By Christa Protano
My youngest is in second grade and each month she brings home a fun reading challenge to complete in about 30 days. We hang it up on the fridge and it guides her book choices all month long. She loves that she gets to color a cute themed character (snowmen for winter, pumpkins for fall) each time she completes a reading task. I love that it takes the guesswork out of which children’s book to read each night.
Want to get your child reading more books this year? We put together a Winter Reading Challenge of our own to kick off 2023. Here are 9 fun reading ideas your child can do on their own or you can read together while waiting for the perfect snow day.
1. New Year, New Book
Because both my children like to stick to book series and movies that are familiar, I like to casually leave a new book out on the kitchen table and let them think it’s their idea to pick it up and read it. Does it work? Sometimes … depends on the kid. Whether you want to try my strategy or have one that works for you, check out Silver Dolphin’s latest new releases, like My Magical Soundbook.
2. Celebrate Black History Month with a Book
Check out the latest board book in the Baby Ballers family, Venus and Serena Williams. Before they were serving up grand slam victories, they were just two sisters growing up in Compton, California. Follow along as Venus and Serena go from learning tennis to making history at Wimbledon and around the world.
3. Cozy Up with a Good Book
Wear scarves and fuzzy hats during story time. Skip the mittens, though — they might make it hard to turn that page!
4. Read a Book About Love
This Valentine’s Day, ABC I Love You has you covered from A to Z with 26 pages of sweet sentiments. This perfect first-alphabet book includes colorful illustrations, playful text and large graphic letters to help introduce your baby to the ABCs. Need some Valentine’s for preschool? Check out this heartwarming title too.
5. Cook Something Together
My daughter is always asking to help out in the kitchen and this is a great opportunity to get her to read a different format, like a recipe. Hot soups, a warm batch of chocolate chip cookies — we’ll read the recipe together and then I let her help me make it.
6. Read a Book About Winter
When Bear wakes up early from her hibernation, she decides to build a snowman. Her grumpy neighbor, Rabbit, decides to build an even better one. Rabbit & Bear: Rabbit’s Bad Habits is full of laugh-out-loud moments and chronicles the forming of an unlikely friendship. With illustrations throughout, this chapter book is perfect for middle grade readers.
7. Prepare for Daylight Savings
Could a parent’s worst nightmare finally be coming to and end? Whether we’ll be turning our clocks back in the fall or not, be prepared to spring ahead in March with one of these books to read at bedtime.
8. Get Ready to Catch that Sneaky Leprechaun
Read a book about St. Patrick’s Day, like You’re My Little Lucky Charm, then DIY your own leprechaun trap. Yes, I said a leprechaun trap. Parents of school-aged children probably know what I’m talking about, but if you’re new to the school holiday game, find plenty of cute ideas here.
9. Read a Keepsake Book to Your Little One
For memorable stories about the universal love between a parent and child, look no further than Margaret Wise Brown. The best-selling author of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny enchants readers with the colorful picture book The Noon Balloon, as well as A Long Time That I Loved You and other books for little ones.