Happy Meal Books + Tips To Keep The Kids Reading All Summer

The kids are counting down the days till schools out for the summer. This mom of four is preparing routines, charts, playdates and camping trips to keep everyone happy, including me. One thing I know for sure we will be doing is reading a lot of books together thanks to the new  Happy Meal Books program at McDonald’s! Here are a few tips to keep the kids reading all summer long.

1. Buy A Happy Meal

Back in May, McDonald’s Canada made a big announcement! They are giving children the choice of a book or a toy in the famous Happy Meal. Parents across Canada are doing the happy dance because we all know that books are the building blocks for a prosperous future.

Through a partnership with Kids Can Press, McDonald’s Canada is offering high-quality children’s literature to encourage literacy to the next generation. With this program, McDonald’s Canada hopes to help improve access to children’s books and ensure that everyone has the same chance to fall in love with reading.

2. Let the Kids Be the Teacher

The universe throws teaching moments at us all day long, and they don’t always come from a parent or teacher. Sometimes the biggest lessons we learn in life comes from the little people in our day.

Why not let those little people play the role of a teacher? Have your children read you a story or teach you the lesson between the front and back cover. Giving them the title of “teacher” gives them the confidence to wear different shoes, so to speak.

[bctt tweet=”Did you know? All #happymealbooks are written by Canadian authors! #ad ” username=”inRdream”]

3. Bring Reading Outside

Another handy tip to keep the kids reading all summer is to bring the reading outside.

Every day during the summer we spend an hour in the afternoon under a tree. We lay out a couple of blankets on the grass and read books together. We’ve made this time together as much as a routine as when they all napped as toddlers. Having moments like this keeps them reading and learning all summer, but it also allows us to bond and make memories together.

The biggest decision usually is the book we will choose to read together!

Every eight weeks, two new books will be available at McDonald’s restaurants, in both English and French for families to enjoy. All Happy Meal books are written by Canadian authors, and here are the books you could receive in your Happy Meal this year:

• Hurry Up, Franklin by Paulette Bourgeois
• Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt
• The Busy Beaver by Nicolas Oldland
• No Dragons For Tea by Jean E. Pendziwol
• Franklin’s Halloween by Paulette Bourgeois
• Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt
• Making the Moose Out of Life by Nicolas Oldland
• Once Upon a Dragon by Jean E. Pendziwol
• Scaredy Squirrel at Night by Melanie Watt
• Franklin’s Valentines by Paulette Bourgeois
• Big Bear Hug by Nicolas Oldland
• Franklin Plays the Game by Paulette Bourgeois

4. Enforce The When and Then Rule

Have you heard the when and then rule to parenting?

Example: When you’ve read for 30 minutes, then you can play electronics for 30 minutes.

We use the when and then in many of our parenting teachings. It’s one of my favorite tips to keep the kids reading all summer long. Here are a few more examples of how to incorporate the when and then rule.

• When you’ve done your chore, then you can play the video game.
• When you’ve eaten your dinner, then you can have dessert.
• No dinner, no dessert. No reading, no electronics. No chore, no video game.

When and then makes parenting simple. This summer we will continue to parent with the when and then rule. And thanks to McDonald’s, the kids will have some new books to read.

Which book are you hoping to receive in your Happy Meal?

McDonald’s Canada Instagram | McDonald’s Canada Twitter |  McDonald’s Canada Facebook | #happymealbooks

Thank you for reading In R Dream!

This post is sponsored, however, as always all opinions are my own.