How to Celebrate Because of Winn-Dixie with Kids
Because of Winn-Dixie is such a special book to me. Of course, I truly loved it as a little girl, but I fell in love with it all over again when I read it aloud to my kids last winter. They weren’t feeling well, and we ended up reading the entire book in one cozy day, then watched the movie together. There was something so healing and heartwarming about the story: friendship, community. I just loved it. We had nowhere else to be and nothing else to do, and it was just perfect.
After finishing it, I knew I wanted to take things a little further. There were so many fun moments in the story, like backyard get-togethers, easy homemade recipes, and deep heart-to-hearts. I wanted to enjoy those things with my kids, too. So we threw a little celebration. It didn’t have to be fancy but it made the whole experience more memorable.
We even invited a friend who had read the book shortly after us, and seeing the three of them light up and connect over it was so special. For us, book celebrations are a way to wrap up a story with a bow. A sweet send-off. Of course, the reading is always the heart of it, the part I treasure the most. But bringing it to life with simple moments of joy makes those stories last even longer.
Here’s how you can do the same.
1. Read at Your Own Pace
We read the book in one sitting (truly!), but you can take your time with it. Stretch it out over a month or read a chapter a day. The important thing is to enjoy the story and talk about it as you go. There are so many tender themes to explore together: friendship, forgiveness, loneliness, belonging, and found family.
2. Easy, Themed Recipes to Make It Feel Special
One of our favorite parts of the celebration was making dump punch, inspired by Gloria Dump’s party in the book. It’s as easy as it sounds.
Dump Punch
1 cup orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 cups Sprite
Ice cubes
Orange slices for garnish
Just dump everything in a pitcher, stir, and serve. It’s a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.
You can also keep things simple with egg salad sandwiches (Opal’s favorite), PB&Js, or even make your own version of Otis’s pickles if you’re feeling ambitious.
3. Crafts & Activities to Bring the Story to Life
One of our favorite crafts was an Adopt-a-Dog station. We gathered up a handful of stuffed dogs (you can totally thrift them to keep costs low), and each child made a beaded collar for their dog using pipe cleaners and beads. We also added little keychain name tags.
This is such a sweet way to honor the bond between Opal and Winn-Dixie—and it gave everyone a little take-home “pet” of their own.
If you want to take it further you could:
Make a bottle tree inspired by Gloria Dump: collect colorful glass bottles and hang them on branches with twine.
Music time: play Otis-style guitar or folk music in the background.
4. Set the Scene (Optional but Fun!)
You don’t need fancy decorations; just a little intention goes a long way. We set up a backyard picnic with sandwiches, dump punch in mason jars, and a thrifted quilt. You could hang a few glass bottles from a tree, put on some soft music, and enjoy a slow afternoon outside.
We’re not going for Pinterest-perfect. Just simple and sweet.
Want More Done-for-You Ideas?
If you love celebrating books like this, I made a Because of Winn-Dixie Celebration Guide just for families like yours.
It’s a done-for-you PDF packed with:
More themed recipes
Crafts & activities
Discussion questions
Games to help kids connect with the story
It’s designed to make celebrating this book easy, meaningful, and fun with everything you need in one place.
Make Reading Joyful and Lasting
You definitely don’t have to celebrate every book. Honestly, just reading a book together is a huge win. But for the ones that really resonate, the ones your kids don’t want to end, adding a little celebration can be a simple way to create lasting memories.
You don’t need a party to make books feel real… but sometimes, it’s the thing that helps stories live on in our hearts a little longer.
Happy reading, and happy celebrating.!
