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6 Easy Ways to Get Kids Reading Every Day
Diana Phillips • October 2, 2026
As Mary Poppins once said, “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.” In other words, your kids are more likely to do challenging things—like reading—if you make them fun! There’s a lot of information out there about how our kids need to read more. Maybe you’ve tried scheduling reading time or making special trips to the library, but here are some fun, sneaky ways to work reading into your day:
- Turn on the subtitles! Sometimes I do this just to make sure I don’t miss any dialogue from my favorite shows, but your kids will benefit from hearing and seeing the words at the same time. (One Minute Reader does this automatically!)
- Play word games. Any game that has cards with questions that players have to read will...make your kids read! Think Trivial Pursuit or Apples to Apples. And if they start fighting over the rules, suggest that they read the instructions!
- If your kids are big Marvel fans, find the corresponding comic books for the recent films. Make it a rule that they have to read the related book (or the comic book) before they see the movie! Some popular books that became movies: the
Harry Potter series,
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and
A Series of Unfortunate Events.
- Ask kids to help in the kitchen by reading a recipe, or while on a car ride by looking for signs with the names of landmarks. Have them be in charge of reading the menu to the table when you’re out at a restaurant, or while doing anything that involves written directions. Even having kids explain what they see in visual directions develops their comprehension.
- Audiobooks, anyone? Yes, you listen to them in the car or at the gym, but listening to an audiobook with your kids is a great way to generate conversation about characters and feelings. And
experts agree that listening to an audiobook is just as good as reading an actual book.
- Be pen pals! Send your child notes in their lunchbox or stick them on their bathroom mirror. Encourage them to respond or create their own notes to send to their favorite people—or themselves!
Chances are, working these simple strategies into your day will make reading seem like less of a chore, and more fun! Let us know how you get your kids to read more!
Highlighted Posts
We've arrived at the season of giving thanks--but shouldn't that be every season? Research shows that grateful people are happier and healthier. Here are 12 easy ways to cultivate gratitude with your kids all year long. Click on the links to download free printables! Keep a stack of these Gratitude Cards in a central area of your house. Anytime your child has someone to thank, encourage them to fill out a card! Play Gratitude BINGO. Download these printable BINGO Cards and instructions for playing . The BINGO Cards are an interactive PDF, so you can type on them before printing if you wish. Keep a family Gratitude Journal. At the end of each day, ask your kids what they were thankful for that day. Write their thoughts in the journal. Encourage your kids to think of things specific to the day, and ask them to try not to repeat things from previous days. This practice will help them notice that there are new things to be thankful for each day. Download this Gratitude Scavenger Hunt and have kids complete this activity with friends, classmates, or neighbors. Design your own scavenger hunt using this interactive PDF with different items, so you can play as much as you’d like. Decorate your home with a Gratitude Tree. Create the tree by drawing branches on a poster board or by standing real twigs in a pot or vase. Have kids write their gratitudes on the Gratitude Leaf Cards and add them to the tree. Hopefully you'll be adding branches all year long as your kids think of more and more reasons to give thanks. Take a Gratitude Walk. Walk outdoors with your kids, and have them carry a notebook and pen. Ask them to be quiet during the walk. Have them notice and write down what feels good and what they appreciate about being outdoors. After the walk, ask them to elaborate, either verbally or in writing, on what they wrote down. The books on this Gratitude Book List are all about giving thanks. Whether you're looking for picture books to read aloud to younger kids or chapter books that inspire reflection in your older kids, this list has dozens of fantastic titles. Sometimes the simplest questions can lead to the most profound answers. Use these Gratitude Conversation Starters to prompt thoughtful discussions in your family. Do a daily Gratitude Meditation. Have kids close their eyes and think about the word “thankful” for a quiet minute each day. When they open their eyes, have them write down, tell you, or simply reflect for a moment on the things that came to mind. Have kids write what they’re thankful for on little slips of paper. Have them put the papers in a jar or add them to a bulletin board. Be a role model. Offer your own reflections whenever you feel thankful for something. Take pictures of the things your kids are grateful for. Print the pictures to make a Gratitude Collage to display in your home. P.S. We are thankful for YOU! Thank you for all you do to help your kids become better readers. Please connect with us if One Minute Reader can support you in any way.
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