Fun Ways to Get Your Kids into Reading

Are you struggling to try to help your kids to enjoy reading books? It’s so common! I have 4 super-easy (and fun) ways to get your kids into reading.

We all hope our kids will love reading. We imagine reading to them at bedtime, reliving all of our favorite childhood books with them. A love for reading doesn’t happen on its own, however. So how do you get kids into reading? 

Technology plays a bigger part in our lives than it did when most of us were kids. These days, it’s easier to hand your kids an iPad than a book. These four tips for getting kids into reading are fun and unique – we hope you and your family enjoy!

Celebrate books as gifts

When trying to think of gift ideas for kids, it’s easy to forget how meaningful a book as a gift can be. Even more so, when there’s a message written inside, telling the recipient why you choose that book for them. 

Celebrating books as gifts with your kids doesn’t just mean buying gifts for them. It also means encouraging them to gift books to their family and friends. 

Next time one of their school friends has a birthday party, encourage your kid to gift them a book. Chat with them about which book they should choose and help them write a message to their friend on the inside of the cover page or the flyleaf. 

Read the book before watching the movie

With so many books being turned into movies or TV shows, reading a book with your kids before you watch it on the screen can be a fun and motivating way to read. 

Not only will reading the book first excite everyone when you finally put the movie on, but it is also a great way to talk about books and adaptation with your kids. Talking after the movie about what was changed, what they liked and what they didn’t like about the adaptation, and if it matched how you imagined it whilst reading are fun ways to get your kids engaged with reading. 

If you’re unsure where to start, this list of children’s books adapted into movies is a great guide that breaks down adapted books by reading age. 

Make food inspired by books

Whether it’s Dr Seuss’s green eggs and ham or (non-alcoholic) butterbeer in Harry Potter, the food and drink in books is often one of the things we remember best. If there are foodie passages in your kids’ books that make their mouths water, why not make the food together? Not only does this bring the reading experience alive for kids, but it also gets kids into cooking. 

This list of classic food descriptions in children’s books gave us such food and reading nostalgia, so why not take some inspiration from it for you and your kids’ next read?

Do a destination reading challenge

If your kids have a touch of wanderlust, doing a destination reading challenge is an exciting way to broaden their horizons through books.

A destination reading challenge is simple – choose a location (it could be a city, a country, or a whole continent) and only read books set there. Not only is this a fun way to read a bunch of new books with your kids, but it also teaches them about the wider world and foreign cultures. 

I also have a free summer reading challenge printable that helps kids keep track of what they read. Reward them as they reach their goals.

We hope you’ve found some inspiration in this list of fun ways to get kids into reading. No matter what age your kids are, it’s never too late to spark a love of books. Our final tip is to simply share a love of reading with them – if they see you as a passionate bookworm, they’ll quickly feel the same way.