Fostering a love of reading in your children is a beautiful thing and as parents we want to encourage a love of books. But let’s face it, sometimes it can be difficult to store all of those beautiful and interesting books!
If this is you, then I’ve got some great ideas for storing your children’s reading collection in a way that works with your home and keeps your children’s interests and love of reading alive.
%20(1).jpg "Using books for decoration a childrens nursery") |
| Books can double up as decoration in your home |
1. Zone your children’s book storage
By zoning your children’s book storage, I mean that you do not have to store all of your books in one or two places. Depending on how your children play, you may wish to store your children’s books in different places.
For example, if you have a play kitchen, why not pop a small book rack next to it with cookery or food themed books? You could even go one step further and add some print outs of things like menus and recipe cards to go alongside this.
Alternatively, if you have little ones that are into vehicles, why not put a basket of books on the theme of transport next to your car play mat or wooden train track table? By doing this, you’ll extend their play much further through the inspiration of books. And if you’re following the principles of toy rotation, you only have to have certain books out at certain times, and the others can be in storage until the toy themes rotate. We store 'seasonal' books in storage boxes with any related decor bits, for example Christmas books go in with the Christmas decorations and Halloween themed books live in the Halloween costumes box so that they can come out during the appropriate season.
2. Double books up as decoration
Particularly when children are younger, their books can be really beautiful. It’s a shame, therefore, to have them hidden away. Why not let your children’s books double up as decoration within their bedrooms?
Choose bookshelves where the books can be faced out into the room. This is particularly useful if you have an awkward space such as an alcove that you need to fill, as you can have custom shelves built in with rails across to hold the books in place.
This is also a great way of fostering a love or reading as the books are always on display, and it allows children to easily choose their own books.
3. Create a reading nook
If you have a lot of books and a small disused space, why not create a dedicated reading nook? Fill it with plenty of bookshelves, a comfy chair, cushions and blankets and you’ve got the perfect space for reading. You could even add fairy lights for creating a little hygge within the space. This could really encourage your children to read, as well as creating a dedicated space for book storage.
4. Think outside the bookshelf
If you don’t have a dedicated space for books, think outside the bookshelf. There are lots of creative ways of adding storage for children’s books.
For example, if you use cubby style storage for toys such as the Ikea Kallax shelves, these can be great for storing books, too, particularly as the spines can be on display. Why not store small toys alongside the books, to give the same effect as zoning books in different areas?
Alternatively, baskets and tubs can be a good way of storing books, especially if they’re at a height that children can flick through the titles easily. You could also use crates if you prefer a more rustic and natural look. This type of storage can also be fitted into spaces as necessary, such as in toy boxes and on top of cupboards when out of use.
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| Encourage your child's love of reading by having books easily accessible to them |
5. Use a trolley for portable children’s book storage
Trolleys are a great option for children’s book storage. There are small child-sized wagon or cart type trolleys available in shops which are perfect for children’s book storage, particularly as they can be pulled along by children themselves. This one from the Great Little Trading Company is sweet.
If you want your children to feel like they can read in a variety of places within your home, this is a great storage option. Being comfortable and sitting down somewhere cosy with a book is a great way of encouraging reading, and so portable storage that allow children to choose where to read is an excellent idea.
I hope you’ve found these options for children’s book storage inspiring. There are lots of different ways to store books and I’d love to hear any other ideas you may have!
