oshc activities
World Book Day / Librarian Sorting Race

Librarian Sorting Race

Teams race to sort a jumbled pile of books into order like real librarians, first by type and then alphabetically by the author's surname.

How to run it

  1. Make a jumbled pile of 10 to 15 books for each team at one end of the space.
  2. Explain how libraries sort books by fiction and non-fiction and by the author's surname.
  3. On 'go', teams race to sort their pile into the correct order on a table or mat at the other end, running one book at a time.
  4. Check each team's order together and fix any mix-ups before the next round.

You will need

  • books (10 to 15 per team)
  • tables or mats
  • cones
Make it easier or harderYounger children sort by the first letter of the title only; older children sort non-fiction by topic as well.
SafetyHave children walk briskly rather than run if indoors, and carry one book at a time.
My Time Our Place · Outcome 4, Outcome 2Sorting books as a team practises alphabet skills and cooperation in a fast, active way.

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