Because this was our first book club, I opted to keep the food very simple. Since the rain foiled our outdoor plans, I chose to have the children help make chocolate avocado pudding as part of the activities.

The recipe used avocado, maple syrup, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Each child had their own Oreo to crush in plastic bag, and we opted for low-sugar gummy worms. I also sprinkled hemp seeds on top to give it some added texture (and health benefits). If this sounds interesting to you, it could be a fun activity to have the children forage for tools to crush their Oreos with.

After we prepared the food, I sent the kids outside with one of the moms so I could clean up the kitchen, divvy up the pudding, and get ready for the other activities. I’m not sure what they did out there – I just know they were wandering in the woods.

While the children really enjoyed making the avocado pudding, I’d probably do things differently If I had it to do over. If you’re considering The Wild Robot for your book club, consider incorporating a “lake water” beverage, or a dehydrated camping food taste test.

After all the pudding cups were put together, I called everyone back in for snack and the activities. Our first activity was building a Robot using recycled materials – aluminum cans, nuts, and bolts. I asked each parent to bring their own cans and small parts to contribute. We attached the nuts and bolts using magnetic buttons. I also fired up my hot glue gun to adhere the googly eyes. The kids seemed to have the most fun with this activity, and my children have gone back multiple times to reconfigure their robots.

While the kiddos were building their robots, I took a moment to ask them about their favorite parts of the book. Everyone took turns sharing their thoughts, which felt like a very low-pressure opportunity to practice public speaking. I had also intended on discussing Earth Day with them, but it slipped my mind in the chaos.

In addition to the recycled robots, I planned on building a blanket fort in our living room. However, a break in the rain meant the children (and adults) were most excited about playing outside. The blanket fort was totally forgotten, but you could certainly utilize that idea if you’re rained out of your original venue.

In hindsight, I may have done things a bit differently.

Looking back, a survivalist theme would have been a great way to celebrate The Wild Robot. Especially with older children. Our oldest kids are 6 and 7, and there are only three of them. The rest are still living their best little baby-toddler-preschooler lives. If a survivalist theme interests you, you could teach the kids how to safely build a fire, build an actual shelter, practice foraging, read different types of maps, a compass, or any other survival skills listed here. I think renting a campsite and pitching a tent would’ve been a really fun way to play up the survivalist theme.

One thing I love about homeschooling is the ability to teach life skills in place of “physical education.” The Wild Robot would easily present that opportunity. Whether you choose as simpler theme (like we did), or something more elaborate (like a survivalist theme), The Wild Robot could be a really fun way to celebrate Earth Day with the homeschoolers in your life.