4 Creative Times to Read to a Toddler Who Doesn’t Like Books
Have you ever seen those picture-perfect moments of families sitting with their little children, reading a calming story, with the children quietly following along while gently pointing at their favorite pictures on the page?
Yea, well, it’s not always like that. As a matter of fact, it can prove to be the exact opposite with some children. Instead of a relaxing and endearing reading moment, you may have a toddler jumping up and down, running around, or just plain throwing a tantrum as you try to entice them to join you for storytime. They don’t want to read! And you bow your head in agony. (Ugh, sounds like me.)
So in this case, how in the world can we encourage our highly energetic toddler to sit and enjoy a story with us?
Surprisingly, it’s actually not as complicated as it may seem, but it may take a bit of training and time to see positive results as well. So if you need a little bit of inspiration to help encourage your toddler to enjoy a story with you, continue reading to find out 4 creative times to read to a toddler who doesn’t like books.
Disclosure: Hey! Just a quick note: some of the links in this post may be affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase or to join, I will earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. But just know that I recommend these companies and their products because of their quality and my experience with them and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. I love and appreciate you regardless! You can review my full disclosure here. xo, Tessa
What Causes a Toddler to Show a Lack of Interest in Reading or Books?
There are various reasons why your toddler may show a high disinterest in reading. Here are a few to think about:
- your toddler doesn’t like for you to read to them, instead, they want to read on their own
- your toddler doesn’t like the fact that they have to settle down and listen to a story because they are so active
- the books are not interesting to them or they don’t talk about things that interest them
- there are lots of toys around that may be too enticing to play with so your toddler would rather play with their toys instead of reading books
- your toddler isn’t used to sitting quietly and reading with you
Can you relate to any of these? I sure can, and while it’s easy to recognize what’s not working, it’s hard to strategize how to come up with something that does work.
So let’s get on with 4 creative times to read to a toddler who doesn’t like books.
4 Creative Times to Read to a Toddler Who Doesn’t Like Books
#1 – During Meal Times
Most kids are the happiest when they are playing outside, playing with their toys, and playing with their food/eating their food.
So what better time to choose a nice book to read to your toddler than while they are eating their favorite snack. If you have them seated in their chair, this is the perfect opportunity to pull them close and invite them to listen to a story with you as you read and show them the pictures.
The great thing about this is that they are not solely focused on listening to a seemingly “boring” book, but they are also enjoying their food. They are also more likely to sit still since they are sitting in their chair, enjoying their meal.
If you try this out, let me know DOWN BELOW in the comments how it went. Did it work? For how long? I would love to hear it!
#2 – While They are Playing with Their Favorite Toy
Toddlers love playing, especially when they get a new toy. Playing is a huge part in their early development. This is how they learn, grow, and become more independent as little people with big personalities.
So will your toddler really appreciate it if you pull them away from their engagement with their favorite toys? Probably not. You may end up with a whole tantrum mess that will not only cause your child to become more disinterested in reading with you, but you will also become entirely unmotivated to read with them.
So instead of pulling them away, encourage your child to come to you on their own while you read. While you read, use engaging voices for each character. Make it sound fun and inviting. Pique your child’s interest by “ooing” and “awing” at the pictures you’re looking at.
You should do this all while allowing them to continue playing in their own way and in their own space. This way, your child doesn’t begin to “hate” reading time. You want them to see how fun reading can be, and you want them to grow to love reading because you show that you love reading too.
So as your child is playing, you can find somewhere close by and begin reading a story. (You know… kinda like letting the television play in the background while your child plays in the living room.) But don’t forget to use funny, interesting voices when applicable. Make reading sound fun and interesting because reading IS fun and interesting!
But don’t get discouraged. If they don’t show interest the first time you try, keep trying because you never know… your child may not come close to you to hear the story and point to the pictures like you wish they would, but they may still be listening to you read while they play. Toddlers are especially funny like that. (wink)
And you just don’t know how much your toddler IS actually remembering from those passive storytimes.
If you try this out, come back and let me know how it worked for you by commenting in the comment section below!
#3 – During Bath Time
Another pleasant time for most toddlers is bath time. They love the water, the suds, and playing with their favorite bath time toys. This is a great opportunity to read a quick, water-proof story with them! You can make it a part of the entire bath time routine.
It’s also great to find water-friendly toys that can help you tell the story! Your toddler will surely get a kick out of the talking toys as you read the story. It brings storytime to life, and it makes storytime more interesting and fun.
It diversifies the storytime experience because it’s not just “mom” or “dad” reading to them, but it’s their favorite toy friends making the story come alive.
Reading a story during bath time can also encourage your child to associate bath time and storytime together, which can help them connect them to pleasurable and fun memories – which, in turn, will encourage them to establish a lifelong love for reading and books.
Try this out! Let me know how it works for you. How did your toddler respond? Tell me in the comments down below!
#4 – While Riding in the Car
Now, let’s make something clear, if you’re driving the car, you can’t possibly read a book to your child who is most likely in the back seat, in their car seat. But have you ever thought about popping in an audiobook for your child? YASSSS HONEY!
My kids love to listen to audio stories. Our car has bluetooth capabilities so I just log into YouTube, find a great and engaging kid’s audiobook, and press play! No video. No watching anything. Just pure listening.
Most of the time, these read aloud stories have soft background music playing while the person is reading. Some of them may even have sound effects to illustrate specific parts of the story to make it more interesting and engaging!
When I first started doing this, my kids literally begged to listen to more. But, it was time to get out of the truck so yea… sorry kiddos. Gotta go.
You don’t have to have a physical book in your hand to encourage your toddler to listen and engage.
Listening is a major part of language development. And when all they can do is listen, it promotes their language skills even more. #Winning!
I hope you try this one out! We love audiobooks, and I just know your family will too! Let me know in the comments below how it works out for you.
So What Books Do I Recommend for Toddlers?
Generally, most younger children love books they can interact with using multiple senses, especially touching.
For your toddler, I recommend books with flaps, pop-ups, bright colors, and sensory activities that involve touching different fabrics. These features help to keep your child engaged and anxiously anticipating what will come next. It makes reading more exciting and fun!
Bath time books should obviously be waterproof just in case your little bee wants to hold the book while they are in the bath tub. Wouldn’t want to ruin a pretty board book would ya?
Audiobooks can be accessed for free via YouTube.
And I also recommend getting hardcover, thick board books until your little reader is able to responsibly handle the books with lots of care and love.
Here is a list of some of my favorite books for toddlers…
Regular Board Books
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, JR. and Eric Carle
Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin, JR. and Eric Carle
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, JR. and John Archambault
Giraffe’s Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Bath (waterproof) Books
The Rainbow Fish Bath Book by Marcus Pfister
Melissa and Doug Float Alongs: Playful Penguins
The World of Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Numbers Bath Book and Squirty Toys Set
Animals in the Water (My First Noisy Bath Books)
In the Zoo (My First Noisy Bath Books)
Audiobooks (YouTube) *Please note: I do not own rights to any of these videos. I am merely making suggestions to resources I have personally used for my children.
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, JR. and Eric Carle
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Final Thoughts
I hope these tips have given you ideas you can implement with your children on a daily basis.
And remember, when you read with your child, put your best foot forward because you want them to develop a strong love and passion for reading and learning through books.
This starts with YOU.
How you approach reading will influence how your children approach it. If you want them to love reading, you’ve got to plant that within them by showing them.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and about your experiences. Have you ever tried any of these? Have you ever thought about any of these? Let me know in the comments below!
xo, Tessa