It’s World Book Day and children across the nation have gone to school dressed as their favourite fictional characters. But what if your child isn’t really into reading…OR has so many books you just don’t know where to put them all? We’ve found five quick and easy DIY ideas that you can do to get your kids reading more.
1. Design a reading nook
What child doesn’t love a good den? If you have a built-in bookcase take a few shelves out and fill with a couple of big comfy pillows. For an extra touch of ‘secret hiding place’ add a curtain across the top!
Don’t be tempted to do this with a freestanding bookcase though (safety first!) – instead, build a book den out of something else… More books perhaps?
2. Make bookshelves out of guttering
Head down to your local DIY store and pick up some plastic guttering, the square kind is the best for this project. Displaying your child’s books picture face outward rather than stacked, is more likely to grab their attention and encourage them to pick one up to read. The added bonus of this is that their room also looks bright and colourful without the need to decorate!
Follow this nifty step by step guide, and soon enough all your child’s favourite books will be on display for them to see. The best part is, it’s really cheap to do too!
3. Create a “book bin” organiser
The beauty about this one is that it’s the right height for your children to move the books around and investigate themselves. Put some toys in one of the sections so they associate reading with ‘play time’ and voila! Reading is now fun!
Or perhaps hide a new book in there that they have to go an find. If you’re not great with DIY, head down to your local HobbyCraft or Range and pick up a couple of crates instead. These can also be decorated to fit the theme of their bedroom too!
Check out this step by step guide on how to build a book bin organiser.
4. Set up book baskets
Pop down to your local home store and pick up a couple of baskets, label them “To read”, “Reading” and “Read”. Once your child pops the book in the “Read” basket they get a reward – this could be a new book, a toy or even extra play time!
You can fix these to the wall, a door or even their wardrobe, just make sure you put them somewhere where they will be easily seen and not forgotten about.
See this interesting article by Good and Simple for a few ideas around book baskets.
5. Build a bookcase out of a few household items
Cardboard box? Check.
A couple of wooden dowels? Check.
Some bright fabric? Check.
There you go! You pretty much already have everything you need to make a cool bookcase that your little ones can re-arrange and organise themselves.
This ‘how to’ guide will show you everything you need to know on how to build a bookcase your kids will love. Why not let them help you, or chose which fabric they want?
Life Hack: If you don’t have any fabric to hand why not use an old childrens duvet cover?
