10 Inspiring Ideas For Setting Up An Insanely Cute Toddler Reading Corner

Enchanting toddler reading corner ideas where story book characters come alive!

I think one of the biggest reasons why my daughter loves story books, libraries and reading in general is because of her cutesie reading corner at home.

I set it up for her when I noticed her increasing interest in story books. It’s now become her go to place when she wants to relax and spend some alone time (and it has immensely helped in transitioning her away from screen time and towards reading stories).

toddler reading corner — My little one’s getaway corner!

Over the years we’ve moved houses several times and hence experimented with multiple reading corner set ups. Today I’d like to share with you some of my FAVORITE set ups on Pinterest.

A reading corner should be a warm, inviting space. It should call out to your little one, inspiring them to pick up a book and cuddle up in a corner.

It doesn’t require tons of space, isn’t too time consuming to set up and neither is it costly. But it does need some creativity and inspiration. And that’s what this post is all about – sharing some super inspiring set up ideas.

Here are 10 awesome ideas on setting up a toddler reading corner that helps kids (and adults) fall in love with reading.

But before that, let’s go over some of the key factors to consider BEFORE you start setting it up.

This Post is All About Toddler Reading Corners

The 5 Elements to a Perfect Toddler Reading Corner

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#1. Lighting

It’s best to set up the reading corner where there is adequate sunlight coming in. This is so that there’s no strain on your little ones eyes while he reads.

If that’s not possible and you’ve chosen a corner in a room that doesn’t have a window, then it’s important to get a good quality children’s reading lamp (this would be great for your night time reading too).

5 Toddler Pre-Reading Skills and How to Inculcate Them

#2 Space

The best part about a reading nook is that it can be created in the tiniest of places – an attic, a small corner in your living room or even a walk in closet!

It’s best to pick a spot that gets less traffic so that it can be a quiet, calm place.

Also, put some thought into what your children like. Are they more comfy sitting up (in which case a beanbag or kid’s mini sofa would be appropriate) or are they mostly found sprawled on the floor (in which case it would be better to have a set up with a comfy rug and pillows).

If they prefer more closed spaces then a teepee can be a great way to give them a feel of independence and privacy.

Natural Cotton Canvas Teepee Tent for Kids

#3 Warmth

A reading corner, whether for adults or kids should exude warmth. It needs to be inviting and lure you in. Think throw pillows, comfy rugs, fairy lights (I bought these star shaped fairy lights for my kids room recently and they love it!) beanbags, snuggly throw blankets and a stuffy here and there.

S haggy Circular Rug for Kids

#4 Book shelf

The star of the show in a reading nook is of course the book shelf. The variety to choose from is endless!

For toddlers, the best kind of book shelf is one that is forward facing so the books can be displayed with their front cover showing. The books should also easily be within reach for your little one. Both these factors will greatly help increase your child’s interest in independently exploring books.

Note: when buying a book shelf for your toddler, keep sturdiness in mind. There are a lot of book shelves these days with fabric sling pockets that are simply not holding up to the (aggressive) antics of toddlers. If you’re looking to invest in a really high quality bookshelf that will last you eons, this one’s a superb option.

Birch Hardwood Bookshelf for Kids

#5 The final touch

What brings everything together in a kid’s reading corner is that one piece that really makes the space personal.

It could be your child’s drawing, framed and hung up. Or a personalized pillow with your child’s name on it. It could even be a world map, quotes from your child’s favorite story book or a stuffy. Anything that adds a personal touch to the space would work!

10 Inspiring Ideas for Setting up a Toddler Reading Corner

#1

A reading nook tent, fairy lights and a cozy place to cuddle up. What’s not to love about this invitingly warm reading corner?

#2

Short on space? See how this grandma transformed a closet into such a sweet and peaceful looking reading nook for her grand-daughter!

#3

If you want to set up a reading corner in the living room and have it look inviting to a child and yet NOT look like Elmo threw up all over your living room, then this would be an ideal set up. Its warm and cozy and also modern and chic at the same time.

#4

Have an old buoy or large cardboard box lying around? Instead of throwing it away, touch it up with some paint, add some comfy throw pillows and viola! You have a DIY reading nook your kids will love!

#5

If you want your kids to be avid readers, setting up a reading nook like this would be a sure shot way to make them fall in love with reading! The books are easily accessible, there’s a comfy spot to curl up and there are stuffies to hug! You can also learn how to inexpensively use rain gutters to make your own book shelves!

#6

Bright, cozy and gorgeously inviting…. if I was a kid, this would definitely be my happy place!

#7

Have a corner in the house that you don’t quite know what to do about? This mama turned an awkward bump in her house into a cute play fort/ reading corner for her little one using a canopy, beanbag and a 2×2 IKEA Kallax.

#8

Modern and tastefully elegant, this is a reading corner guaranteed to make your little one cuddle up with a book in their lap and awayyyyy from the screen.

#9

Learn to make your own book bin using this DIY tutorial! This corner looks like its literally calling out to you, inviting you to come pick up your favorite story!

#10

Who doesn’t like a bit of privacy when engrossed in their favorite story book? A teepee, throw pillows, fairy lights and a rug are all you need to set up a magical getaway for your little reader.

Trying to teach your child how to read and feel totally clueless?

When my daughter was two and a half, teaching her to read was the last thing on my mind. Like most toddler parents, I was much too preoccupied with challenges like potty training and managing tantrums.

I stumbled upon Children Learning Reading totally by accident. I watched in jaw drop amazement video s of kids as kids as young as 2 sounding out words and reading full sentences.

I was so honestly so skeptical about trying it out. My first thought was that my child was way too young to start. My second thought was that it would take too much effort and time and I didn’t have either to spare.

I put aside these limiting thoughts and instead thought: what do I have to lose?

And so I started.

I spent 10 minutes a day and much to my amazement, within a few weeks of using Children Lear ning Reading my child was reading 3 letter words! She soon progressed to reading sentences and then little short stories.

I can not begin to describe the joy you feel when you see your little one confidently finish reading a story by themselves from beginning to end!She’s 5 now, reads at 3rd grade level and I literally need to ask her to come out of her reading corner!

If you’re interested, you can read my detailed post on how I taught my child to read: what are the things that worked for us, what I learned from the whole process of teaching my child to read and what I’d recommend you to do.

Check out Children Learning Reading and see why 70,000 plus parents have used this reading program (with zero teaching experience) to see some incredible results!

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One of the best ways to teach reading is to make it fun for kids!

When teaching my 2 year old to read, I’d make the whole thing into a game. We’d do so many fun reading activities together – she would always be begging if we could play more!

If something is fun, your kids will want to do it more and more. And that repetition is exactly what will help them achieve reading fluency.

I’ve put together some really fun and engaging reading activities that your little one will LOVE DOING! They cover the fundamentals of reading like beginning sounds, CVC words and word families etc and are simple enough for a 2-3 year old to do easily. They also incorporate super fun elements like matching, cutting and pasting, coloring and tracing.

Get your free download!