If your kids are like mine, they are in need of activities to keep them occupied and learning. One way to do that is by reading. Our favorite reading topic is trees. Yes, I know I am partial to trees. It is one of the reasons I work at Fannin Tree Farm. There are some great books out there about trees for children age 1 – 101.
One of my favorite quotes about reading is from Laura Bush, “As parents, the most important thing we can do is read to our children early and often. Reading is the path to success in school and life. When children learn to love books, they learn to love learning.”
There are many benefits to reading to your kids. Some of those benefits include instilling problem-solving skills, language development, enhancing concentration, teaching about the world, enhancing imagination development, entertainment, empathy development, and, my most favorite reason to read to a child, building a bond with one another. As a busy mom, it has always been a way for me to wind down with my son at night after a long day. I have always tried to remember Emile Buchwald’s quote, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”
I asked some of the families that work here at the tree farm what some of their favorite books about trees are and here are some of our staff’s kids’ top picks. I think a lot of these are great reads as well!
The Lorax
The Giving Tree
Chica Chica Boom Boom
Go Dog Go
Winnie the Poo
Secrets of the Apple Tree
One Tree
The Magic Maple Tree
The Tree Lady
We Planted a Tree
The Story of Ferdinand
I also love the idea of creating a Reading-Friendly Environment. Barnes and Noble explains that to keep kids reading, you need to remove as many barriers to reading as you can. That means having books at the ready for kids when they want one and having a comfortable, quiet place where they can lose themselves in a book. As summer starts, you can work with them to create a little reading nook, with stacks of books and comfy pillows. You can also designate a night as a “screen-free” night, in which everyone in the house (including you) must do an activity that doesn’t involve a screen. This took a while for my kids to get used to but once we started the screen-free activity night at our home, reading took off!
If you are looking for some great Tree book reading list, here are three places I recommend you go to find some great books to read.
- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/kids/8-books-about-trees-for-arbor-day/
- https://www.longleaflumber.com/the-top-15-childrens-books-about-trees/
- https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Childrens-Forest-Tree/zgbs/books/3270
Happy Reading – don’t forget the Tree Books!