Turn February into a fun month of family bonding with a reading challenge that gets everyone excited about books! Whether you’ve got reluctant readers or little bookworms, this challenge is a great way to bring everyone together and build lasting reading habits. The best part? It’s super simple to set up and can be tweaked to fit your family perfectly.
Setting Up Your Family Reading Challenge
Starting a family reading challenge doesn’t have to be complicated. Kick things off with a fun planning session where everyone shares their reading goals and interests. You might find out your teenager secretly loves mystery novels or your first-grader is super curious about dinosaurs!
Pick a challenge format that fits your family’s routine and reading levels. Maybe it’s a daily goal, like 20 minutes of reading for each person, or seeing how many books you can finish in a month. For little ones joining the kids’ reading challenge, you can count picture books or parent-child reading time. Older kids and adults might want to track chapters or pages instead.
A tracker can make things more fun and keep everyone on track. For a reading challenge for kids, try putting up a colorful reading chart in a busy spot, like the kitchen or living room. You could make a reading tree and add leaves for each book finished or create a board game-style path to mark progress. If your family is more into tech, a digital tracker works great too!
Making It Fun for Everyone
The secret to a fun family reading challenge is making sure everyone feels involved and excited. Set goals that are just the right level of challenging without being too much. For example, your six-year-old could aim to read five picture books a week, while your middle schooler might try exploring different genres.
Here are some fun ways to keep everyone motivated:
- Host weekly “book and breakfast” hangouts where everyone shares their favorite parts of what they’re reading
- Try themed reading weeks like mystery, adventure, or biography
- Include audiobooks for busy family members or those who find reading tricky
- Create cozy reading spots around the house with comfy seating and good lighting
Keeping the Momentum Going
Keeping the excitement going all month long will be your key to success. Celebrate both personal and family wins with fun rewards that make reading even more enjoyable. Hit a milestone? Let them pick a family activity or choose the next movie night flick (extra points if it’s based on a book that they just finished reading!).
Make time for family book chats during dinner or on the weekend. These discussions don’t have to be long. They are good to have, though, because they build critical thinking skills and show kids that reading isn’t just about finishing a book. It’s about sharing ideas and swapping perspectives. Plus, there’s nothing better than bonding over our favorite characters and unexpected plot twists!
Make It Extra Special with a Book Exchange
Take your family reading challenge ideas to the next level by incorporating a book-themed gift exchange. Using Elfster’s user-friendly platform, you can start a family gift exchange that adds an element of surprise and generosity to your reading adventure. Each family member can create a Wishlist featuring book best sellers that they’re eager to read or lesser-known gems they’ve discovered.
The excitement builds as everyone secretly shops for their assigned family member, knowing they’re helping to grow someone’s personal library. Thrilling new releases, beloved classics… these carefully chosen books become treasured additions to your family’s reading collection.
Your family members can easily browse through curated book recommendations and add their favorites to their Elfster Wishlists. From picture books for the little ones to engaging novels for young adults, there’s something for every reader. Plus, Elfster’s Secret Santa generator makes the matching process simple and fun, ensuring everyone gets a special surprise.
Take a Look, It’s in a Book
Everyone on the same page now? Good! (Get it?)
Starting a family reading challenge this February could kick off a fun new tradition. It’s a great way to spend time together while building important literacy skills that will stick with you for life. Just set up a reading challenge tracker for your family, then hop over to Elfster to organize a book-themed gift exchange. Make book Wishlists, find new reads, and watch your family’s love for books grow stronger every day.
Every page you read together is a shared adventure, and finishing a book is a team win worth celebrating. So, gear up for a February full of stories, fun, and great memories.
