Fun Reading Activities for Kids and Families

There are few things more special than story time with the whole family. These four fun reading activities recommended by teachers are not only a great way to boost your child’s reading skills, but they’ll also instill a lifelong love for books! 

1. Become Kindness Ninjas

As a family, read How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Be Kind?, a funny picture book about the various ways to be kind. Your child will learn all about being a good person, practicing good manners, and telling someone they're special. 

After reading, encourage your child to transform into a “Kindness Ninja” and do random — and secret — acts of kindness. These kind acts will help your young reader connect to the world around them. 

“When children start making connections between the world and themselves, they start to have a deeper understanding of why characters respond the way they do, which in turn builds deeper comprehension skills,” says Avery Lieske, a third-grade teacher in Alabama. 

2. Toss Worries Away

If you’re looking to harness the power of social-emotional learning at home, there’s no better way than to explore a book this school year. Wemberly Worried is an ideal title to start with. 

“Through Wemberly’s journey, we discover worry is a part of life, and a great way to make our worries smaller is through talking with someone we trust,” says Lieske. “This book provides the perfect starting point to discuss any worries they may have.”

After reading, encourage your child to draw or write about their worries on a sheet of paper. Then, while your child shares their worries, ask them to roll up the paper until it’s a tiny ball. 

“Once the paper is in a little ball and they have gotten all of their worries out, they can throw it away,” says Lieske. “Anytime they have a worry they can talk it out, write it out, and throw it away.”

3. Magical Word Jars

The Word Collector is ideal for deeply engaging your child and showing them just how magical words can be.

“This book gives you and your child the opportunity to discuss shades of meaning, synonyms, antonyms, and how to speak and write with more detail and flair,” says Josh Blackburn, a second-grade teacher in Tennessee.

After reading, Blackburn suggests helping your child create their own word jar or word journal and asking them to record any new words they discover while reading independently or with you. “Then take a moment to look up the meaning of that word with your child and help them use it in their own writing,” he says.

4. Insect Adventure

Enter the world of insects with help from Ross Burach! There are plenty of fun facts about the butterfly life cycle and migration patterns available in Make Way for Butterfly.

“For an added adventure, take your child outside and go on an insect hunt," says Blackburn. "If you find an insect you cannot identify, there are a variety of insect identifying apps for your smartphone that will keep you and your child learning more about the insects in your environment."

Encourage a love of reading with help from our guide, which includes book recommendations by interest, tips for getting your child to read for fun, reading activities, and much more.

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