The Power of Books and Ideas for Celebrating Them

One of my new year's goals this year was to increase the number of books I read. I've always loved reading, and have two daughters who are also avid readers and story-lovers.

But that didn't happen by accident.

My husband and I have been reading to them since they were born, and even as my middle-schooler grows is not as into being read to, books are still a beautiful way for us to connect. There is reading time every night, storytime on the weekends, and near-weekly trips to the library.

Reading does so much for our kids…the benefits are far-reaching, including:

• Exposing them to stories, people, countries, and experiences that are not their own
• Avoiding the danger of the single story
• Making them more likely to succeed academically
• Creating opportunities for deep, and loving connection with our children
• Growing children who are better at controlling impulses, paying attention, setting goals, and figuring out how to achieve them

In the words of Pamela Paul and Maria Russo, authors of How To Raise a Reader;

“School is where children learn that they have to read.
Home is where kids learn to read because they want to.
It's where they learn to love to read.”

So, perhaps this March 3 and beyond is a great opportunity to re-explore books with your child, and if you aren't already–get back to reading!

To get you started, below are some more ideas about how you can celebrate World Book Day from the folks at Badger Learning UK–enjoy!

HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDS MAKE THE MOST OF WORLD BOOK DAY 2022

This March marks the 25th anniversary of World Book Day. Not only is it a great cause that raises money for charity, but also a day where children and adults come together to celebrate the importance of storytelling. There are plenty of great ways to celebrate whether you’re fundraising, dressing up, or sharing stories.

So stay tuned as we take a look at ways to help your children make this World Book Day the best ever…

Created by UNESCO in 1995, World Book Day was created to inspire people around the world to share the magic of storytelling. 25 years later, World Book Day is a well-loved tradition by parents, students, and teachers alike.

From building their social skills to improving vocabulary, World Book Day is a great excuse to boost your child’s learning. Whether they celebrate at home or in the classroom, there are plenty of activities and events to get involved in.

Get reading & exploring new stories
The best thing you can do to celebrate World Book Day with your kids is to get them reading. Your local bookshop or library might be supporting the event this year, and there is even a handy website full of reading ideas.

There are loads of ways you can get your kid reading, and parental engagement is supposed to be one of the best ways to encourage your kids to pick up a book. So, why not head to the library or borrow books from other parents to read before bedtime with your child?

Or, if you want to go the thrifty route, you could visit your local second-hand bookstore.

Get involved online
The World Book Day website has a host of digital events to support the changing post-pandemic landscape, and there are other resources, activities, and quizzes available too, all designed to make the celebration of reading accessible for all.

Alternatively, why not host a reading event alongside other parents from school? Pre-select a range of books and get your children to read excerpts from each one. Afterward, they can share feedback about storylines and discuss characters.

Have a scavenger hunt
An active and entertaining way to get your kids more involved with stories is to hold a scavenger hunt, where the kids hunt for books that contain characters or objects. For example, you could tick off objects on a list such as hats, cats, or spells if they find a wizard book, or tick off animals if they find a nature-related book.

You could alternatively hide the actual books. Create clues that refer to certain characters or themes in the stories or hide objects that relate to the book and see if they can seek them out.

Dressing up
Getting your children involved in World Book Day by dressing up as characters is a great way to inspire interest in reading for even the most reluctant readers. There are plenty of great characters to choose from when it comes to dressing up.

Some dress-up favorites include:

• Alice in Wonderland
• Paddington Bear
• Peter Rabbit
• Where’s Wally
• Harry Potter

For some easy outfit solutions, head to your local thrift store and see if you can find some inexpensive items that would help add to the outfit. Sometimes, all you need is a couple of homemade props such as a wand, a paper hat, or some face paint to complete the look.

Create a potato character
A trend made popular by schools is creating potato characters. Taking part is as simple as it sounds – you get your child to create their favorite book character out of a potato. Decorate them with a range of crafty items such as:

1. Acrylic paint
2. Marker pens
3. Pipe cleaners
4. Pom-poms
5. Glue
6. Glitter

Make sure your potato is completely clean and dry before getting the kids to decorate it – this will help it last longer. Why not get the whole family involved and make it a competition?

Design a bookmark
Another great way to get children more involved with books and reading is to encourage them to create their very own bookmarks. Plus, it’s not only an inexpensive activity but a way to spark creativity and imagination. All you will need is some thick cards and some decorations, like paint, pens, stickers or glitter.

Encourage them to let their imagination run wild – they might choose a particular theme from a book or create a bookmark that they think their favorite character would love. If you want to make a bookmark that will last a long time, consider laminating it or sticking it between two sheets of plastic, then trimming off the excess.

World Book Day is a great way to get your kids into reading, so pick an activity and see if it sparks some interest!