So, you are a reader and you have loved to pore over a book for as far back as you remember. You have never forgotten the magical fictional worlds that you traveled to, as a child and you still yearn for them. You know what the allure of a read is and how you have spent countless hours simply choosing what book to read.

On World Book Day, in 2024, the theme is “Read Your Way”. Make reading fun and enjoyable for yourself and for children, so that they can experience the same joy that you do with books.

Here are some ways you can celebrate World Book Day

Start a Little Library in your Neighbourhood Park

We all have that one book which made us fall in love with books and reading. Curate a selection of timeless classics and start a mini library right where the kids get together to play. You can ask other adults to tell you the books they have always loved and you could stock your library with these.

Book Readings spark curiosity

Organise relaxed and informal book readings with children in your yard or ask the nearby school for permission to get together on a Saturday and have children read with their teachers or trusted adults. 

Tie back reading to the other activities children do

If they are excited about gaming, tell them about similar characters in books and offer to read those books with them. If the children are very young, get them picture books. You could also get books that explore themes like bullying, body image, confidence building etc.

Bookish activities to get them started

Book swaps and book quizzes are a wonderful idea to make children comfortable with reading and having other kids with them talking about the same stories and characters. The idea is to normalise reading as another activity that they do, rather than making reading something that is done only in academic settings.

Movies based on Books

Introduce kids to great books through movies! Look for good book-to-screen adaptations that would engage young minds. Later, you could organise a book reading and have  discussion on the same.

It is up to us adults to strengthen the reading ecosystem and let others discover the magic that books bring into our lives.