Rachael Walker
Children's literacy consultant Rachael Walker and many of the authors, parents, and educators she’s met and worked with talk about how books have changed their lives, how to bring books to life for young readers, and how to enrich kids’ lives with good books. (Also visit Rachael at her blog, Belle of the Book.)
July 5, 2017
The sense of wonder that nature provides is exactly the curiosity you want your child to bring to a book. Even if you are limited to exploring your backyard or the local park, there are many simple ways to spend enjoyable times reading and learning together in the great outdoors.
Go on a booknic
Make room in the picnic basket for books! Choose a theme around family food and reading preferences and pack accordingly. Try:
- Honey grahams with Winnie-the-Pooh in the Hundred Acre Wood
- Bread and jam with Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban and Lillian Hoban
- Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z by Lois Ehlert with a taste of fruits and vegetables from around the world
- Soybeans along with Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic by Ginnie Lo
Flashlight reading
For younger kids with earlier bedtimes, the excitement of getting to go outside at night will make a bedtime story mighty memorable. Get your flashlight, blankets or a sleeping bag and enjoy a story about stars under the stars. Try:
- Her Seven Brothers by Paul Goble
- Stars by Mary Lyn Ray
- The Sky Is Full of Stars by Franklyn Branley
- Find the Constellations by H.A. Rey
- How Many Stars in the Sky? by Lenny Hort
Outdoor cooking
You can also pair your booknic and flashing reading with another element: outdoor cooking! With a fire pit or grill, treat your child to a little campfire cooking. Try:
- Toasting marshmallows along with Toasting Marshmallows: Camping Poems by Kristine O'Connell George
- Roasting hot dogs and Quite Enough Hot Dogs and Other Silly Stories (Scholastic)
- Roasting corn on the cob and Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share by Kevin O'Malley
What are you waiting for? It’s a beautiful day! Head outside with books and activate all your kids’ senses.
