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Making a Kids Reading Nook

Creating a reading space for your child is a great way to encourage them to read.

Not only does creating the space together make for a fun activity, it also helps create “buy-in” for your child. This mean that they want to use the space for reading because they helped make it.

Why Is Reading Important?

Reading is one of the best ways to inspire your child to dream.

But even more importantly, reading helps your child’s brain grow. It increases their vocabulary, sharpens their memory, builds knowledge and helps their brain function better.

Even with all its many benefits though, sometimes children need a little nudge to get reading. A reading corner or nook is a great way to encourage them.

Here Is Our New Reading Nook

Recently, my family found ourselves with a lot more spare time… a complete cancellation of school and outings.

So we decided to create a reading nook as a fun task we would all enjoy. It was easy to do, didn’t cost much, and has transformed a lonely corner into a space for imagination and learning.

My Frozen 2-crazy kids loved arranging the wall decals, choosing a few of their favorite books for the shelf, and making the space cozy with blankets and pillows.

(Oh, and don’t hate on the wood paneling too hard… we haven’t gotten around to updating the basement yet.)

After they finished making the nook their own, my oldest, who is learning to read, immediately began practicing his reading skills by sharing stories with the other children.

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Essential Items for a Reading Space

For a good reading corner, you need a few things.

1. A Defined Space

Something about setting a space up for a specific purpose thrills a child and makes them want to be in that space.

I chose to define our reading corner with a bed canopy that had been purchased for my daughter. Here is the link to the Frozen 2 canopy that we have.

Or, if you prefer a different look, here are some really great canopy tents (click for more info):

2. A Book Shelf or Book Box

While we have a huge bookshelf with hundreds of children’s books, I have found that my children pick up the books more if there are only a few to choose from. A bookshelf loaded with books means they can only see the spines of the books. However, if they’re able to see the pictures on the front of the books, they are much more likely to want to read them.

So for our reading space, I used a small bookshelf that I had made a few years ago from some crates and only placed a few book choices on it. Here is an easy tutorial on how to make a crate shelf (the kids can even help!).

If you don’t have a small shelf or box for your books, here are some great book shelves that you can order (click for more info):

3. Cozy Blankets and Pillows

Kids love things that make them feel warm and snug.

We loaded our reading corner up with blankets and pillows. For your reading nook, have your kids pull out their favorite blankets, pillows, stuffed animals, etc., to make the space cozy!

4. Books

There are so many good books for children!

If you’re looking for some new reads, here are a few of our favorites (click for more info):

Favorite Books for Ages 1-3

Favorite Books for Ages 3-6

Favorite Short Chapter Books (Ages 6-8)

Final Thoughts on Creating a Reading Nook

I hope that our fun family activity of making a reading corner inspires your family to do the same! Not only will your kids enjoy creating their reading space, they are also a lot more likely to spend time reading!

Let me know some of your kid’s favorite books so I can introduce them to my children!

make a reading space for kids

Thanks for sharing!