What Is a Lapbook?

Lapbooks are a buzzword in the homeschool community, particularly on social media. What is a lapbook? A lapbook is a folder filled with smaller books that pertain to a specific topic. Lapbooks can be as complicated or simple as you want, and they’re a fun hands-on activity that can solidify facts in your child’s mind. Lapbooks are meant to supplement your curriculum, and they can enrich your homeschool greatly. Here’s how you can create your own! 

1. Lapbook Ideas

What topic should your lapbook cover?  The sky is the limit! Lapbooks can be customized to fit most topics you learn about in your homeschool. Here are some ideas to get you started. 

Geography: Deserts, oceans, mountains, landmarks, cities, countries, continents, maps, latitude/longitude, world globe. 

Bible: Bible characters, the fruit of the Spirit,  The Lord’s Prayer, the birth of Christ, The Ten Commandments, specific books of the Bible, basic Bible stories like Noah’s ark or Jonah and the whale, character traits. 

Social Studies: Presidents, branches of government, communities, citizenship, laws, economics. 

History: Wars, historical characters, catastrophic natural events, the Great Depression, decades, prehistoric times, pyramids, inventions, vehicles through the ages, pioneers. 

Science: The human body, plant life cycle, food chain, weather, temperatures, electricity,volcanoes, botany, nature studies. 

2. Research, Research, Research!

To make a lapbook that will genuinely help your student, they need to know the subject. Most students are tech-savvy, and online research is one of the best tools out there. Gone are the days of lugging huge textbooks around! LightSail gives students online access to the World Book Encyclopedia, one of the world’s top reference encyclopedias trusted by parents for over 100 years. Your children will love having all their study materials in one place. Bonus: LightSail also has a library of 360° images so students can explore famous landmarks and climates for themselves. 

3. Get Crafty!

Bring your lapbooks to life through craft materials. Here are some art supplies to keep on hand. 

Sand: Sand can make desert and beach scenes more realistic. It can also add texture to various pictures, especially if your student is creating an art lapbook. 

Glue: Keep plenty of glue on hand! Liquid glue works great for keeping heavier materials in place, while stick glue keeps mini-book “pockets” in place. Your student may also appreciate glitter glue to create out-of-this-world galaxy scenes. 

Pom-Poms and Pipe Cleaners: Both of these materials are versatile and can help students create people, weather scenes, vehicles, and houses. 

Drawing Tools: Pencils (colored and non), markers, pastels, and crayons are all a must. Even the littlest student can use drawing tools to get involved in the fun! Hint: The washable variety saves parents a lot of stress. 

Watercolors: Watercolors are fun for students to use, and they are a simple way to create a gorgeous scene. Little ones can use a simple palette, while older students may appreciate having many color choices and brushes. Watercolor is the best form of paint to use in this project, as it dries quickly. 

Files: The top recommendation for a lapbook is a simple manila folder. The neutral color allows for unlimited customization options, and they are sturdy! 

Lapbooks are a fun keepsake that your children will love creating. LightSail makes gathering information for them easy with our various pre-made unit studies that include videos, images, books, and World Book encyclopedia articles to make research simple. With that many resources at your fingertips, you can’t lose!