How We Find Adventures In This Pandemic Life Through Reading

The sun has set, and we near the end of the day. Before our heads hit the pillows and we call it a night, we gather in the living room. We lay across the sofa, lounge in chairs, or sprawl across beanbags on the floor. Hands remain busy working on projects or simply sit idle. Pandemic life has taken our ability to travel on adventures as we once had, but it has not taken our imagination, our creativity, or our adventurous spirit. So we’ve pivot, we fight for new adventures, and we get lost in stories and our imagination. We get lost in the adventure of books.

We’ve always loved reading as a family. We can still recite some of Sandra Boyton’s books from the hours of reading the same books over and over when they were little ones. We read books out loud before they even could talk. Bath time for a season became storytime, and I would read The Mistmantle Chronicles (currently out of print so if you happen across a used copy buy it) or other adventures. We’ve read books or listened to audiobooks on road trips as the boys have gotten older. How we read together changes with the seasons, but the practice of reading together remains.

Sometimes it looks like reading the book one of the boys is currently reading for school and talking about it together. The boys have introduced us to beautiful books like Wonder and The One and Only Ivan. On car rides to visit Grandparents or even trips into the city, we read. With crazy busy schedules, this became the most easily found space, time together in the car. And then we stopped traveling because of Covid; our routines were all thrown into chaos.

It’s easy when our children start reading on their own to stop reading out loud to them. But did you know there are still plenty of benefits to reading together, even after your children can read on their own? Reading to older children continues to help develop their language skills and strengthen their listening and comprehension skills. When teens read beyond their school assignments, research shows that they do much better in school. Imaginations grow, understanding of the world around them, vocabulary, comprehension, and so much more to prepare them for learning.

Reading together is also a beautiful way to stay connected as a family, to inspire conversation and imagination. We love audiobooks as it allows for all of us to get lost in the story. And because I have always been the primary reader and tend to get tired at night. I may also be know to fall asleep while reading, so audiobooks allow us to read beyond my current ability to stay awake while reading.

A few ways we incorporate reading together as a family into our ordinary everyday life.

Road Trips – Even if it’s a forty-five-minute drive, take a book or audiobook in the car and use the time together to read.
Read The Same Books Independently – As our boys began reading books for school, I decided to read some of the same books. Reading the books, they were reading allowed us to discuss and connect over the stories and encouraged them to engage in what they were reading. Random Tip: If the book happens to be a movie, the book’s completion, followed by movie night, is always a fun add-on.
Family Dinners – Especially during pandemic life, having the ability to linger at the dinner table allows us to sometimes add in reading. We have a few short books we can read that lend themselves to having conversations around various topics.
Family BookClub – We haven’t officially named it as such, but the title seems to fit. For 2021, we have started something new. An hour before bedtime, we turn off the TV and devices to gather in the living room. Reading together has become a beautiful way to end the day together.

Reading is a way we can continue to stay connected with our kids as they get older. It encourages our imagination and creativity; it prompts conversations, promotes listening skills and comprehension. It expands our understanding of the world around us. And it’s fun.

Pandemic Life has limited our ability to go on new adventures, but it has not limited our imagination. Getting lost in a book, in a story, is a beautiful way to experience new places and go on adventures without leaving home.

If you are looking for some new books to read together here are some we have read or are currently reading or have on our list to read. Many of these books can be read at any age level depending on your child’s interest. Please note that the links on this page are Amazon affiliate links.