Celebrate Reading Across America With These Fun Activities

Reading Across America is held every year on March 2, the birthday of the beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss wrote over 60 books that have entertained and inspired generations of readers with their whimsical characters, rhyming words, and positive messages. Some of his most famous books include The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Reading is one of the most important skills that students can develop, as it opens up a world of knowledge, imagination, and creativity. Reading also helps students improve their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. That’s why we love celebrating Reading Across America, a nationwide event that encourages children and adults to read more books and enjoy the benefits of reading.

To celebrate Reading Across America, we have compiled a list of fun and engaging activities that you can do with your students or at home with your family. These activities are designed to spark a love of reading and foster a culture of literacy in your classroom or community.

Contents

1 1. Host a Book Swap
2 2. Create a Reading Bingo
3 3. Make a Book Trailer

1. Host a Book Swap

A book swap is a great way to encourage students to share their favorite books with each other and discover new ones. You can organize a book swap in your classroom, school, or neighborhood. Here’s how it works:

Ask each student to bring one or more books that they have read and enjoyed to the book swap. Make sure the books are appropriate for the age group and in good condition.
Set up a table or a shelf where students can display their books and browse the books brought by others.
Allow students to swap their books with each other. They can either trade one book for another, or use a point system where each book has a value based on its condition, popularity, or length.
Encourage students to talk about why they chose their books and what they liked about them.

2. Create a Reading Bingo

A reading bingo is a fun way to challenge students to read different types of books and genres. You can create a reading bingo card with 25 squares, each containing a category or a prompt for a book. For example, some categories could be:

A book with a one-word title
A book by a female author
A book set in another country
A book that won an award
A book that made you laugh

You can either make your own bingo card or use one of the many templates available online. You can also customize the bingo card to suit your students’ interests and reading levels.

To play, students have to read a book that matches one of the categories on the bingo card and mark it off. The goal is to get five in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. You can reward students who complete a bingo with a prize, such as a bookmark, a sticker, or a certificate.

3. Make a Book Trailer

A book trailer is a short video that summarizes and promotes a book, similar to a movie trailer. Making a book trailer is a creative way to showcase a book that you have read and enjoyed, and to persuade others to read it too. You can make a book trailer using a variety of tools, such as a camera, a microphone, a computer, or a smartphone.

To make a book trailer, you need to:

Choose a book that you want to make a trailer for. It should be a book that you have read and liked, and that you think others would enjoy too.
Write a script for your book trailer. Your script should include the title and author of the book, a brief introduction to the main characters and the plot, and a hook that will entice viewers to read the book. You can also include some quotes or reviews from the book or other sources.
Record your voice-over for your book trailer. You can use your own voice or a voice generator to narrate your script. You can also add some background music or sound effects to create the mood and tone of your book trailer.
Find or create some images or videos that match your script. You can use images or videos from the book cover, the author’s website, or other sources. You can also draw or take your own pictures or videos to illustrate your book trailer.
Edit your book trailer using a video editing software or app. You can use tools like iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or Adobe Spark to combine your voice-over, images, and videos into a book trailer. You can also add some transitions, effects, or text to make your book trailer more appealing.
Share your book trailer with your classmates, friends, or family. You can upload your book trailer to YouTube, Vimeo, or other platforms, or show it on a projector or a TV screen. You can also ask for feedback from your viewers and see if they are interested in reading the book.

I hope you enjoyed this article and found some ideas for celebrating Reading Across America. Happy reading!