Books, Toys and Activities for Kids That Love Dogs

My kids love dogs. Maggie can name more dog breeds than I can and runs right to the non-fiction, dog area of the library as soon as we get there. Both Maggie and Alex spend time everyday playing with their toy dogs or pretending to be dogs. Even Tommy has caught on and although he can’t say any real words yet, if you ask him what a dog says, he “woofs”. Perhaps our love of dogs comes from having our sweet dog Jersey around. Below are some of our favorite dog books, toys and activities. Enjoy, fellow dog lovers!

 

Books:

10 Books for Kids That Love Dogs

 

Harry the Dirty Dog 

This Book Just Ate My Dog

If You Give A Dog A Donut 

The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto 

National Geographic Little Kids Look and Learn: Dogs

Service Dogs (Dog Heroes Series – we get these at the library)

How to Talk to Your Dog

Biscuit Series (we love Biscuit & the Baby, Biscuit Visits the Big City, & Biscuit Goes to School)

Clifford (we love Big Leaf Pile, Clifford Good Deeds & Clifford’s Birthday Party)  

Ultimate Sticker Book: Puppy

 

 

Toys:

1.  Paw Patrol

“No job is too big, no pup is too small”! Do your kids enjoy watching Paw Patrol? It’s my kids’ favorite show and we were thrilled to see the toys come out. There are so many cute Paw Patrol toys now and they are perfect for boys and girls. The girls were eager to collect the different pups and recently got the amazing Paw Patroller rescue vehicle. This giant truck is big enough for all 3 of my kids to play at once. The girls spend hours setting up their dogs on the Paw Patroller and creating pretend rescues. Even though the truck is about double the size of Tommy, he spends hours pushing it around the house. This is a great holiday gift for a Paw Patrol fan!

 

2. Puppy In My Pocket

I remember Puppy in my Pocket from when I was a kid. I was so excited to see that they are back! There are so many different dog breeds represented now and all of them come with a cute name. My girls love that they have “soft fur”. Some of the tiny pups attach to a bracelet. Maggie wears her to school everyday. Alex loves the little purse with pockets in it for the puppies. Both girls sit and set the dogs up in their Pretty Pet Palace all the time. Collecting more of these puppies is on the top of Maggie and Alex’s Christmas list.

 

3. Puppy Surprise 

This is another toy I remember from years back! My girls got a Puppy Surprise last Christmas and it’s definitely a toy they play with all the time. They recently got the new dog, Candy, that comes with a puppy that makes real puppy sounds.

 

4. Schleich Dogs and Puppies

Schleich makes the most realistic dog and puppy figurines. The have so many breeds and often you can find sets of dogs and puppies when Schleich is on Zulily.

 

5. Melissa & Doug Stuffed Dogs

Realistic, snuggly dogs in so many cute breeds. These are on my girls’ Christmas list!

 

Activities:

1. Paper Bag Puppy Dog Puppet

Supplies: Brown paper bag, white, pink, brown and black construction paper, marker

Directions: Cut out the puppy parts in the different colors shown. Have the child glue them onto the paper bag to create a cute little puppy puppet!

2. Make Your Own Dog Ears 

Supplies: Headband, felt, glue or tape

Directions: Find an old headband (or use any headband and tape on the ears vs glueing so you can remove them). Cut animal ears out of felt: puppy ears, cat, elephant, etc. Glue the ears to the headband & you have an instant animal costume! Sometimes we even draw on a matching animal face with face paint.

3. Paper Dog Treats 

If your kids love playing with their cuddly, pretend stuffed dogs, they will get a kick out of making them their very own dog treats. We used a wood dog bone shape for the kids to trace, but you could also use a bone shaped cookie cutter or just draw them yourself. The kids cut out the bones, colored them, wrote messages like “good dog” and then used them to “train” their stuffed dogs. This is a great cutting practice activity too!

To note: All clothes and shoes pictured in post are from FabKids, one of our favorite places for kids’ clothes. This fall, they are on point with the perfect fun, comfortable styles for kids. My girls love their dresses and leggings and their “animal print” boots from FabKids are their favorites this fall. For more info on FabKids and why we love this brand, check out this post: Friday Favorites FabKids.