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With the holidays fast approaching, maybe you have an overflowing stack of children’s books and are struggling to find meaningful ways to share them with your family?
Keep reading to find out 5 suggestions that will not only celebrate books, but will also capture the magic of the holiday season!
Book Advent Calendar– A book Advent Calendar is a magical way to countdown Christmas and add a special sprinkle of literature to the holiday season. It’s simple to pull together, even on a tight budget. All you need are 24 books to read each night, saving a special book for Christmas Eve! If you’re thinking there is no way to find 24 holiday books in time for Christmas, it’s a task that can be easily accomplished! Books don’t only need to be Christmas books; a mixture of Christmas and winter themed will do the trick. You can also check out books from the library, visit local thrift stores or yard sales, and (as always) sneak a few into that holiday Amazon order. Finally, all you need is some holiday themed wrapping paper and gift tags labeled 1-24, and presto!
Read About Cultural Celebrations Around the World– December is a month where a variety of holidays are celebrated. What better way to teach your children about how other cultures and religions celebrate holidays around the world then by reading about them! Pick a different cultural celebration and learn about it each day; if you’re feeling crafty you can even pair your reading with a craft. Not only will your children learn different cultural celebrations, such as St. Lucia’s Day in Sweden or St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland, but what they learn will also enhance your holiday celebrations.
Christmas Eve Book Exchange– On Christmas Eve in Iceland, it’s tradition to exchange books and spend the night reading and celebrating books while they wait for St. Nick. To kick off this tradition, turn off the television, snuggle in with family, and gather your family to read the same special book each year. Have the family member that reads the book (maybe even dressed as Santa) sign the inside cover, so that you have a record of who read each year. Spend the remainder of the night reading your new books
Holiday Cookbook- It’s always special to bake for the holidays, so why not create a cookbook featuring your child baking his or her favorite holiday treats? The idea for the book is simple to execute; just grab a binder and add favorite recipes to the binder each holiday season. To make the cookbook even more memorable, add photos of your family baking together each year. Not only will this cookbook quickly become a favorite, but will provide opportunities to spend time together as a family.
Holiday Book Drive– Host a holiday book drive and donate the books to a local charity or school that desperately needs books. Spend time sorting through your bookcase and let your child be responsible for selecting books to donate. This is a great way to teach about the importance of giving back to your community, compassion for others, and the value of giving, and appreciating good fortune.