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Supported by Twinkl

Book Repair Hospital

Become junior Book Doctors and help repair poorly books through teamwork, role play, and creativity!

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You’ll need

  • Book Repair Hospital role play pack printouts from Twinkl website.
  • Old or damaged books needing repair
  • Sticky tape
  • Masking tape
  • glue sticks
  • craft glue
  • glue spreader
  • Safety scissors
  • Pencil erasers
  • Sponges or soft cloths for cleaning 
  • Small paintbrushes for dusting
  • Plain paper
  • Coloured paper
  • Wrapping paper
  • Card or thin cardboard
  • Stickers for decorating
  • Colouring pens and pencils
  • Magnifying glass

Before you begin 

  • Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Take a look at our guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.  
  • Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
  • Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help. 

Planning and setting up this activity 

  • Collect damaged books by asking young people and parents to bring in damaged books. 
  • Print out The Book Repair Hospital Role Play pack, prior to session.
  • Set up the Book Hospital with 3 tables - A&E reception, A&E ward and Recovery Ward. Stick one of the signs near the table.
  • Create a medical kit box (box with all resources needed to repair the book). 

Running this activity 

  1. Gather everyone around and tell them that today everyone will become a junior Book Doctor and part of Book Hospital. All young people will be put into hospital teams and given a role and a leader will be the Head Book Doctor. 
  2. Explain each of the roles to them. A leader could assign roles or young people can choose a role. Once everyone has a role, give everyone a name tag. You can have several medical teams made up of 2-3 young persons under one Head Book Doctor.
  3. Once everyone has a role and they know the layout of the hospital. Explain to them what they will be doing.   
  4. Step 1: Ambulance The young person that is the paramedic goes to collect the book patient from the family. They need to complete the basic details about the patient. Use the Patient Report printout (The Book Repair Hospital Role Play pack)
  5. Step 2: Accident & Emergency (A&E) The Paramedics take the patient to A&E reception and book the patient with the A&E Nurse. 
  6. Step 3: Emergency Ward The book patient is handed over to the Head Doctor and Medical team. Together the medical team investigate the patient carefully: 
  • Is the spine broken? 
  • Are pages torn? 
  • Are corners folded? 
  • Are there scribbles, stains, or sticky marks? 
  • What happened to the book? 
  • How did it get injured?
  • How can each of the injuries be fixed  and what can they use from the tool box to repair it? 

 7. Step 3: Treat the patient Use your hospital tools (resource box) to: 

  • Tape torn pages
  • Repair broken spines
  • Gently clean marks
  • Rub out pencil scribbles
  • Create a brand-new cover using paper or wrapping paper.
  • Remember to handle your patient gently and work as a team. 

 8. Step 4: Recovery Ward  When your book has been treated, place it carefully in the Recovery Ward. Then collect another poorly book and continue helping patients until all the books have been treated. 

Family: This is the owner of the book. 

Ambulance/Paramedic: Bringing emergency book patient to the hospital. 

A&E Nurse: Checking in emergency book patient. 

Medical team: Assess the book patient. 

Head Book Doctor: Leader. 

Recovery ward nurse: Looking after patients after the treatment.

Accident and Emergency reception: this is where the paramedic/ambulance come with the patient and register with the Nurse. 

Emergency Ward: This is where the patient is taken and given to the Head Book Doctor and medical team. The medical team will asses the patient and decide what treatment they need. 

Recovery Ward: Once the patient has received treatment they are taken to recovery ward and given to recovery nurse.

Reflection

The activity helped the beavers understand the importance of caring for books and shared belongings. They worked together to solve problems, practised using tools carefully, and showed kindness and patience while repairing each book. 

Which repair job was the trickiest?  And Why is it important to look after books and other shared things? 

By mending and reusing books instead of throwing them away, the beavers also learned how small actions can help reduce waste and protect the environment. 

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

You must run your activities in line with the Safeguarding Code of Conduct for Adults (Yellow Card) and report any concerns to the UK HQ Safeguarding Team.

Scissors

Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Glue and solvents

Always supervise young people appropriately when they’re using glue and solvent products. Make sure there’s plenty of ventilation. Be aware of any medical conditions that could be affected by glue or solvent use and make adjustments as needed.

Sharp objects

Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.

Make it accessible

All Scout activities should be inclusive and accessible.

Beavers Book Reader Activity Badge