If you’ve been around GreatfulMoments.com for a couple of months—or even longer—you know we talk a lot about finding ways to make reading part of family life, not something children are simply told they have to do.

So when Maria Ashworth of Big Belly Book Co.shared her idea for making reading feel a little more magical, I thought it would be a wonderful fit for our readers, especially since we’re doing our own 10-Minute Reading Challenge.

So I invited Maria to pull up a chair and come share her story with us. That way, we can all learn a little bit more about Where’s Readsy?, an idea I honestly hadn’t heard about until I had the opportunity to meet Maria.

I think you’ll enjoy learning about it as much as I did.

So grab your favorite beverage, pull up a chair, and let’s listen to Maria share her story.

Could A Little Magic Get Your Child Excited About Reading, Again and Again?

Creating a screen-free reading tradition that children actually look forward to

There was a time when hearing my child say, “Can I read one more book?” was music to my ears.

Today, many parents are asking a different question: How do I get my child to put down the screen and pick up a book?

As a former educator, children’s author, and story time host, I have spent years watching children light up when a story captures their imagination. I have also seen how difficult it can be for families to make reading part of everyday life when screens are always within reach.

The answer, I believe, isn’t always to make children read more. Sometimes, we need to make them want to read more. And that means making reading feel less like homework and more like something special.

What if reading became something children anticipated?

Today’s children are growing up in a world filled with screens. Tablets, phones, television, video games, and streaming entertainment are all competing for their attention.

According to Common Sense Media, children ages 4–8 spend an average of about 3.5 hours a day with screen media. Nearly 58 percent of children have access to a tablet by age four, and by age eight, about one in four has a personal cellphone.

For parents, those numbers can feel overwhelming.

We know our children need time away from screens. We know reading is important. It builds vocabulary, comprehension, imagination, and confidence.

But knowing something is good for our children doesn’t always make them excited to do it.

That’s what got me thinking.

How can we get children to read more because they want to, not because they have to?

That question led to an idea that came to me in the middle of the night. I thought about when my kids were little and how they loved seeing Santa’s footprints full of snow in the house. A lightbulb went off.

When I created Where’s Readsy?, I wasn’t trying to create another daunting activity that made parents rack their brains for ideas. Parents have enough on their plates. I wanted something that could become a tradition that could be done every day, once a month, on vacations, at school, and more.

I wanted a child to feel the same excitement they do when they experience a visit from Santa, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy.

Something that could turn reading into an adventure. Something that could bring a parent and child together without another screen involved. And most importantly, something that could help children discover that reading isn’t a chore but fun.

So I thought.

What if a little furry critter, who loved books so much, couldn’t resist sneaking into a child’s home in the middle of the night to find a new book to read?

And waiting at the end of the search?

Not a worksheet.

Not an assignment.

Not a screen.

Or a toy.

But a special book chosen by a magical friend.

That’s how the reading tradition activity box, Where’s Readsy?, was born.

The idea is simple: Readsy magically appears at night, finds a book, and leaves pawprints for the child to discover in the morning. There, by the pawprints—a book and other surprises. Then, at some point in the day, read it with a parent, grandparent, sibling, teacher, or independently.

Where’s Readsy? Can Change the Way Children See Reading

Children love surprises, treasure hunts, secret messages, pretending, and magic. So why not bring those same elements into reading?

A child might resist, “It’s time to read,” but may respond very differently to: “Let’s go see where Readsy read last night.”

Suddenly, reading isn’t something an adult is telling them to do. It’s something they are discovering. This can make a big difference, especially with a reluctant reader. It takes away the pressure. It creates a positive association with books.

It creates a reading tradition memory that lasts a lifetime.

That’s the real magic.

Maria Ashworth
Entrepreneur / Author
Big Belly Book Co.

Gratful, Thankful, Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates