By Yasmine Anane, Best Selling Children’s Author of The Family Tree & Whitney the Wasteater and the Wrong Bite.
As the days grow longer and children spend more time outdoors, reading and writing can sometimes slip down our priority list. Yet spring and summer can actually be the perfect time to nurture a child’s imagination. Stories do not have to stay inside books. They can grow from the world around us, from a walk in the park to a holiday adventure or even a quiet moment in the garden. Encouraging children to read and write does not have to feel like a lesson. Small, simple habits can help stories become a natural and joyful part of everyday life. When stories become part of everyday life, children begin to see reading not as something they have to do, but something they genuinely enjoy.
1. Try a “Drop Everything and Read” family moment
One simple way to build a reading habit is to make it something the whole family does together. Many schools run sessions known as DEAR time (Drop Everything And Read) where everyone pauses what they are doing and reads together. You can recreate this at home by setting aside 30 minutes once a week where the whole family picks up a book. Phones go away, the television stays off and the house becomes quiet for a little while. When children see adults reading too, it sends a powerful message that books matter.
2. Take stories outside
Spring and summer offer the perfect opportunity to bring books outdoors. Reading on a picnic blanket, in the garden or under a tree at the park can make stories feel exciting and different. Sometimes simply changing the setting can transform a child’s interest in reading.
3. Let children choose the books
Children are far more engaged when they feel ownership over what they are reading. Visiting a bookshop or library and allowing them to pick their own book can make a a huge difference. The key is not to worry too much about what they choose. Graphic novels, picture books or short chapter books all help build confidence and curiosity.
4. Turn everyday moments into story starters
Children are natural storytellers if we give them the space to imagine. A butterfly in the garden, an interesting cloud in the sky or a noisy seagull at the beach can become the beginning of a story. Try asking simple questions such as: Where do you think that creature is going? What adventure might it be having today? These small prompts help children begin thinking creatively and building their own stories.
5. Create a simple summer story journal
A small notebook can become a wonderful place for children to capture ideas over the summer. They might draw characters, write a few sentences about their day or invent their own short stories. It does not need to be perfect. Even a few words or pictures help build confidence with writing while keeping creativity at the centre.
6. Try a “story walk”
A walk in the park can easily become a storytelling adventure. One person starts the story with a single sentence, and each family member adds the next line as you walk along. You might begin with something simple like, “Once there was a tiny creature who lived under this tree…” By the end of the walk you will have created a completely unexpected story together. It is a playful way to encourage imagination and show children that stories can come from anywhere.
About the Expert
Yasmine Anane is a bestselling children’s author based in West London. Her debut book The Family Tree, illustrated by Mark Beech, celebrates kindness, inclusion and the beauty of our differences. The book became Tiny Tree’s bestselling title of 2025, achieved Amazon bestseller status in children’s fiction categories, and was shortlisted for the Spark Book Awards. It is now stocked in Waterstones, Trotters and a number of independent bookshops and is used in several schools as part of early years learning.
Yasmine has also partnered with Biffa to create Whitney the Wasteater and the Wrong Bite, a children’s story designed to help young readers understand recycling and caring for the planet. Alongside writing, she hosts storytelling events in schools and bookshops and is passionate about encouraging a love of reading and storytelling in young children.
She lives in West London with her husband and their two young children. Find out more at www.yasmineanane.com
