It’s almost that time… another school year is coming to an end! But just because kids are out of school doesn’t mean that they should abandon books for the next two months. In fact, making reading a fun summertime activity is critical to keep up children’s reading skills between grades… just don’t let your kids know that. We can help you make reading fun (and voluntary!) with our great selection of summer reads for kids.
In fairness to kids, summer reading SHOULD be fun, and never treated as a chore. Kids have earned their break from school, so try to encourage reading as a voluntary leisure activity. For all children, and reluctant readers especially, it’s critical that they have access to reading material that they find enjoy reading. Heck, even the back of a cereal box, text in a colouring book or comic book apps on your iPhone are worthwhile! It doesn’t need to be great literature; it just needs to be interesting, written, and age appropriate. And remember there’s truth in the old adage “Monkey see, monkey do”… when children see that you find reading to be an enjoyable leisure activity, they’re likely to view it as such as well.
With that in mind, we’re thrilled to introduce our new series of summer reads for kids, called “Summertime Reading Stacks”. We have created inviting bundles of 2-3 classic books that we know have huge kid appeal and categorized them by age/interest – they’re great books to read under a tree at the cottage, or snuggled up on the couch on a rainy summer day. (Equally fun for a family to read aloud, too.) Our Summertime Reading Stacks come stacked and bound with a gorgeous ribbon, a cool bookmark and an oversized lollipop, along with a gift card that you can personalize for the lucky recipient. It’s the perfect gift to set the tone for a summer filled with sunshine, fun activities, and good books to boot!
We also love this closet-turned-book-nook, as spotted on thriftydecorchick.blogspot.ca.
Another great way to get kids reading voluntarily is by making sure they have somewhere comfy and special to curl up. While some kids wouldn’t be distracted by a hurricane while engrossed in Captain Underpants, others may need an area of their own with minimal distractions to really lose themselves in a book. We love the idea of creating kid-friendly reading spaces around the house. In an awesome display of creativity (and space utilization!), Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick turned her closet into a child’s cozy book nook as shown in the picture on the right.
But it doesn’t need to be that fancy, either. One of our favourite stories about encouraging summertime reading comes from a mom we know. As the school year ended, as a congratulatory gift for passing grade 2, she offered to set her son up with a special reading nook all of his own. He picked a spot (happened to be the corner of their living room jammed between the couch and the wall, but hey – it worked for him), and she hooked him up with a headlamp, a throw blanket and a couple of pillows for the floor that he picked out, along with a new book to kick off the summer. He took to it immediately, and it wasn’t unusual to find him tucked in there after dinner reading or colouring. Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, at the cottage or at home, consider helping your kids create a special spot of their own to lose themselves in a good book!
Do you have any other great ideas to get kids reading over the summer? If so, please share in the comments section below!
As published by By Heart Books - children's books, children's gifts and loot bags