Family Book Club: Icky, Sticky, Slimy, Gross & Gooey

I’m launching something completely new today and I’m so excited about it! I’ve created family book club kit that is prepped and ready to go, all you need are some family members or friends! Today’s theme is Icky, Sticky, Slimy, Gross & Gooey. I figured that a theme that would draw most kids in would be something that either involves everyone’s favorite activity – slime, or something that may get a little gross!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

This book club includes everything you need to host a great book club with your family, with your students, or even with some friends in the neighborhood. I’ve included:

• a variety of titles that coincide with the theme for different age groups
• general book discussion questions that work with almost every title
• some amazingly delicious snack ideas, because let’s be honest, no book club should go without snacks
• and a bunch of activities that you can use to extend the book beyond the pages, and yes, most of them are a little messy

You don’t need to use all the suggestions that are available, but I know families are very busy and it’s nice to be able to pull something together from one resource rather than spending hours on Pinterest and Google searching for ideas that might work.

Download the .pdf file of the book club here or find everything you need listed below!

Book List

• I Stink! by Kate & Jim McMullan (picture book)
• Frankenslime by Joy Keller (picture book)
• Icky, Sticky Slime! by Ximena Hastings (easy reader)
• How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell (chapter book)
• Poop Fountain by Tom Angleberger (middle grade fiction)
• Gross as a Snot Otter by Jess Keating (nonfiction)

Discussion Questions

• On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate this book?
• What did you like best about this book?
• Which characters in the book did you like best?
• What other books did this remind you of?
• Would you read another book by this author? Why or why not?
• What three words would you use to describe the main character?
• If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be?
• What do you think happens to the characters next?
• What do you think of the book’s cover? How well does it convey what the book is about? If the book has been published with different covers, which one do you like best?
• Think about one of the minor characters in the story. Why did the author include him/her?
• If you could hear this same story from another person’s point of view, who would you choose?
• What are some of the major themes of this book?
• What was unique about the setting of the book? Did it enhance or take away from the story? Could this same story take place in a different location or time period?
• Did the book’s pace seem too fast/too slow/just right?
• What surprised you most about the book? Why?
• How did the book make you feel?
• What did you already know about this book’s subject before you read this book?
• What questions do you still have?
• Think of your own question to ask about the book.
• Would you recommend the book to a friend? How would you summarize the story if you were to recommend it?

Snacks

• Classic Pancakes – what’s more sticky than syrup? There’s no rule that says pancakes have to be round, growing up my parents used to make our initials out of pancake batter! The letter “L” is much tastier to eat than a plain old round pancake!

• Nachos – I love the ooey, gooey cheese that nachos bring to the table! And with countless toppings, everyone at the table can create their own!

• Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip – This dip is soooo yummy with apple slices dipped in it! Plus, it’s a little sweet which makes kids think it’s more dessert than a healthy snack! A win-win for everyone!

• Monkey Bread – This is a favorite breakfast (or dessert!) that ooey, gooey and oh so delicious!

• S’mores – Let’s be honest, s’mores are a summer classic that can’t be missed!

• Caramel – Did you know that making your own caramel isn’t too hard? This is definitely an activity for older kids as it does involve a lot of time at the stove, but tasty sticky treats are sure to be the result

• 15 Kid-Friendly Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – Looking for ways to spice up dinner in an easy way? Check out these amazing recipes for delicious grilled cheese sandwiches!

Activities

These activities are for a variety of ages and allow kids to explore using their senses, especially touch with icky, sticky, slimey, gross, and gooey textures. Keep up the learning by asking your kids questions while they play and allow them to help create all of these great tools!

• Slime – a crowd favorite for sure, the simple slime recipe isn’t only fun to make it provides hours of fun for kids (and adults too)!

• Oobleck – made popular by Dr. Seuss’s Bartholomew and the Oobleck, this non-Newtonian fluid is super simple to make and fun to experiment with.

• Elephant Toothpaste – if you’ve never seen elephant toothpaste before, make sure you have an easy to clean up space, outdoors is best!

• Sensory Bags – for the young crowd, sensory bags are inexpensive and easy to pull together, plus older kids and adults will enjoy squishing the bags too!

• Rainbow Dyed Noodles – Looking for a way to entertain in a fun and exciting way? Try rainbow dyed noodles, pick up spaghetti, add a little food dye and you’re ready to play!

• Shaving Cream Paint – Did you know you can make your very own puffy paint? Add shaving cream to white glue, drop in some food coloring and you’re ready to puffy paint.

• Paper Mache – Compared to some of these other sensory activities, paper mache is old-school, but that doesn’tmake it any less fun. Old newspapers, some flour, and water, and your only limit is your imagination!

• Painting with Ice – A great way to keep cool this summer, try making ice paints.

• Mentos and Soda Experiment – Definitely another activity you’ll want to take outdoors, this one is so fun!

• Creeking with Kids – Get outdoors and explore the wildlife that creeks offer! A great way to cool down this summer while spending time in nature!

If you’re interested in purchasing any of the titles above from my list of Icky, Sticky, Slimy, Gross & Gooey booklist, please use my affiliate links for Amazon. When you purchase from the links above, I will earn a commission as an affiliate.

My goal is to create a new book club theme every quarter, so if you have any suggestions for the next theme, I’d love to hear all about it!