Child's Play

Time to Read...
We never grow out of reading together.

It’s never too early to start reading with your little ones. Enjoying books from birth introduces natural sounds and patterns of speech, and is an expression of mutual ease and love. And as they grow, reading together helps language development, actions stimulate the brain and help muscle development, continuing to be a fun and rewarding experience, inspiring a love of reading, creative play and bonding.

And there’s no age you should stop. Child’s Play supports Book Trust’s new #TimeToRead campaign, encouraging parents and carers to keep reading with their children as they grow, age 6, 7, 8 and beyond. This shared time inspires reading as pleasure, choosing books together, enjoying book-related activities and projects... like these:

Ocean Deep
From the sunlit surface to the darkness of the deep, this book explores the fascinating life forms that exist in our oceans. Peer in to the depths of this tunnel effect book and investigate each zone of the ocean.
If you have 5 minutes… After reading the book, discuss which undersea creature you would like to be and why.
If you have 10 minutes… Talk about the biggest word you have each learned from the book. Can you say it five times fast?
If you have 15 minutes… Read Sardines of Love or Mayday Mouse for more nautical adventures!

The Princess and the Dragon
When a princess who behaves like a dragon meets a dragon who behaves like a princess, who knows what will happen! This is suitable for discussion of preconceptions and gender roles.
If you have 5 minutes… Does the dragon behave as you would expect? What about the Princess? Discuss.
If you have 10 minutes… Act out the book together using the puppets (sold individually):
Click here to buy the Princess Puppet
Click here to buy the Dragon Puppet
If you have 15 minutes… Read The Princess and the Pea and meet more princesses who break stereotypes!

Secret Scrapbook Diaries
An entertaining diary format based on much-loved fairy tales. Pop-ups bring the book to life, perfect for engaging early readers. Multi-media illustrations and handwritten text complete the illusion of a real scrapbook diary.
If you have 5 minutes… Talk about your favourite page. What did you like about it? Was the pop-up breath-taking? Did you find the diary entry funny?
If you have 10 minutes… Try retelling the story as though you were the main character. Talk about the emotions that you were feeling at different parts of the plot.
If you have 15 minutes… Make your own scrapbook based on your favourite story. Work together to decorate the pages with stickers, photos and notes.

Yokki and the Parno Gry
When a Traveller family experiences a run of bad luck, an imaginative boy called Yokki lifts their spirits with tales of a magical white horse. A traditional Traveller-family folk tale which inspires hope and celebrates creativity.
Ossiri and the Bala Mengro
A Traveller girl creates her own musical instrument from a willow branch and lots of recycled objects. She plays it enthusiastically, but it sounds terrible! Ignoring warnings not to awaken the ogre in the hills, Ossiri goes there to practise playing her instrument. Will she wake the ogre, and will it appreciate her playing?
These two picture books were told by a Romani storyteller together with a picture book author to positively reflect Travelling cultures.
If you have 5 minutes… Discuss your dreams and goals together.
If you have 10 minutes… Talk about your heroes and why you admire them.
If you have 15 minutes or more… Make a poster about what you would like to achieve and put it up on the fridge.

Discovery Flaps
The way people live is different in many parts of the world. This series of colourful flap books, created with and for OXFAM, depict everyday situations and help us to discover what makes us different and what binds us together. This book shows the different food people eat.
If you have 5 minutes… Talk about places you would like to visit and why.
If you have 10 minutes… Pretend that you are going on holiday and the child that you are reading with is a travel agent. Choose a page and ask the child to persuade you to visit that country based on what they see.
If you have 15 minutes or more… On a map, place a pin on a country that you would like to visit. Go to your local library to read books about it. Try to find out how far it is from where you live and how many people live there. Did any of your favourite characters originate from that country? Write about or draw foods, sports and arts that are popular in that country.

Books with Chapters
It’s important to read together, even after a child has moved on to independent reading.
We have some chapter books in our range for older readers, click HERE to browse them.
If you have 5 minutes… Take it in turns to read for five minutes each.
If you have 10 minutes… Create a ‘nest’ of duvets and cushions together before snuggling up to read.
If you have 15 minutes… If you finish reading a chapter together, but it is too late to read any more, talk about what might happen next.