by Scott Sollers
Finding time to bond with your grandchildren can be challenging, especially if you live far away. That’s why I’ve made it a point to make the most of our special time together in the simplest, purest form – through reading. The shared experience of reading with my grandchildren has filled me with joy and created memories that will remain with us forever.
This National Grandparents Day (Sept. 8) is the perfect time to start a new tradition of reading together. Here are a few creative ways to get started on your special reading journey!
Visit Little Free Libraries
Take a walk with your grandchild to visit local Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood. Choose a book together. When you are done reading it, together, put it in another Little Free Library for others.
Participate in reading reward challenges
Several libraries and businesses provide incentives to children who read. Make this a fun activity with your grandchild by working with them to complete the required reading minutes, and enjoy the perks together (pizzas, amusement park trips, etc.).
Go on a storybook walk
Storybook walks let young readers enjoy a story and the great outdoors, as pages from a children’s book are printed and placed in displays along a walkable path at a park, school or neighborhood. Check with your local library for their recommendation of where to find the most current storybook walks.
Get a library card
September also happens to be National Library Card Sign-Up Month, so there’s no better time to introduce your grandchild to the nostalgia of libraries. Make a plan to visit the local library together every so often to check out more books.
Make book-themed crafts
Extend the fun of books beyond the pages, and make puppets of your favorite characters, bookmarks inspired by your favorite story or dioramas that showcase a scene from a book.
Attend author readings and book signings
Many Barnes & Noble stores and other independent bookstores love to host local authors for a read-aloud and book signing. These events offer a special and unique opportunity for kids to get their books signed and burning questions answered.
Listen to audiobooks
Audiobooks provide a wonderful shared experience to foster the love of learning while on the go! Plus, they give children the opportunity to listen to books at a higher level than they’d normally read.
Start a grandparent/grandchild book club
Book clubs are the perfect way to socialize with friends while encouraging a love of reading. Round up some of your friends and their grandchildren and start planning regular meetings to discuss age appropriate books.
Establish Caribu accounts
Try to make some time for reading even though distance might keep you apart. Caribu is a video calling app that lets family and friends read together, virtually.
Scott Sollers is an award-winning author and proud grandparent of three (Felix, Harry, and Ellie). His first book, “A Tall Tale: How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs,” released last month. His next book “The Adventures at Lake Omigosh” will be released in November.
