Looking for a creative way to display your children’s books and encourage them to read more? Check out this picture ledge reading corner idea for kids!
My love for reading was developed during early childhood. I remember getting lost in books for hours at a time. There really is nothing like a good book!
One of my greatest joys as a Mom has been watching my children fall in love with reading for themselves. I love witnessing them light up when they read.
Even though I enjoy keeping our stuff minimal by nature, I believe you can never have enough books!
I want to have books available for our children in every room in our home. When inspiration strikes, they can easily find a book to sink into.
That’s why I turned a blank wall in the kids’ playroom into a reading corner!
Keep reading to find out how to create your own reading corner for your kids!
Reading Corner
I love how simple this reading corner is to put together. Even for a novice like me, I was able to complete this project in a couple of hours.
What You Need For A Reading Corner
For this book corner you will need two IKEA picture ledges, a pencil, a level, wall anchors, screws and of course BOOKS. I also learned the hard way to have an idea where the studs are ahead of time (LOL) – so I would also have a stud finder on hand.
I love to thrift my home decor, which is why I was ecstatic when I found the IKEA picture ledges secondhand!
Putting together a book corner does not need to be an expensive project. In total, I spent $20 for the picture ledges. And then I scored a great deal for the plug-in light sconce at $10!
Considerations Ahead Of Creating Your Reading Corner
Before hanging your picture ledges take into consideration the height you are hanging them at. A cozy reading corner is not only meant to be cute but also practical. Ensure the books are at an accessible height for the ages of your kids to reach. The easier the books are to grab, the more likely the books will get read!
Also consider adding in a comfy spot for your kids to curl up and read. Perhaps it is a cozy chair, bench or a play couch like we have.
I love our play couch because is versatile and cozy. This was such a great group gift for my son on his first birthday! All the kids love using it – especially in this reading corner!
Don’t forget about a reading light – especially if your reading corner doesn’t have a direct light source nearby. We chose to hang a wall sconce that our kids can easily turn on and off as they need it. (Plus – it really does make a reading corner look extra styled!).
How To Create A Cozy Book Nook
Creating a cozy reading corner is simple! A couple of pillows, a blanket and a cute stuffed animal is all it takes to make an super sweet spot for kids to get lost in a good book!
For our reading corner, I used items that I found around our home. I wanted to play off of the colours of the stuffed giraffe (because how happy does he look in this book nook!?). I chose to stick with beige and gold tones for this space. The neutral warm tones play up the blue play couch quite well.
Kids love colour! It is nice to be able to offer colour in the decor while balancing more neutral colours to ensure it will be timeless for years to come! The best part is being able to simply switch it up by changing out the textiles to create a whole new look (without a large price tag)!
How To Choose Books To Display
Once your picture ledges are hung, the best part begins! Now is the time to start adding books to your shelves.
Start by choosing books that your kids are interested in.
You can easily swap books out by doing a weekly book rotation. You could also do weekly book themes – where each book on display is about a certain topic. How fun would that be? Especially if your children are showing interest in learning about something specific.
Don’t be afraid to have a range of seemingly “random” books as well! Currently, my children are ages 6, 3 and 1. It makes the most sense for us to have books at a variety of different levels, topics and even languages so that all of them can find something they can enjoy!
My children also like to be in charge of their reading corner, adding books and taking them away as they choose!
Favourite Books For Kids
If you want to get lost in a conversation with me, let’s start talking about children’s books and reading!
As to not keep you all day, here are some of our CURRENT favourite books/books series for kids! Our list is always growing and expanding!
Baby Favourites
- Hug by Jez Alborough
- You Are My Sunshine by Caroline Jayne Church
- Five Little Monkeys by Eileen Christelow
Bible Stories
- The Children’s Bible by Mary Batchelor
Book Series
- The Cranky Bear Series by Nick Bland
- The Food Group Series by Jory John and Pete Oswald
- The Crayon Series by Drew Daywalt
- The Little Blue Truck Series by Alice Schertle
- Robert Munsch anything!
- Franklin (all!) by Paulette Bourgeois
There you have it! Where would you put a reading corner in your home?
Here’s to the love of reading!
