Screen vs Books: How to Get Kids Excited About Reading Physical Books
Let’s be real: books are fighting a heavyweight opponent. Screens flash, beep, move, shout, reward, and hypnotise. A paperback… sits there. Quiet. Judging us.
But kids can fall back in love with physical books, we just have to play the game smarter than the iPad.
Here’s the truth no one says out loud: kids don’t hate books. They hate boring books, forced reading, and reading that feels like homework. When you fix those three things, they’ll pick up books on their own like it’s 1998 again.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Make Books a “Choice.” Not a Chore
- Use Screens to Bring Them Back to Books
- Switch to High-Impact Books
- Turn Reading Into a Social Event
- Let Them Read What They Actually Like
- Build a Reading Nook That Feels Like a Vibe
- Use Physical Books for What Screens Can’t Give
- Make Books a Reward, Not a Punishment
- Model It: Because Kids Copy, Not Listen
1. Make Books a “Choice,” Not a Chore
Telling a kid to read is the fastest way to get them to run in the opposite direction. Instead, set up books like a buffet. Spread them out. Face covers forward. Let them wander and pick with zero pressure. Kids love control.
2. Use Screens to Bring Them Back to Books
Screens aren’t the enemy; they’re bait. Follow these steps below:
- Watch the movie → read the book.
- Watch the trailer → read the graphic novel.
- Play the game → read the lore guide.
Hook them using what already has their attention.
3. Switch to High-Impact Books
Some books were made to convert screen-obsessed kids. Check out the genres for making this happen below:
• Graphic novels
• Funny chapter books
• Fast-paced adventure series
• Pop-up or interactive books
• Books tied to franchises they love
Start with dopamine-heavy reads. Classics can wait, till later.
4. Turn Reading Into a Social Event
Reading solo can feel “meh.” But reading together? Completely different energy. Try these techniques below:
• Family reading nights
• Reading challenges
• Book treasure hunts
• “Finish the chapter before bedtime” races
Kids love participation more than perfection.
5. Let Them Read What They Actually Like
If your child wants to read Minecraft manuals, Pokémon encyclopaedias, football magazines, or graphic novels… good! That’s reading. Stop gatekeeping. Trust us letting them read what they want, does show they enjoy reading.
6. Build a Reading Nook That Feels Like a Vibe
Create a reading corner (area) and make it cosy, colourful, or themed. Fairy lights. Beanbag. Blanket. Hidden corner. Kids read longer when the environment feels magical. Heck, us adults love a cosy little read, so of course the kids will.
7. Use Physical Books for What Screens Can’t Give
As mentioned before screens overstimulate. Books slow the mind down, and the beauty of this is the kids won’t notice that unless you call it out, show them the difference by saying to them. “Notice how your brain feels calm?”
“Notice how your imagination fills the picture?”
Teach them to tune into the feeling, and get them to explain what is happening in the book in a casual conversation, not in a teacher student manner.
8. Make Books a Reward, Not a Punishment
If reading is the thing they do when they’re in trouble… congratulations, you just killed their love for books. We have to make sure we flip the script. We can do this by saying to them:
• “Pick any book you want as your bedtime story.”
• “We’ll go book shopping after school.”
• “Finish that series? and we can have a celebration with some cake.”
When children aren’t being forced to read, and you let them be in charge you’ll see a shift in how they respond to reading. Lets face it, adults don’t like to be forced to do things so why would the kids?
We have to learn to treat our little companions, the same way we would like to be treated.
9. Model It: Because Kids Copy, Not Listen
Here’s the truth parents don’t always want to hear: kids don’t follow instructions; they follow examples. If they never see you reading a physical book, truly sitting down, page-turning, relaxed, absorbed, they will never believe reading is something worth doing.
Kids copy what looks valuable in their environment. If the adults in the house are always scrolling, kids assume screens are the priority. But if they regularly see you choosing a book over your phone, talking about a story you’re enjoying, or relaxing with a paperback, it quietly reshapes what “normal” looks like.
Reading becomes part of the family culture, not an assignment. And once kids see books as something real people actually enjoy, not a task they’re forced into, they’re far more likely to pick one up on their own.