How To Celebrate World Book Day Everyday

World Book Day may be over for another year, but that doesn’t mean the celebrations have to stop. After all, it’s not entirely about the elaborate character costumes your child wears, but most importantly about the reading. And, according to a recent survey from nursery chain Kiddi Caru, around half of parents agree that there is too much emphasis on costumes for World Book Day, and that their child isn’t expected to dress up for the day. 

There can be so much joy gained from reading and from book-themed activities, that can be enjoyed by the whole family. So, if you want to re-live the fun of World Book Day with your kids, here’s a few activities to help you do just that! 

Read and share stories together 

You can get the best out of a book when you read together. As we’re spending more time indoors, and certainly celebrated World Book Day a bit differently from normal this year, why not set up a cosy reading corner in one of your rooms at home. This is a great way to emphasise the importance of reading for pleasure for all members of your family. Reading for just 10 minutes per day can greatly impact your child’s vocabulary, imagination and creativity. 

Here are some top tips to follow when reading with your child(ren): 

Do you have children of a nursery age? Then you should check out Kiddi Caru’s amazing list of the best books for pre-schoolers & under-fives that you can read together or read to your child for them to listen. 

Listen to audio books

Not having your child’s favourite book to hand doesn’t have to stop you. You can easily listen to an audio version on acompatible device, or watch a reading of the book online. There are lots of delightful videos and audio books available that you and your children can watch or listen to together. It’s an interesting and different way to incorporate books into your daily routine. 

Why not also turn on the subtitles on your television or device, so that they can naturally read along at the same time as listening to the story? According to a recent academic study, turning on the subtitles while children are watching television or a video book can double the chances of that child becoming good at reading. 

Incorporate music, rhythm and rhyme 

Reading at a young age doesn’t just help with literacy skills, but using music and rhythm whilst doing it can also help to enhance mathematical development. With this in mind, you can get creative with your books. Choose one that has a natural beat, or includes rhyme, and see how you can involve clapping, drums or any instruments you like. 

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen is a great example of the kind of book that can be easily used musically. You can even try and make the sounds that match the different environments within the book, or take the whole reading experience outside.

Get crafty 

As we’ve said, World Book Day is not only for the handmade character costumes. But if you’re one of the 40% of parents that choose to make your child’s costume, according to the recent survey from Kiddi Caru, then you can put your skills to good use with other crafty activities. 

Why not create some handmade bookmarks together? Your child can make them as personal and unique as they like for themselves or they could make great gifts for friends and family members. If you want some inspiration to start, you can find a bookmark template online that you can simply print out on card for your child to enjoy colouring in. They can then use the bookmark they’ve made to hold the place in their favourite book, encouraging them to read even more.

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