Fun Read Aloud Activities and Ideas for Kids

When I first began homeschooling I had a certain idea in my mind of how it would look. I imagined beautiful picture books and chapter books stacked around us. My kids would gather around me and happily sit engaged with whatever I was reading to them. Can we just say after doing this homeschooling thing for over 10 years that reality has definitely slapped me in the face.

Our homeschool is grounded in the Charlotte Mason method and so much of it depends on reading aloud, but it’s not always easy to get a group of rowdy kids to sit still and listen.

If I’m being honest, I have had many a homeschool day where I just put the books away because no one can get their wiggles out enough to sit and listen. Frustration creeps in and I don’t want to push on with reading while harboring those feelings.

I have learned that I have to be prepared in this endeavor to read aloud with the kids. There are many different ways to engage children during read-aloud time in a homeschool setting. 

Because our homeschools often include both older kids and younger kids, I feel it is important to keep a variety of books on hand for read aloud time. During our morning meeting we will often begin our reading time with a favorite book of one of the younger students.

I like to pick a fun picture book to read aloud, or even some silly poetry. We use our homeschool morning time menus to get everyone focused for the day, then we settle into our scheduled readings for the day.

Read-Aloud Activities 

With a bit of preparation, you can help your read aloud time go a bit more smoothly. Try some of the ideas below!

Snacks!

One great way to help keep kids still and their ears open while you’re reading is to provide snacks! Maybe you can do some reading over breakfast, or prepare a snack tray for the kids to munch while you’re reading away. I mean, who doesn’t love snack time? It’s always a great way to get the kids to gather around the table with you! Check out our list of cheap snacks for kids!

Arts and Crafts

My kids absolutely love drawing, arts, and crafts! You can simply give your kids a piece of paper and tell them to draw what they are hearing. Younger kids can just draw to their hearts’ content! 

I have also invested in some fun activities for the kids to keep their hands busy while I read aloud.

• Dot It! Stickers – My kids have so much fun with stickers and this set is a fun way to keep them occupied.
• Stamps Sets – All of my kids love using stamps. These sets are great for children,, of all ages.
• Watercolors – Can’t go wrong with some regular old watercolors!
• Do-A-Dot Markers – My little kids are obsessed with Do-A-Dot markers. I always include do a dot pages in my preschool lesson plans, so this is the perfect way to engage little minds during read aloud time!
• Check out our free coloring pages, too!
• Perler Beads – These can be a little messy, so I’m not one to pull them out often, but the kids really do enjoy them!
• Q-Tip Painting – This is another fun activity for littles and is great for fine motor skills, too!

Building Toys

If you’re looking for the perfect opportunity to engage your kids while reading aloud, building toys can really occupy them for a an extended period of time. Here are some of our favorites:

• Lego Bricks – I think my kids love our lego bins most of all. I’ve actually had to replace them multiple times because they get so worn out!
• Lincoln Logs – These are great to play when reading books like Little House on the Prairie. My kids love to create little towns with their Lincoln Logs.
• Wooden Blocks – Any wooden blocks will do. You can add them to your Lincoln Log town, too!
• Mega Blocks – All of my kids have enjoyed these large blocks for building all sorts of fun things.
• Magna Tiles – This is a great activity for the kids to do together, too. My kids love our Magna Tiles!

Sensory Play

What kid doesn’t love sensory play!

• Sensory Bins – I like to keep a sensory bin or two in our rotation. Keep easy items on hand for your sensory bins such as rice, dried beans, small items from the Dollar Store, etc.
• Kinetic Sand – I recently bough these awesome kinetic sand kits and even my older children will play with it for hours.
• Play Dough – Always have on hand a bin of play dough and play dough tools. You cannot go wrong with the play dough!
• Wiki Stix – I keep these on hand for the kids to do all sorts of creations with!

Movement Toys

When all else fails, let your kids move while you’re reading aloud! This is a great time to combine the kids’ need for movement with some great listening skills. I’ve invested in a few fun toys that are great for gross motor skills.

• Play Couch – I really wish we had a play room for our play couch, but instead we fold it up in the closet when not in use. The kids love to drag it out and do all sorts of fun things with it. Their favorite thing to do is make a fort with it.
• Wobble Board – The wobble board is also a lot of fun for the kids.
• Mini Trampoline – Got a kid who literally bounces off the walls? This is a great thing for those kids who want an active role during read aloud time!
• Hopper Ball – We ahve gone through a few of these hopper balls. They are also great for kids who love to move!

Puzzles

My kids are obsessed with puzzles. Here are a few of our favorites!

• Floor Puzzles – My kids are obsessed with large floor puzzles. 
• Dollar Store Puzzles – I also buy them easy puzzles from the Dollar Store to keep on hand.
• Geoboard – This is a great activity for kids and they can make all sorts of fun shapes!
• Cuisenaire Rods – My younger kids love making designs with these rods.
• Pattern Blocks – This is another favorite that can be used over and over again!

​Let Someone Else Do the Reading

So, maybe the kids are tired of hearing Mom read aloud, or maybe Mom is tired of doing all of the reading. It’s awesome to involve other family members!

Maybe do some buddy reading with an older sibling reading aloud to the group. Dad can also join in with some before bed reading. I even have mu kids that are in high school help us out with the reading. Of course, you can also incorporate audio books on those long car drives.

Change of Scenery

Don’t forget that you can change your scenery. How about a poetry picnic? Pack up an old quilt and sit outside together. Reading while enjoying the sunshine is a great idea! The outdoors is a great place to read and provides a fun twist on your regular day-to-day read aloud time.

What about poetry tea time? This is so much fun and the kids really enjoy planning it all out, too!

​Maybe reading aloud is a challenge in your homeschool, too. I hope some of these ideas help you get your kids interested in listening!

Need some awesome book recommendations? Check these out below:

• Living Books for Elementary Kids
• Ancient History Read Alouds