7 Ways to Make Reading Fun for Your Kids This Summer
When we moved to Michigan years ago, we barely squeaked under the weight allowance the moving company allowed on the truck. It wasn’t our heavy furniture. Or the tools or dishes or four kids’ worth of toys. For us, it was box after box of books!
And if you visited our house today, chances are you’d need to push a stack of books aside to set your coffee down. Reading is woven into our family story and holds some of the most special memories of raising our children.
Yet if we’re honest, our youngest son can feel more excited about grabbing the TV remote than his library card. Busy schedules, the pull of screens, and an ADHD attention span can make reading feel more like a chore than a blessing to his day.
Maybe it’s the same at your house. You want your kids to dig into great books all summer. You know how their imagination will be sparked if they read. You’ve seen the power of brave, wise heroes and heroines to challenge and inspire. You’re eager for them to discover the truth and wisdom of the Word. You want to break the grip of video games, phones, and tablets that eat up the hours and dull their creativity. Yet, you feel unsure about how to get your children excited about reading.
Today we’re offering 7 ways to help your kids discover the rewarding fun found in books. May this summer bring a season of laughter, learning, and memories for your family.
1. Start Together
As Piglet told Pooh, “It’s so much more friendly with two.” Something special happens when a book is shared between you and your kids. You might move through a chapter of a read-aloud every morning over breakfast. Or listen to an audio book together in the car on your way to lessons or practice. End the day by curling up with blankets, a bedtime snack, and Bible stories before going to sleep.
The great thing about read-alouds is that you can share an engaging story regardless of your child’s reading level. Younger readers can grasp the plot of a chapter book, and older readers are never too grown up to appreciate silly humor, illustrations, or rhyme. Don’t miss our podcast conversation with Kristen Wynalda for some amazing tips for reading with your kids!
2. Set the Stage
To bring your kids into the shared goal of reading, invite them to help create a quiet and cozy space to curl up with a book. Maybe you’ll empty that cubby under the stairs and fill it with cushions and twinkle lights.
Or you’ll pitch a little tent in the corner of your family room, complete with sleeping bags and a lantern.
Maybe you’ll hang hammocks in the yard or a rope swing on the porch.
It could even be as simple as throwing a sheet over the dining room table to make a reading fort underneath. Let your imaginations run wild as you make a reading space that just might become their favorite spot in the house!
3. Make Books a Prize
At our house, we hung a family chore chart on the wall every summer. Books are the perfect reward for pitching in at home and a job well done. And books are also a great reward for reading itself! You can set a goal of reaching a certain page count or time limit, and then offer a book as a prize for achieving it.
Before summer gets rolling, shop thrift stores, garage sales, or online bargains to fill a box with an assortment of books for your kids to choose from. (Shameless plug: don’t miss Rob’s huge series of Laugh-Out-Loud jokes for kids this summer!) Or, give your kids “Book Bucks” to spend at a favorite local bookstore. A little incentive can go a long way to creating summerlong readers.
4. Bring Books to Life
Books can make a greater impact if we get to share the experiences of the characters themselves. Maybe you’ll try baking Ma’s brown bread or drinking cider like Laura in Little House on the Prairie.
Or you might plant some flower seeds and watch them grow like Mary in The Secret Garden.
You could build a backyard shelter out of branches, complete with campfire, like Sam in My Side of the Mountain.
Or bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies and nibble your way through If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Try some target practice with a slingshot and marshmallows like David in the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible.
With just a little creativity, our kids can step into the world of the characters they love.
5. Pick the Good Ones
One barrier to a book-filled summer is wondering if a book is worth your child’s time. You might wonder:
Does this author align with our family’s Christian worldview?
Do the characters set an example of kindness, courage, and integrity?
Is the humor inappropriate or laughing at others’ expense?
Is it boring or confusing?
Will my child be exposed to violence, sexual activity, or mature themes beyond their years?
That’s why it’s incredibly helpful to seek out book recs from teachers and parents who have curated the best of the best for our kids. Check out Big Books Little Ears, Redeemed Reader, and Foundation Worldview for insightful reviews to help you on your search for great reads.
6. Host a Book Club
For kids, everything is better with friends! Your child can host their own book club of two or more: choosing a book for the group to read, creating and sending out invitations, and setting out the snacks to share. You can help behind the scenes by providing a list of discussion questions like,
What did you like most about the main character?
What was a hard decision they had to make? What would you have done?
Which character is most like you, and why?
What scene in the story really stuck with you?
How did the main character change from the beginning to the end?
If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?
Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?
A little hospitality and leadership can help your child to feel invested in books, friendship, and growing as a reader.
7. Get Hands-On
Kids love to move! One challenge of reading is just the hard work it takes to sit still in one spot. That’s why bodies in motion can thrive with hands-on activities while their ears are tuned to an audio book or your voice reading beside them.
Get out the Lego bin and build a vehicle the book’s character is driving. Or shape the scenery, food, or pets in the story out of clay or Play-Doh. Break out the paints, markers, or chalk to draw the character you see in your mind’s eye. Put out bowls of marshmallows and pretzel sticks to craft animals, people, and buildings (and eat them when the chapter is done!).
You can also supply a box of fidget toys that only come out during reading time. Some of our favorites are Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, Liquid Motion Bubblers, Fidget Cubes, and Twisty Fidgets.
Reading is a beautiful way to capture your child’s heart and mind, and to deepen your connection with God and one another. We pray that as you explore books with your family this summer, you grow in wonder of the beauty of God’s world and his ways. Blessings on you and your family!
