100 Reading Ideas for Schools
From no-cost activities to bigger celebrations
Many leaders are currently struggling with the challenge of doing more with less. Creating a strong reading culture doesn’t have to be expensive. With a bit of imagination and careful planning, schools can host exciting events that spark a love of reading in every child.
I have been fortunate to work with creative English Leads who have achieved just that and they inspired me to collate some ideas to give others a source of inspiration. Below are 100 ideas you can adapt to your setting, ranging from free or low-cost activities to larger, more resourced celebrations.
I have also included a calendar with key dates to help you plan reading events. The school calendar fills up quickly, so I recommend being mindful of the ‘pinch points’, collaborating with other leads or departments and booking events early.
Community & Family Engagement
1. Invite parents in for “family reading morning.”
2. Host bedtime story sessions (pupils come back in pyjamas).
3. Family mystery reader (once a week a family member comes to read a story).
4. Encourage parents to share their favourite childhood stories.
5. Create a “Take a Book, Leave a Book” station.
6. Host a book picnic — families bring a blanket and a book.
7. Parent-child paired reading competitions.
8. Storytime recordings from family members to show in class.
9. Share book reviews in the school newsletter.
10. Family bookmark-making competition.
Curriculum-Linked Events
11. History week with historical fiction read-alouds.
12. Science-themed stories during Science Week.
13. Geography book displays — stories from around the world.
14. Art + Reading: illustrate favourite book scenes.
15. Maths problem-solving stories.
16. Music + Poetry — put poems to rhythm.
17. Reading-based drama performances.
18. DT project: design a new book cover.
19. English project: write alternative endings to stories.
20. Create book trailers (ICT + Literacy).
Celebration Days & Themes
21. World Book Day costume parade (pupils could decorate t-shirts with a story theme).
22. World Poetry Day performance.
23. Roald Dahl Day activities.
24. Harry Potter–themed reading event.
25. Christmas storytelling assemblies.
26. Summer reading challenge launch.
27. National Poetry Day school showcase.
28. Shakespeare Week dramatic readings.
29. International Literacy Day celebrations.
30. Fairy Tale Day (pupils retell classic stories or invent fractured fairy tales).
Competitions & Challenges
31. Book review writing competition.
32. “Design a Bookmark” contest.
33. Reading diary challenge for half-term.
34. Extreme Reading photo competition (pupils read in unusual safe places).
35. Reading competitions (Expressive Reader, Best Improvement, Most Confident Performance)
36. Create an alternative book cover.
37. Short story writing contest.
38. Poetry slam.
39. “Guess the Teacher’s Favourite Book” quiz.
40. Reading scavenger hunt (find words, phrases, genres).
Library & Classroom Displays
41. Book of the Week spotlight.
42. Author of the Month board.
43. Pupil-curated book corner.
44. “Staff Picks” display.
45. Themed library displays (mystery, fantasy, sport).
46. Reading tree — add leaves with favourite book titles.
47. “Shelfie” wall of pupils’ book collections.
48. Reading quote posters.
49. Interactive display with QR codes linking to book reviews.
50. Genre Wheel (a colourful wheel introducing different genres with book examples).
Author & External Engagement
51. Invite an author for a talk (many offer free virtual sessions).
52. Virtual author Q&A via Zoom/Teams.
53. Local library visit.
54. Librarian-led workshop in school.
55. Partner with local bookshops.
56. Invite parents who are writers or storytellers.
57. Local theatre group storytelling.
58. Join national reading competitions (e.g., Read for Good or National Literacy Trust).
59. Mobile library visit (if local transport is a barrier).
60. Invite local journalists, poets or bloggers to discuss literacy careers.
Creative & Fun Ideas
61. Reading treasure hunt around school.
62. Reading bingo (tick off different genres).
63. Create a school podcast of pupil book reviews.
64. Record bedtime stories for the school website.
65. Turn classrooms into “book cafés” with themed décor.
66. Literary escape room challenge.
67. Puppet show retelling favourite books.
68. Reading buddy animals (soft toys in library).
69. Book-themed bake sale.
70. Giant collaborative story written across classes.
Larger Events (With Resources)
71. Whole-school reading festival.
72. Visiting storyteller for a day.
73. Theatre trip linked to a book.
74. Book fair with Usborne/Scholastic.
75. Reading garden (outdoor reading area).
76. Author-in-residence project.
77. Literacy week with cross-curricular themes.
78. Creative writing residency.
79. Partnership with other schools for shared events.
80. Reading charity fundraiser (sponsored read).
Free & Low-Cost Ideas
81. Teacher/leader read-aloud in assemblies.
82. Pupil book recommendations shared in class.
83. A “Reading Wall” where students post favourite titles.
84. Staff “What I’m Reading” posters on classroom doors.
85. Lunchtime book club in the library or classroom.
86. Peer reading: older pupils read with younger ones.
87. Book swap day (bring in a book to trade).
88. Bed time book bag (goes home to a different family each week with a picture book and hot chocolate to share).
89. A “First Lines” display — post the opening lines of books and challenge students to guess the title.
90. Create reading passports — stamp them when a child finishes a book.
91. Decorate doors as favourite book covers.
92. A “Reading Selfie” board with pupils holding their favourite book.
93. Create a class “Reading Tree” where each leaf is a book someone has read.
94. Create a class reading mascot (like a soft toy) who goes home with children and a book.
95. Write and share book reviews for displays or newsletters.
96. Host a silent reading session with music/atmosphere.
97. Reading relay
98. Celebrate poetry through performance in assembly.
99. Hold a vocabulary challenge linked to class books.
100. Record pupils recommending books as short videos.
Events (by month) to Spark Your Next School Reading Celebration
September
Roald Dahl Day
International Literacy Day
European Day of Languages
Translation Day
October
Black History Month
National Poetry Day
World Mental Health Day
Libraries Week
Halloween
World Nursery Rhyme Week
November
National Non-Fiction November
Children’s Book Week
Anti-Bullying Week
Remembrance
Young Poets Week
December
Festive Reading Celebrations
February
National Storytelling Week
Children’s Mental Health Week
Mother Language Day
Safer Internet Day
Lunar New Year/Chinese New Year
March
World Book Day
World Poetry Day
International Women’s Day
Red Nose Day
April
International Children’s Book Day
Earth Day
May
National Share-a-Story Month
Children’s Book Week
Outdoor Classroom Day
June
Empathy Day
Independent Bookshop Week
Refugee Week
National Writing Day
Pride Month
Summer
Summer Reading Challenge
Final Thoughts
Whether you have no budget or want to plan larger-scale celebrations, there are countless ways to make reading visible, exciting and central to school life. Start small with free ideas, build momentum, and choose a few “showpiece” events across the year. Every reading event is another opportunity to reinforce one key message: reading is joyful, valuable, and for everyone.
At Empowerment Consultancy, we know that a strong reading culture doesn’t happen by chance—it requires planning, creativity and buy-in from staff and families. We can work with you to prioritise activities, schedule key events and create a roadmap that ensures reading becomes an engaging, sustainable part of school life for every child.
