I appreciate and look forward to the changing seasons of the year. I’ve learned that there are certainly seasons of life as well, but the annual and regular seasons of the year that we call spring, summer, fall, and winter can bring comfort and predictability. Living in NC, I enjoy the mild climate here, just chilly enough to experience fall colors and to sit outside around a simmering fire for many months of the year. Just enough warmth to walk, hike, kayak and swim for many months as well.

I’ve learned to celebrate and embrace these seasons of both climate and life. We can’t control them, so we may as well jump into experiencing them fully. And we can help our kids prepare for and experience them, using BOOKS.

Here are some ideas of how we can “read seasonally” with our littles:

Spring: Select books about trees, flowers, bees, insects, or animals of interest. Books about farming and gardening can provide real life application. We can read about certain plants/flowers/vegetables and then plant some of those same seeds or baby plants. Read about the seasons of the year, the rain cycle, weather patterns, and how we can interact with our environment in positive ways. New life is all around us; we can use what sparks our children’s minds into selecting books that will foster their interests!

Summer: Read books about farm animals, domestic animals, aquatic animals or the ocean/ocean life. We can read stories about birds, dolphins, whales, and sea turtles, and what we can do as humans to preserve natural wildlife. If we are taking a vacation together as a family, we can read about the area and culture before we visit. Also consider buying a local book as a memory of that trip together as a family! At home, we can read books about cooking and foods and take some of the extra time summer can provide to actually use recipes and cook together!

Fall: Okay, yes, here we are….back to school time! The obvious choice is to read books about going back to school and adventures at school. We can also read stories to our littles about how to be a good friend, how to share, and how to practice good manners. We can read stories about chores and how we will all need to pitch in a bit more, now that our schedules may be busier. We can read books about riding the school bus….that’s a whole topic in itself! I was scrolling on IG and came across this book, The Yellow Bus by Loren Long: “Get ready for back-to-school season and hop on board The Yellow Bus, Loren Long’s #1 New York Times bestselling modern classic about a forgotten school bus that finds happiness and purpose in the most unexpected places–and the journey along the way” (amazon.com). I ordered two copies immediately and cannot wait to start reading it to the grandsons! It’s such a sweet, creative story with life lessons for all ages. I think we’ll read it all year long, but it’s pretty perfect for back to school time. The images are beautiful and enhance the story so well.

Winter : Winter reading can be relaxing and include cozy cuddles too! We can read about “first snows”, snow days from school, building a snowman, and winter adventures. We can make hot chocolate together and have a reading afternoon as a family. We can take trips to the library or the local book store on days when it is too cold to enjoy being outside. But the best topic of all is CHRISTMAS. We can read stories about Jesus and faith to our littles, and link the experiences of the season to the actual reason for the season.

There’s something about these seasons that’s both predictable and provides anticipation at the same time. Change can be hard, but it can be good and beautiful too. We can help our littles adjust to the constant change in both life and the seasons by choosing stories and information that can help them prepare…..and can get them excited about what’s to come as well!

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