Reading for fun can help us through these challenging times
Times are hard, and at this moment in our society, reading for pleasure, sharing stories and being able to escape through the pages of a book could be more important than ever. Reading can help with our mental health and well-being: reading for just 6 minutes has been shown to reduce stress levels by 68%. But more than that, taking time to share stories, losing ourselves in a book, travelling the high seas or the Milky Way from the comfort of a sofa might just be the tonic we all need.
Here’s a list of suggestions for parents and teachers, ideas and links that we hope will provide some inspiration for reading for fun (please note – we do our best to check all the content and links, but please make sure the content is suitable for your child):
Free e-books, audio books and more!
Actress Catherine Russell shares some traditional rhymes and tales including The Owl and the Pussycat
Treat yourself to a Michael Rosen masterclass! His YouTube channel is packed full of fabulous lessons, readings and top tips. It’s a wonderful rabbit hole of inspiration – we may be some time…
Smashbooks is an independent American ebooks site with 1,000’s of free books that can be downloaded to tablets, e-readers and smartphones.
Listen to UK podcast Down the Rabbit Holepopular within the publishing industry and featuring authors for ideas around children’s reading.
BBC Bitesize is now available on TV, and increased their resources including book clubs for Primary and Secondary children making great quality resources widely available.
Rob Biddulph has the most captivating series of videos for budding illustrators – it’s a brilliantly simple drawing class to help you unleash your creative characters. Perfect for all ages!
The British Library have a plethora of resources including this teaching resource ‘All Our Stories’ built around the primary curriculum and includes loads of book recommendations.
Author Piers Torday reads from his enchanting books and provides top tips for writing. Enjoy!
Join Julia Donaldson in the deep dark wood for this special performance of The Gruffalo!
Reading top tips and resources
BBC Schools website has some great audio stories freely available to listen to at home, for preschool and primary age children. You can also read along with their transcriptions.
Toppsta is a top kids’ book review site. If your child isn’t used to choosing what to read, or they’re looking for new inspiration, let them loose on Toppsta!
Listening Books has a library of 8,000 audiobooks. Membership is £20 for children with an illness or condition that impacts their ability to read the printed word (e.g. dyslexia).
BBC Sounds has a great children’s section for all key stages. You’ll need an account, but it’s free to set up. Search for Dramas and listen together.
Get creative with your reading – whether it’s a recipe, or a board game, song lyrics or a treasure hunt around the house or garden – reading for fun comes in all sorts of ways.
Oxford Owl has free e-books online, especially good for younger children. Why not see what your child would choose to read?
There are some great trial subscription offers and free resources from comics and mags like The Beano, The Phoenix,First News or The Week Junior which you can get sent straight to your door.
BookTrust have some great online resources, including younger age books you can read online. Get your child to read to a younger sibling, your pet or even to grandparents over the phone!
Reading activities
There are loads of different things and ways you can read – and have fun doing it. Check out our Inspiring Ideas page, which was created for schools, but nearly all of these ideas can work as well at home. Do your own sponsored read at home – download a form or set up your own fundraiser and help us help children in hospital at a time when they need books and stories more than ever.
Discover what YOU like to read with our Reading Challenge – it’s just for fun, or you could use it to fundraise for us to get books to children in hospital. You could even run a challenge between households or friends and see who wins!
Kids love to read when they read what they love! We’ve put together reading for fun ideas that might make you think twice about what reading actually is – it’s not just about books!
Have fun! Check out our kids page for other ideas and make sure to have a go at our unique STORYMAKER game – you’ll be a 30-second author!
