There’s something so unifying in cheering on Olympic athletes as they strive for excellence on the world stage. The summer and winter Games also offer an opportunity to teach kids important lessons about resilience, teamwork, discipline, winning, and losing. So go for the gold during read-aloud time with these picture books about the Winter Olympics!
Dive into the world of winter sports and join these storybook characters (real and fictional) as they glide along ice, soar through the air, speed down slopes, and set new records. From silly reads featuring skiing penguins to the true stories of barrier-breaking athletes, these books will inspire and entertain your own little athletes all year long.
For more Olympic adventures with this delightful snowman, add Snowman Paul and Kate’s Olympic Dream and Snowman Paul Returns to the Winter Olympics to your list, too.
Bonus reads about winter sports and adventure:
What’s your favorite book about the Winter Olympics? Don’t miss our roundup of Summer Olympics books for more inspiring Olympic reads!
Grief can have a lasting effect on anyone, regardless of age. Like all of us, young children feel devastated if they lose someone precious to their heart. With the confusion of not understanding what’s going on, they can be left without any idea of how to cope. Fortunately, there are many literary resources available for parents to help kids heal and manage their grief.
Picture books about grief and loss are a powerful way to help younger children understand the grieving process. Here are a few titles that may help them on their journey of coping with their feelings. These selections also encourage young readers to hang on to their dear memories of the departed to comfort them when they need it.
Have you found any of these stories helpful in explaining grief and loss to young children? Please share your experience in the comments or by messaging us.
Want your kids to be kind, compassionate, and open-hearted? Then you’ll be pleased to know emotional intelligence, including empathy, is learnable. As parents, there’s a lot we can do to model and teach it to our children—from showing them how we engage with others in daily life to imaginative role play games. Still, there’s no one-and-done way to teach empathy to kids. It’s a gradual process, and (as parents can testify) younger children don’t always find it easy to understand others’ perspectives, put words to feelings, or react compassionately. Which is where kids’ books that teach empathy come in.
Books, especially story books, are powerful tools for building empathy skills. To quote Neil Gaiman, “Fiction gives us empathy: it puts us inside the minds of other people, gives us the gifts of seeing the world through their eyes.” And for younger readers, picture books—through subtle interplay of words and illustrations, or even illustrations alone—can distill complex emotional ideas without feeling prescriptive or labored. Best of all? They often spark enlightening conversations around feelings.
Like the idea of including books for empathy as part of your child’s reading? From true stories to playful explorations in perspective and deeply moving tales, our list of empathy books for toddlers and preschoolers has got you covered.
Which children’s books about empathy sound good to you? Have a suggestion to include in our list? Let us know!
Winter is here and you know what that means. (Or may I say, you snow what that means?) It’s time to help your kids make some seasonal crafts and decorations! And because we’re all about raising readers at MayaSmart.com, we’re going to throw some literacy practice into the mix, too.
In this educational winter craft, we’ll make word family snowmen that teach kids reading skills and make cute decorations for your home. All you need for this easy activity is 15 minutes (or less if you sign up to get our free printable—details below!) and some basic materials.
Word families are groups of rhyming words that share the same ending (both the spelling and pronunciation). For example, the “-op” word family includes words like hop, top, pop, and so on. Word families are useful teaching tools that help children recognize patterns and build awareness of the sound structure of words. As they learn to connect certain letter combinations with particular ending sounds, kids can more easily read and spell new related words.
Materials:
- White or silver permanent marker
- Construction paper/cardstock: 1 sheet each of black, white, and 3 colors
- Scissors
- Tape or glue
- Markers
Cost: $0-5
Set the Scene: If you’re ready to really get in the snowman spirit, I highly recommend reading one of these terrific snow-themed books to go along with your educational winter craft. Snuggle up and read Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, A Big Bed for Little Snow by Grace Lin, or Snowballs by Lois Ehlert. (Got other snowy favorites? Let us know in the comments below or on social media!)
Step 1: Cut out nine white circles, 3 to 4 inches in size. (You’ll need to fit paper “buttons” inside.) This will be enough for three word-family snowmen. I find that any more gets a little overwhelming for preschoolers.
Step 2: Invite your child to help you draw faces on three of the circles.
Step 3: Cut out three top hats from the black paper. Write a word-family ending on each hat using a white or silver sharpie. Some great options include “op,” “at,” “an,” or “in.”
Step 4: Tape or glue the circles and hats together to make three snowmen.
Step 5: Use the colorful paper to make buttons by cutting out circles that are about 1½ to 2 inches across. (They need to have room to write a word on, but still fit on the snowman’s body.) I recommend cutting out two to four buttons per snowman.
Step 6: On the buttons, write words that correspond with word families. For example, hop/pop/mop/top, cat/hat/mat/bat, tan/fan/ran/man, fin/win/bin. You can also let your child write the words with guidance from you.
Step 7: Review the word-family sounds on each hat with your child. Then, help your child match the buttons to the correct snowman. If they can sound out the words themselves, great. If not, read the words to them and ask them to figure out which snowman they belong on. Repeat until all the snowmen have their buttons!
Feel free to glue the buttons on as they complete the snowmen to make some cute educational decor for your walls, or take the buttons off so they can play all over again any time they want.
And there you have it! With just a few minutes of crafting, you’ll give your child valuable reading practice—and have a great time doing it. If this educational winter craft doesn’t melt your heart, I don’t snow what will.
Did you make this word-family snowman craft with your child? Send us pictures!
Some of my favorite childhood memories were spent close to nature. Whether it was a visit to the local picnic area, being on a family camping trip, or reading a book at the base of a tree, being outdoors surrounded by growing plants was restorative and stimulating. When I became a parent myself, I saw the same benefits for my children as they grew—they were more engaged and enthusiastic when learning took place in an outdoor setting.
Spending time outdoors in natural green spaces provides major benefits for raising readers, and being in nature may even make kids smarter. Researchers (and parents) have observed a plethora of mental, physical, and emotional benefits to getting children outside and active. According to the Journal of Pediatric Nursing, exposure to green spaces promotes memory, self-discipline, and attention. It also reduces stress, encourages positive social growth, and improves behavior.
Being in Nature Can Help Kids Learn
A study in Barcelona followed just over 2,500 primary-school children for a year to better understand the effects of green space on their cognitive development. The researchers found that exposure to such spaces correlated with an improvement in the kids’ working memory and a significant boost in attentiveness. A related study even suggested that regular exposure to such spaces during childhood was associated with increased brain size.
Another study, this time by a group of medical professionals in Rome, showed improvement in kids’ attention levels when they spent time in green spaces, and a positive association with their verbal IQ as well.
And researchers following preschoolers in Norway found that “high exposure to outdoor environments might be a cheap, accessible and environmentally friendly way of supporting and enhancing children’s self-regulatory capacities and cognitive development.” Those researchers even suggested that outdoor exposure could be used to “treat” children with attention disorders: “For some children, high doses of nature may be an effective alternative to medication,” they speculated.
Green Spaces May Reduce Stress & Improve Mental Health
What’s more, scientists in the UK were able to link reduced stress levels to green spaces by measuring levels of stress hormones in participants’ saliva. Researchers saw an increase in the hormone cortisol when subjects were deprived of natural environments.
Similarly, another study found that children between two and five years old who lived in areas with more green spaces around had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.
So, if you find teaching reading to your child a stressful endeavor, why not take the literacy learning outside? Both of you may enjoy a breath of fresh air.
How to Find Natural Areas in Urban Environments
While I was fortunate to grow up in a time and place that offered abundant opportunities to explore nature, in many areas those opportunities are shrinking. Many urban areas were built without regard for nature, and it may be difficult to find a patch of green in some areas. This is particularly true of disadvantaged urban areas.
Fortunately, cities are starting to see the value in prioritizing natural areas. Small areas of green are popping up all over the place. Communal gardens and green spaces have been created by reclaiming derelict or vacant properties, like Platt Farm Open Space in Denver, once a dumping ground for industrial waste.
In addition, many public libraries, such as those in Los Angeles, Denver, Orlando, and New York, offer a limited number of free cultural tickets to library cardholders. Most of these programs have a few nature-centered destinations, such as botanical gardens and zoos, among the museum and theater options. In most cases, parents can take advantage of these free programs via their library’s website and book their free passes online.
Cities frequently have nature and discovery centers to visit, as well. Nature centers often offer educational walks, maintained trails, habitat restoration, and sometimes even wildlife rehabilitation services. Those who want to get more involved may be able to volunteer, helping with tasks such as clearing invasive weeds, planting trees, and cleaning up trash.
How to Help Your Child Learn In Nature
The research suggests that letting your child play and explore in outdoor spaces is beneficial for their cognitive development all on its own. Adding in fun activities that are specifically designed to fuel their development of reading skills will make the time outdoors even more constructive.
You can name the plants and animals you encounter, weaving in spelling lessons when you encounter a B-U-G on a leaf or a C-A-T in a tree. Vigorous activities like a rousing scavenger hunt or a game of alphabet hopscotch will help your active preschoolers get their excess energy out so they’ll behave better at home. After allowing them to expend their excess energy outdoors, you can sit down with your kids and read a book about the outdoors.
Check out these curated lists of recommended picture books about the outdoors and picture books about gardening for a great start!
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When the holidays and school vacations roll around, they bring family time for many of us. Not just time with the members of your household—visits with extended family. Big gatherings and family meals. Going to stay with relatives, or hosting them at our homes. Grandparents visiting or coming to stay. Cousins, aunts, uncles. So. Much. Family.
Gathering and reconnecting with loved ones near and far, within and across generations, is a source of great joy. It can also represent an upheaval: sharing space, dealing with differences, and getting along with others, to name a few. Not to mention handling a bunch of extra noise and chaos on the one hand and different rules or expectations on the other.
As with just about any subject under the sun, we believe that sharing a book is among the absolute best ways to broach this topic with your kids. A great story can simultaneously validate children’s feelings while gently helping them see how to resolve, accept, or evolve them. The truly great ones will even help us parents, too.
Below are a couple of moving picture books that are well suited for prepping young children (and, really, the whole family) for gatherings and visits with extended family.
More Books About Relatives
Has your child ever refused to sit on the lap of a grandfather they hadn’t seen in a while, wiped off a kiss from Grandma, or otherwise been embarrassingly less than effusive around relatives? Have grandparents or other family members ever looked askance at the noise or, shall we say, energy levels of your little ones?
If you’re planning some time with relatives that your children don’t know well, or just haven’t seen in some time, a good picture book can help, such as Oliver, Amanda, and Grandmother Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen.
Picture books are a fantastic way to broach topics of importance with your little ones, and one topic that could use more attention is the relationship between senior citizens and the community at large. Increasingly, children’s books are being published that paint the elderly and the aging process in a positive light—instead of focusing on frailty and diminished capacities.
Interesting children’s books about seniors share the life experiences that shaped older adults, explore the bonds they have with others, and show that older role models are all around us, if we know where to look and who to ask! Take a look at this list of books about senior characters and aging that present a positive view and support meaningful intergenerational relationships.
What picture books about senior citizens and aging will you be reading with your children? Let us know!
I’m a teacher, and as November approaches, parents often ask me to recommend books by Native American authors or with Native American characters. I always have a list handy. But it got me thinking: Why now; why November?
Well, we know the answer, of course. Thanksgiving. It’s generally the only time of year schools and media celebrate the contributions of Indigenous Americans to the current version of this nation. What’s more, many kids’ Thanksgiving books tell a similar (and often falsified) story of the first Thanksgiving.
As parents, you have the power to change this just by the books you put on your children’s shelf—all year long. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, a leading multicultural children’s literature expert, says, “Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror.”
By making sure your child has access to quality books by and about Native Americans all year long, you can create those mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. This post will show you how.
How Should We Choose Picture Books About Indigenous Americans?
This is a great question and the answer is important. There are two good ways to choose:
- Look for kids’ books by Indigenous American authors. Often the author’s bio on the book jacket will tell you. If not, you can typically find the answer in a two-minute Google search.
- Also, read the book before you buy or borrow it. Does the book frame Native Americans as “others” or compare them to white people to make it “relatable?” For example, phrases like “Today, Native Americans dress the same way we do.” If so, pass on those. Does the story center Indigenous American characters and create authentic, well-rounded stories? Then get it!
Happily, in the past few years, more Indigenous American authors have been getting published and winning awards. We Are The Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom even won the Caldecott Medal in 2021! Because of this, it has become even easier to include such stories in your child’s life.
Awesome Kids’ Books by Indigenous Americans
For some great books to get you started, here are a few of my favorites:
Mission to Space by John Herrington
Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom
I Sang You Down From the Stars by Tasha Spillett-Sumner
My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
We Are Still Here by Traci Sorell
The Walrus and the Caribou by Maika Harper
Where to Find More Ideas & New Books by Indigenous American Authors
You can also check out the American Indian Youth Literature Awards for books for children of all ages. To dig in further and find more awesome recommendations in real time, follow these accounts on Instagram to find reviews, releases, and recommendations:
- @indigenouseducators
- @indigenousbookshelf
- @thunderbirdwomanreads
- @paperbacks_n_frybread
- @massybooks (a female Indigenous owned bookstore)
- @mollyofdenali (a PBS Kids show about an Alaskan Native girl)
Why and How to Build an Inclusive Library for Your Kids
As you build out a more inclusive bookshelf, keep in mind that quite often children’s books about Thanksgiving feature racially insensitive stereotypes about Native American characters and give the false impression that Indigenous Americans:
- lived a long time ago and no longer exist
- had/have a single shared culture, religion, and language
- only exist(ed) to serve as guides or “assistants” to white people
Indigenous Americans live and exist in the United States 365 days a year. There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes within the United States. As such, books by and about these Americans deserve to be celebrated on your bookshelves and in story times all year round.
This will help families of all backgrounds counteract the white Euro-centric viewpoint kids can learn when they only see white children in picture books. In turn, it will prepare them to act with empathy for others. And for Native American children, seeing themselves represented in a positive light will empower them and give them self-confidence to speak up for themselves and positively advocate for their communities.
Change can begin on your bookshelf. Investing in quality picture books about Native Americans will affect your child as well as the lives of others. It’s a ripple in a pond. Keep sharing books by Indigenous American authors all year round and watch those ripples grow.
Picture this. It’s Christmas eve, and your family has gathered to give each other books, then cozy up for an evening of reading and hot chocolate. (Maybe throw in a roaring fire and marshmallows for good measure). Sound almost too good to be true? Meet the Icelandic Yule tradition of Jolabokaflod, which means “Christmas book flood”—a festive celebration of reading and simple pleasures.
The tradition has been going strong for more than 75 years in Iceland. Over the last few years, it’s been capturing imaginations beyond the Nordic island, resonating with book lovers and those seeking a more conscious holiday experience versus unsustainable consumption. After all, what could beat giving loved ones, and especially your children, the gift of reading—and all the treasured memories that go along with it?
So, if you’ve been searching for fun and rewarding Christmas traditions for kids—and grown-ups—this holiday season, maybe it’s time to start your own Jolabokaflod. But what exactly does it consist of? How should you go about it?
This article will answer those questions. As with so many of the best ideas, its appeal lies in its simplicity.
The Story of Jolabokaflod, the “Christmas Book Flood”
Iceland is a nation of readers, boasting one of the highest literacy rates in the world (99 percent) and reporting more published books per capita in recent years than almost any other country. Its literary heritage stretches back through the ages to the famous Norse myths and sagas recorded on the island in medieval times, and it remains at the core of Icelandic cultural identity today. Stories have been a flame to see its people through the long, dark nights of their far-north winter. No wonder, then, that it was there that such a strong book-giving Christmas tradition took root.
In 1944, paper was one of the few commodities that wasn’t heavily rationed due to World War II, yet Icelanders had money to spend on Christmas gifts. The solution? Going all-in on books as gifts. The publishing trade sent a “Book Bulletin” catalogue to every household to make placing Christmas book orders extra easy, and so the Jolabokaflod tradition was born.
Fast-forward to today and the Book Bulletin still goes out every year during the Reykjavík Book Fair in November—alongside a flurry of literary events—marking the beginning of the “Christmas book flood” season. It’s a time when books become the talk of the nation.
Iceland’s literary scene is thriving, its authors published in translation throughout the world (Nordic noir is an especially popular genre). Writers are respected. Supposedly one in 10 Icelanders eventually write a book. And there is even an Icelandic saying: “Everyone has a book in their stomach,” meaning “everyone gives birth to a book.” In 2011, Reykjavík was the first city with a native language other than English to become an UNESCO City of Literature.
The ripple effect of Jolabokaflod has had a lasting and profound impact on Iceland’s people, arts, and economy.
The Joy of Jolabokaflod and Book Gifts for Christmas
These days, the “Christmas Book Flood” may come with more marketing hype and author competition than when it first started out, but its spirit remains true to Icelanders’ deep love of books and stories, perhaps best summed up by people who grew up with it.
As author Hallgrímur Helgason puts it, “Thanks to Jolabokaflod, books still matter in Iceland, they get read and talked about. Excitement fills the air. Every reading is crowded, every print-run is sold … At the average Christmas party people push politics and the Kardashians aside and discuss literature.”
Gerður Kristný—Icelandic poet, novelist and children’s writer—recalls, “I have always been given books for Christmas. I remember vividly being an 11-year-old getting nine books that year! Looking at the pile I felt very grown up.”
“Nothing has prepared me better for life than the books I read as a child,” continues Kristný. “They taught me what kind of a world I wanted to live in as an adult and how I could be a part of making it fair and just. They also showed me into worlds I would never otherwise have entered.”
In today’s economically unpredictable times, books remain one of the more affordable luxuries—small investments that deliver rich rewards. And, as well as providing opportunities for relaxing holiday downtime and enjoying the benefits of reading together, bringing books into the heart of your Christmas family tradition gives your children a powerful, and long-lasting message: that books are special and reading matters.
Are you ready to include Jolabokaflod in your Christmas traditions?
How to Hold Your Own “Christmas Book Flood” this Holiday
One of the lovely things about Jolabokaflod is you can go as big or small as you feel like.
In the run-up, get your kids excited by talking about your “Christmas Book Flood” and encouraging them to suggest ideas for making the evening special. You could ask them to share their “wishes” for books or book themes, browse bookstores together, or attend some children’s author events in your area. In turn, ask them to choose a book for you or another family member to read. Want some instant inspiration for choosing great children’s reads? Check out our book lists!
Remember this is your Jolabokaflod, so if you don’t want to buy your books new, you don’t have to. You could find your books in a thrift store or book market, or even pass on a treasured book of your own. Nor do you need to stick to the literal meaning of the expression and “flood” your family with books. A Secret Santa-style exchange, with each person giving and receiving just one book each, can work just as well.
On the day, take time to savor the celebration. Get creative with wrapping. Prepare snacks and hot chocolate together. Make your reading chairs and book nooks extra cozy with throws and cushions, and add the twinkle of fairy lights.
Find ways, too, to personalize the book-giving—people might want to inscribe and date the books they’re giving, or share why they chose a particular title. Then enjoy snuggling up together and poring over those lovely new reads!
In the days that follow your “Christmas Book Flood,” keep the book love flowing! Talk about the books you each received and read. And why not try some book-related craft activities and games? These can enrich the experience, as well as provide fun, screen-free holiday time and further learning opportunities. Maybe everyone could write a short review or draw a picture about their book—these could be turned into a collage or kept in a Jolabokaflod box that comes out every year.
However you choose to celebrate it, the “Christmas Book Flood” might just end up becoming one of your family’s favorite holiday traditions for many winter seasons to come. Happy book giving!
With the holidays approaching and shopping lists and letters to Santa getting longer every day, it’s easy to get stressed looking for the perfect gift. So we’re making holiday shopping just a little bit easier. We’ve compiled a list of terrific educational gifts for preschoolers that will become household favorites the whole year through. These fabulous gifts spark early learning and a love of reading in your child. And best of all? None of them sing or have flashing lights.
Educational Gifts for Kids Who Can’t Read Yet
Orchard Toys Big Alphabet Floor Puzzle
This giant floor puzzle is so fun. It’s bright and colorful and has illustrations kids are drawn to. My favorite part is that the puzzle features lowercase letters rather than uppercase letters. So your child will be learning an important new literacy skill. With its large pieces and simple shapes, this gift is great for ages 2-4. I bought this puzzle for my own nephew and he began to understand the alphabetic order while assembling this puzzle. He also began to ask questions about why letters matched the pictures, introducing him to letter sound correspondence. A big thumbs up from me (and my nephew).
Storytelling cards like the Create a Story set from eeBoo are fantastic fun and learning for kids long before they begin reading, though they remain fun for years after, too. These are sets of cards with pictures on them meant to inspire storytelling. There are different themes, so you’ll be able to find a set that appeals to your child. The child can lay out cards in any order and create their own story right in front of their eyes. When they’re finished, they’ll love explaining the plot to you! Alternatively, you can spare your wallet (and the planet) by making your own DIY story cards or story cubes by upcycling an old card deck or a few building blocks.
Montessori Phonetic Reading Blocks Wooden Words Spelling Game
These blocks are fantastic for children who are ready to start learning to read simple words. They’re strong, interactive, and a great practice tool! Children spin the blocks around and learn to spell and read basic words. The blocks come with cards, so children can replicate words and match them to an image. However, children can also play with them independently and learn how to sound out words that they create themselves.
If you are a fan of the Montessori learning method, you’ll really like these Montessori language objects. These collections of small materials align with different phonetic skills. For example, some collections contain objects whose names rhyme, and others have groupings of objects whose names start with the same letter sound. The small items help children learn to associate letters with sounds while playing. They make great stocking stuffers, too!
Touch Think Learn: ABC by Xavier Deneux
This beautiful board book combines dynamic graphic art with uppercase letters. It’s tactile and fun for all your little learners. This book is great for helping young kids identify letters and introducing them to the sounds that letters make. Your child will fall in love with their ABCs with Touch Think Learn: ABC. (Plus, see our list of awesome alphabet books for more book ideas.)
Educational Gifts for Kids Who Are Starting to Read
Create Your Own 3 Bitty Books Kit
For the little budding author in your life, this make-your-own-book set from Creativity for Kids will be an inspiring gift. The set includes three blank hardback books (yay, durability!), markers, and stickers. Your child can dictate stories for you to transcribe, then they can illustrate them. If your child wishes, they can simply create an illustration-only picture book. As your kids are ready to tackle writing themselves, these books are a great opportunity to sit together to practice sounding out and writing words to create their own story. Their creativity will flourish, as will their love of books. Once they’ve finished their literary masterpiece, they can read their story to you. What a wonderful way to choose a bedtime story!
Mad Libs are a great gift for older preschoolers! They’re a fun stocking stuffer for your child and a playful, silly way to spend some time together. Even if your child can’t read or write yet, they’ll love supplying you with words for the Mad Libs, and you’ll be teaching them about nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. There are dozens to choose from, so you’ll be able to find one for every child you know!
uKloo Early Reader Treasure Hunt Game
This game is set up as a treasure hunt. The adult hides cards throughout the house. The child must read a clue on each card in order to find the next card. What if your child doesn’t know a word? There’s a visual printout included to help your child learn to read new terms. The game also has three difficulty levels, as well as wipe-off write-your-own cards, so it can grow as your child’s reading skills do!
Early Bird Readers from Lerner Books
Say goodbye to outdated Dick and Jane and colorless BOB books. These lively books are wonderful early readers. They’re funny, brightly colored, and organized into color-coded difficulty levels. The books are well thought-out and well paced. The stories grow longer with each level and at a certain point even begin to include fun comprehension questions. These books are dynamic, so children don’t feel like they’re being forced to do practice reading. I highly recommend these!
Designed for kids 4 to 9 years old, This goofy game teaches children to read common words as they compete to be the first kangaroo to get some pizza. What’s really nice about this game is that there are three levels with increasingly difficult words. This means the game can grow with your kids, and it also means that if you have multiple children at different reading levels, they can still play together, each with their own personal set of challenges. Another aspect I like is that the players can compete against one another OR you can play a cooperative mode, where everyone works together. The flexibility and fun is really what puts this game on my list. And, after all, shouldn’t reading be fun?
Educational Gifts For Children of Any Reading Level
Literati Kids Club Subscription
Like Stitch Fix crossed with a library, Literati is a book subscription service that’s fun and fabulous. You sign up for a group based on your child’s age and then each month you receive a box of books. It starts with board books and goes up through high school. Keep the ones you like, send the rest back, and only pay for the ones you keep. You also get a monthly art print and cute little extras like stickers or temporary tattoos. A fresh stack of books each month—what could be better? Having new reads available keeps kids engaged and eager to read, and it keeps the adults in the household from getting burned out reading the same tattered tales again and again.
Homer is a digital reading program for kids. It serves kids from two years of age just learning their letters to first graders working on fluency and comprehension. It has fun games, adorable characters, original fiction and nonfiction stories, and adaptations of well-loved favorites like Thomas the Tank Engine or Angelina Ballerina. Children learn how to read through song, animations, interactive readers, and excellent curriculum. Their program can be done on a tablet or on a computer, so it works with the technology that best suits your family. Kids are so enthralled with Homer that they feel as though they’re getting playtime as they learn.
Epic is, well … epic. It is a digital collection of tens of thousands of books, audiobooks, and educational videos. Your child (or any child you know) will love the ability to browse and choose the content they want. Adults love that it is a safe digital platform that’s educational too. You can learn more from our post How to Get Your Child to Read More at Home with Epic! Digital Library.
Give the Gift of a Book Date
This gift isn’t one you can easily wrap. Buy the child you love a gift card to a local bookstore. Then, choose a day and time to go together on a book date. Tell your child that they can use the gift card to buy books—whatever book they want and however many the card can cover, but they have to choose a book. (Otherwise you might end up with $25 worth of fairy tattoos.) You can explore every area of the bookstore, taking time to read stories together, finding old favorites from your childhood, asking the store clerk to help you find books on rocket ships or baseball or mermaids, or just marveling at how many Llama Mama books there are.
A love of reading doesn’t just happen overnight. Children must be introduced to books and reading. It can come through reading together at bedtime or snuggled up on a rainy day. It can be as simple as finding letters on a cereal box. But the more fun you make reading and the more pockets of joy you create surrounding books and words, the more your child will feel drawn to reading themselves.
Whether it’s for your own little ones, or the children of friends and family, these great educational gifts for preschoolers and toddlers will make everyone on your list happy. (No batteries required.)
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