When November, the harbinger of the holidays, arrives, many families shift their focus to traditions, shopping, and, of course, food. Another big focus: “What are we going to do during the school vacation?”
It’s nice to have a break from early morning routines and homework, but parents may wonder how to keep their children’s minds active—away from constant gaming, scrolling through social media, or binge-watching Netflix.
Reading is one of the healthiest habits children and teens can develop. It’s both fun and enriching, feeding the imagination, sparking curiosity, expanding vocabulary, and boosting emotional and social skills. Here are some tips to help kids discover the joy of reading and stay mentally engaged during the holiday break.
Discover Your Child’s Favorite Style and Genre
Just as children have different personalities, they also have different reading styles. Some enjoy turning a page. Others embrace the swipe of a screen, downloading books from an app. Some prefer to listen to audiobooks brought to life by professional narrators. Understanding these preferences helps foster a healthy relationship with reading.
Discovering a favorite genre is another key factor. Some children love adventures and devour fantasy series, dreaming of dragons and quests. Others gravitate toward humor, silly poems, or joke books. Some enjoy stories about kids like themselves navigating real-life challenges. If your child loves drawing, encourage them to explore art books or comics. If they are into sports, biographies of athletes might spark their interest.
When kids feel ownership over their reading choices, they are more engaged and more likely to stick with it.
Enjoy a Book Club
Book clubs aren’t just for adults. Choose a family-friendly book and set aside time to read together. It could be a chapter before bed or a Friday night “pizza and read-aloud” tradition. With older kids, sharing thoughts around the dinner table can turn reading into a bonding experience.
Austin offers several literary opportunities for young readers. Austin Allies–Kids’ Book Club invites students in grades 3–8 to meet at BookPeople for lively book discussions and volunteer activities that support local nonprofits. The Austin Public Library also hosts a range of youth and tween book clubs, including graphic novel discussions, homeschool meetups, and interactive author and illustrator events, both online and in person.
For families who prefer to stay home, Austin-based Literati offers a subscription service that delivers age-appropriate books for children from newborns through age 12, helping foster a love of reading right at home.
Change the Scenery
A change of scenery can make reading feel like an adventure. Grab your shoes and a library card. Visiting a different library branch in the Austin metro area can feel like a mini field trip. Many locations also offer special holiday programs, story hours, or themed book displays.
Looking for a true reading adventure? Don’t miss the Texas Book Festival, set for Nov. 8–9. Held each fall in downtown Austin at the Texas State Capitol, the festival draws more than 250 authors and 40,000 attendees for author panels, signings, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, food trucks, and vendor exhibits.
If your child prefers the comforts of home, try creating a cozy reading environment. Make s’mores around a backyard fire pit, build a blanket fort, or bundle up with cocoa and a good book.
Make Reading Part of Holiday Traditions
Incorporating reading into seasonal rituals can create lasting memories. During Thanksgiving, kids can read cookie and pie recipes aloud while helping in the kitchen. Choosing a classic holiday story to read by the fire can become a cherished family tradition.
Even family board games like Bananagrams, Apples to Apples, Scrabble, or Boggle offer screen-free fun while building vocabulary and reading skills.
These small rituals reinforce that reading isn’t just for school. It’s also for joy, connection, and comfort. When children associate books with warmth and family togetherness, they’re more likely to carry positive feelings about reading into adulthood.
A Healthy Connection
Reading is often seen as an academic skill, but it also supports mental wellness and emotional intelligence. It can lower stress, improve focus, and enhance memory. It also provides children with valuable downtime.
Reading helps children develop empathy by allowing them to see the world through the eyes of others. It also builds resilience as they watch characters overcome challenges.
By encouraging kids to explore different reading styles, create family traditions around books, and discover their own reading personalities, we’re preparing them not just for school—but for life. Healthy habits develop early when supported, and fostering a love of reading is a gift that nourishes the mind for years to come.
Tracie Seed, an Austinite, has won numerous awards for writing, art, and design. She’s the happiest while writing, sewing, painting, or spending time with family.
