very end. Just go back from number one on and ask each participant if she wishes to swap her book. If she does, she can choose a new book from all the ones present. Except for books that have  already been swapped once (or twice). This can get pretty fun and chaotic, but make sure that it remains friendly and that no cat fights ensue, lol!

Themes

There are so many themes we could pick from for a Picture Book Exchange! Anything from a historical time period, a country or continent, a genre, Caldecott Medal winners, an author or an illustrator. Seasonal and holiday picture books are always very popular. But school related themes are also treasured. It is just so lovely to be able to add new living books to our school days (which should be choke full of living books…).

Dainties

And of course, there should be food and drinks! You can match your dainties to your picture book themes, that makes the whole thing extra special. It does not need to be anything super fancy, just simple and tasty fare is always best. But how fun would it be if you have a geography theme to ask each lady to bring a small sample of the food from that continent?  I couldn’t possibly cover all the ideas, but I am sure that our friend Pinterest would come in very handy for inspiration!

Hoping that this will inspire you to plan your own Picture Book Exchange! Please share on Instagram! At least book titles ;).
Love,
Mattie