“That's the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.”

― Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake

And Lahiri couldn’t be more right. Books are magical mediums that take you to places your imagination never knew existed. Sadly, kids are too young to realise it - except for a lucky few. But the benefits of reading are vast and wide and it is your duty as a parent to ensure your little ones see the truth in Lahiri’s words. 

There’s nothing a child loves more than having their parent read them a bedtime story - that in itself is a wonderful way to introduce them to the concept of reading. But, eventually, you’d like your kids to use their own fingers and reading skills to flip through the pages of something more meaningful than Goodnight Moon.

In all fairness, one must admit that some of us are natural-born readers. 

If your kids don’t fall into that category, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t encourage them to delve into a good book anyway. Don’t force them to read, make them fall in love with it instead. And these are the genius ways you can do it.

Toy Story

Toys are the first “friends” your kids make, so besides having a tea party with Bella the Bunny and Tigger the Tiger, why not encourage your kids to read their toy buddies stories? Convince them that their beloved toys love reading and that they’d like to hear a story from none other than your kid. 

Bedtime Story: Reversed

Reading a bedtime story to your kiddies is a wonderful way to bond with them but as they get older, you could reverse the roles and have them read you a story before bed. Not only will this make them feel like an adult (something they will want to feel more often), but they’ll also attach reading to feelings of importance and affection. 

Kids Book Klub

Group activities are always more fun than solo ones when children are involved. Reading is no exception. Start a Kids Book Klub for your little ones and their friends to encourage them to read their fave books together. Discussing the characters and plot will enhance their critical thinking skills at a young age and they’ll even become more likely to recommend a book for the following month without you even asking for it.

Customised Reading Spot

Ask your kids to help you build them a customised reading spot to give them the impression that reading is a very special activity. Reading time will automatically become a special one, where they can “travel” to a world of their making as they tuck into a good book.

Spot the Difference

So many classic books have been turned into equally classic movies, which, in this case, works right in your favour. Turn reading into something of a game by asking your kids and their friends to read a book and watch the movie based on it afterwards. The challenge? The person who correctly names all the details missed out by the movie (from the book) wins a cinema ticket!

Stunning Library Visit

There are many libraries around the world worthy of a visit - whether you’re into books or not. But we believe that even if reading a 600-page novel isn’t your thing, visiting such a beautiful setting, with books at its right, left and centre, could trigger something within you, or, more importantly, within your children. That gorgeous venue might just inspire them enough to want to pick up a book and read it.

Characters Who Love to Read

Cartoon characters have a huge influence on your young ones. Remember when you were a kid and you really wanted to be Sailor Moon or Judy Abbott? Well, perhaps you could get your children to watch cartoons with brainy characters with a love for reading and hope that they will want to follow suit. 

Diverse Home Library

Build up a home library for your children from a very young age and fill it with genres other than children’s storybooks, such as classic novels, poetry volumes, thrillers, oh, and the encyclopaedia. That will trigger their curiosity from a young age and show them what a large variety of genres exist within the world of books.