National Family Literacy Month is a wonderful opportunity for families to honor the benefits of reading, promote it in their family cultures, and build (or strengthen) a regular reading habit in their homes. Check out these fun ways to celebrate this — and every — month!
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Did you know November is National Family Literacy Month?! You know I’m all over that! For our family, every month is literacy month, but I love that there’s a designated month to celebrate it in an even bigger way. Encouraging a love for books is one of my greatest passions, and it’s a wonderful pursuit for any family. By instilling that love of reading in your kids early in their lives, you can develop their skills and creativity, broaden their knowledge and understanding, and build a foundation of lifelong learning.
10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Family Literacy Month
National Family Literacy Month is a wonderful opportunity for families to honor the (incredible!) benefits of reading, promote it in their family cultures, and build (or strengthen) a regular reading habit in their homes.
Here are 10 fun ways to celebrate National Family Literacy Month:
1. Take a trip (or several trips!) to the library.
Bring a reusable tote for each kid, and fill ‘em up!
2. Read as a family.
Choose a book you think everyone will enjoy (here are some of our favorites!) and read it aloud as a family. You could also designate “family reading times” when everyone reads their own books together in one cozy room.
3. Gift everyone with a new book.
I never need an excuse to buy more books (thank you, Thriftbooks, for making my passion more affordable 😉), but this would be a great one. Encourage extra reading this month with a brand-new book for everyone!
4. Have weekly book chats.
Once a week, gather together and invite everyone to share about what he/she is currently reading. (What the book is about, how they’re liking it, what they think might happen next, etc.) This is a great opportunity to build (and model) excitement over a good book!
5. Go on a book scavenger hunt.
Insert some extra excitement into your family reading routine with a book scavenger hunt.
Sign up for The Merry Momma Club to get a free PDF!
6. Swap books with family friends.
Need some new reading material? Temporarily trade a few of your books with some friends for a few of theirs. It’ll be so fun for your kids to share their favorites with each other!
7. Read to your kids’ classes.
A wonderful way to celebrate National Family Literacy Month is to spread the joy of reading outside your own family! Ask your kids’ teachers if they would be willing to let you come read to the class. (I bet they will!) Here are some of our favorite picture books to give you some ideas.
8. Take on a Family Reading Challenge.
Challenge family members to read outside their favored genre or time period, in an unusual location, or to a new audience.
Sign up for The Merry Momma Club to get a free PDF!
9. Write (or tell) stories.
Literacy isn’t just reading – it’s writing, too! Have fun with some of these creative writing prompts to craft colorful stories. If you have any pre-writers, tell the stories out loud together, instead.
10. Donate books.
Finally, celebrate National Family Literacy Month by donating a box (or two) of books your kids have outgrown or you no longer read. You could also donate money to a nonprofit that seeks to provide access to books for all children. I can think of no better way to celebrate literacy than to make it a universal reality.
Recommended Resources for Family Literacy Month:
- Jim Trelease’s Read-Aloud Handbook
- The Read-Aloud Family
- How to Raise a Reader
- Books That Build Character
- Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever (I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s on my to-read pile! And author Mem Fox is a children’s book treasure!)
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:
- 9 Practical Tips for Reading to Your Kids
- 25 Must-Read Children’s Chapter Book Series
- 20 Books For Kids Who Love Outdoor Adventure
- Must-Read Chapter Books With Strong Family Relationships
Share your thoughts!