For those who are book lovers already, reading is an enjoyable activity without the need to add any extra motivation, but getting a child—who hasn’t discovered the magic yet—to read for enjoyment can be daunting. Reading should spark joy. Find out how to make reading fun while continuing to build reading skills.
Here’s a list of 15 ways to make reading more fun for your child, whether they are an avid reader or a reluctant one.
1. Read Aloud Together
My son once said: “Mom, I think the reason I love reading so much is because of all the reading we did together.” That’s enough reason for me to recommend read-alouds above anything else on this list.
When you read aloud to your kids, they get to immerse themselves in a story and have fun reading without stumbling over words. They get all of the joy without any of the pressure. More importantly, they get to watch you model fluency and lead (or in this case, read) by example.
You will never regret spending quality time together, reading and bonding over books, and your children will never forget that you did.
Need some inspiration to get your family started? Take a look at some of our favorite picture books to read aloud together from our home library. We also read a novel or chapter book together monthly, which you can explore in my monthly read-aloud articles.
2. Choose Books with Movie, TV, or Theater Adaptions
Grab some popcorn and snuggle up for a family movie night! That’s what we do, every time we finish a book that has a movie adaption.
Usually, this is a book we use for a read aloud (our most recent one being The Wild Robot), but my son is always eager to read books independently that have movie or TV adaptions. Kids love to see stories come to life on the screen.
3. Follow Interests & Give Choices
Getting my son to find reading fun once seemed impossible, until I followed his interests. He loves the How to Train Your Dragon movie, so I strategically placed the book on our shelves and hoped. Many months went by, but he did eventually reach for it, and he hasn’t stopped devouring books since. All it took was one book. The book.
Dragons, Minecraft, mythology, wolves, magic, science… No matter what interests my son has developed, I have always found books to match.
Find the options most likely to spark your child’s interest and involve them in the selection process whenever possible.
4. Read a Fun Book Series
Reading a book series allows kids to build skills as they grow accustomed to an author’s voice and world. Plus, knowing what to expect from an author makes getting through a book feel more manageable. When kids are invested, in both the characters and content, reading instantly becomes more fun.
Every time my son becomes entranced by a book series, he makes tremendous gains in both his reading skills and enthusiasm.
5. Graphic Novels & Comics
Need I say more?! If you are less familiar with graphic novels, essentially, they are comic-style stories that run much longer than traditional comics. Many are even adapted from full-length novels, like Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel (pictured below) and Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy: The Graphic Novel.
With this genre on the rise, we finally made the leap last year and added some graphic novels to our home library. There are some truly incredible ones out there with stunning full-color illustrations!
My kids gobble these up quickly, so we buy these in moderation, but we absolutely love to gift graphic novels, especially to boys who are reluctant readers.
6. Audiobooks & Audio Players
This is especially helpful for working parents who don’t have as much time to engage in read-alouds. While I do not recommend it as a total substitute, this option is a great tool to squeeze in extra story time.
Audiobooks are great for long commutes and road trips or to occupy the kids when you need to get things done around the house. My kids enjoy listening to an audiobook while they build with Legos or to wind down at bedtime.
My kindergartner uses a Tonibox and a Yoto Player. Both allow her to play audiobooks independently and without needing a screen. This gives her more book exposure at times when I can’t.
7. Make Reading Fun With Activities & Crafts
Find ideas online or come up with your own. We’ve done our fair share of book dioramas, like the time my son used a shoebox to create a scene from Charlotte’s Web. Often, I just give the kids paint or crayons and paper so they can draw what’s happening in the story while I read aloud.
I also like to incorporate outings whenever possible, such as visiting penguins at our local aquarium the time we read Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
8. Use a Reward System
Reading charts are great for building and sustaining new reading habits. The trick is to challenge kids, just enough, without making the goal too difficult to reach. In our family, reading charts are most effective when I include my kids in the negotiation of their rewards.
This works even for kids who aren’t reading at all yet. When my daughter was a toddler and wanted to participate in the reward system, she got to put a sticker on her chart every day that someone read to her. Stickers alone are sometimes enough to make reading fun for the youngest readers!
9. Visit a Library or Bookstore Together
There is something magical about seeing a large collection of books under one roof. Bookstores have the bonus of providing that new-book-smell magic, but purchasing books and building a home library takes time and money, while libraries provide the magic for free! Each has its place, and our family makes use of both.
10. Explore a Variety of Reading Levels
Just because your child can read at a higher level, that does not mean they won’t still enjoy the content and gain skills from reading books below their level.
On the opposite end of that, if your child is interested in reading a book above their level, it is better to encourage and allow them to try out the book than to discourage any interest in reading.
When my son first read the How to Train Your Dragon series, his reading level was significantly lower than the level of the books, and yet I watched his excitement and motivation propel him through the series with lightning speed.
11. Educational Reading Programs and Apps
Both of my children have loved using the Reading Eggs app to supplement their reading instruction. Interactive games and lessons make the reading experience fun and engaging. Reading Eggs offers programs for kids ranging from 2-13 years old.
12. Bake Yummy Treats Together
Reading recipes is a great way to get some extra practice in while building life skills and teaching kitchen safety. Have your child help you prepare a meal or special treat by reading recipes together. Allow them to help with simple tasks which are appropriate for their age and maturity level.
This is a great opportunity to add some cookbooks to your home library. You can also find recipes for free online. Be sure to print the recipes out to make them more manageable for your kids. You can save their favorites in a folder or binder!
13. Write Your Child a Letter
Praise your kids with uplifting words and encouragement in the form of a letter. Writing letters to my kids brings me just as much joy as it brings them. I love how their faces light up when they find my handwritten letters in the car after school or in their rooms when they wake up.
As a fun reading challenge, I often write my letters in cursive. This requires more help from me for the kids to decipher but guarantees them some exposure to cursive handwriting.
14. Poetry Tea-Time
I stumbled upon this idea during our homeschooling years. We do not read a ton of poetry. Sometimes this is the only occasion when I remember to pull out the poetry books (or find some poems online).
Tea parties are something both of my kids enjoy, so we often bring out our tea set for the occasion. We also grab small treats like scones or macarons for our desert tray. Other times, we just use our mugs, and I sometimes whip up hot chocolate for an extra special treat.
Reading poetry together may even inspire kids to write their own poems to read at tea-time!
15. Gift Books
Normalize giving and receiving books as gifts! People are often surprised to see my kids faces light up when they unwrap books (no matter the occasion).
What you value is what they will value. The more you prioritize reading and integrate books into your home, the more normalized this will become to your kids.
The kids in our extended family all know to expect books from us at Christmas time and birthday parties, and when my kids bring home party invitations from friends, I let them pick out a book to give, even if we decline the invite.
Gifting a good book is almost as much fun as reading one. We love to share the joy of books with others!
Discover More Ways to Make Reading Fun
This is by no means a complete list of ideas. The possibilities are endless! I hope you are inspired to find other unique ideas for how to make reading fun for your family.
