‍

Discover 9 fun reading activities for inquisitive little readers! Engage, play, and learn using creative games and interactive ideas to make reading a delight

Reading is so much more than simply sitting down with a book. 

For our inquisitive little readers combining reading with fun activities creates an opportunity to play, explore, and learn in exciting new ways, nurture a love for reading, and make reading a memorable experience. 

So whether your little one is just starting out or already loves storytime, these 9 activities will add an extra layer of fun to their reading journey.

1) Keyword Bingo:

Choose a story and create a bingo card with words your child will find while reading. As they spot each word, they can mark it off, making reading fun and interactive.

2) Word Hunt:

Sharpen your child’s word recognition skills and boost their excitement for reading by challenging them to a word hunt to find specific words in their favourite stories.

3) Sequence Letters:

Make letter learning fun by cutting out letters and asking your child to arrange them in the order they appear in the story. This helps improve their sequencing and recognition skills.

4) Alphabet Treasure Hunt:

Hide letters around the house or garden for your child to find and form words. It’s a playful way to build their vocabulary and letter recognition - not to mention getting in some sunshine and getting their toes in the grass and sand.

5) Dear Diary:

Encourage your child to write a diary entry about their day - even if they’re not writing yet, drawing pictures is fine (you can always help them put words to their stories). Not only does this promote writing and reading as connected skills, but it also helps you learn more about their day, and recognise the things, activities and people that are important to them.

6) Decoding Games:

Play decoding games that involve breaking down words into smaller sounds or syllables. This helps children recognise words faster and improve their reading fluency.

7) Ask Questions:

Ask your child questions about the story as you read. This keeps them engaged in actively following along, stimulates curiosity and helps them think critically about what they’re reading.

8) Partner Reading:

Take turns reading a page or paragraph with your child. This allows them to practice reading out loud, building their confidence.

9) Combine Reading with Other Activities:

Combine reading with cooking, drawing, or even gardening. For example, read a recipe together, then cook it, or read about a plant before planting it. This shows how reading connects to real-world activities.

These 9 activities are sure to keep your inquisitive little reader engaged and excited about reading. By making it a fun, interactive experience, you’re helping them build strong literacy skills and foster a lifelong love for learning.

Check out Nooksy’s entire collection of beautifully curated children's books. Get your first 3 books for free, or the whole Nooksy library for the whole family, for life, for 90% off.