Wintertime reading corner

Wintertime reading corner

Brrr...it's cold outside. The good news: winter represents the ideal time to curl up in a cozy corner with a good book. To make the most of winter, make your reading corner especially attractive for young readers. Here are a few suggestions:

• Set a large piece of cotton batting on the floor in your reading corner to represent snow (minus the cold). Children will love sitting on this soft fabric to look at books.
  
• You can also use cotton batting to cover a bench or a crate to represent a snowbank. Children will love sitting on it or leaning against it as they explore various books.
  
• Purchase several white polar fleece blankets (or simply purchase thick white fabric and cut large rectangles out of it). Deposit them here and there in your reading corner. Children will love wrapping themselves in the snow-like blankets to keep warm on a cold day.
  
• Hang colourful toques on hooks, with the opening of each one at the top. Slide winter-themed books inside each toque. Change the books daily before children arrive. They will love discovering new books each morning.
  
• Hide cotton balls between the pages of your books to represent snowflakes. Children will love finding them as they turn the pages.
  
• Hang several paper snowflakes from the ceiling in your reading corner to make the area seem magical for little readers.
  
• Every day, stick foam snowflakes on a few select books to indicate the "books of the day". Invite children to pick and choose among these books to encourage them to discover books they may not normally be attracted to.
  
• Exceptionally, serve a small cup of hot chocolate to the children in your group during story time. They will "savour" every word!

Patricia-Ann Morrison