Family days out don't always have to be about theme parks, activity centres, or trips to the zoo. There are quieter ways to enjoy time with the kids, and one of our favourite things to do is centre a day together around books.
It can be fun to explore a new book store together, and you get to check out the bestsellers while the kids flick through the latest novel in a kids' book series. Some bookstores have cafés, or there's sure to be one nearby, and it can be nice to allow your child to choose a new book and then sit together and read independently over tea and a slice of cake. This is a great a great way to secure a bit of time to yourself to read and relax, while also keeping your child happy and entertained. Or you could check a book out of the library and carve out time for tea and cake at home.
Another great way to centre time with the kids around books, is to take them to meet one of their favourite authors. Last year, my sons Odhran, 10, and Reuben, 7, had the opportunity to meet both Jeff Kinney (author of The Wimpy Kid series) and Dav Pilkey (author of Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, and Captain Underpants) at separate book signings. If you'd love for your child to meet their favourite author, I'll explain how I managed to grab these rare opportunities.
Our first author meet-and-greet was Dav Pilkey. Knowing that the author had a new book out and the Dog Man movie was soon to be released, I thought this was the most likely time for him to be visiting the UK. So a couple of months ahead of the movie's release, I did a Google search and discovered that London's Southbank Centre was hosting a morning with Dav Pilkey at the venue's Royal Festival Hall. I instantly pounced on the tickets. If you deliberate over the purchase, you'll most likely miss out, as these kind of events are hugely popular with fans. I later saw parents on social media asking if anyone happened to be selling tickets. It's worth following your child's favourite author and their publisher on social media so you can be the first to hear about potential tours.
The Southbank Centre regularly hosts children's events and author signings. Its Imagine Festival, held over February half-term, is a great time to watch out for big name children's authors. But sign up to their newsletter, as tickets for these events sell out super fast. So, you'll need to be quick.
We paid £40 for two adults and two children to see Dav Pilkey at Royal Festival Hall but the author gave a presentation that lasted around 45 minutes. It was a really inspiring (and funny!) talk about his journey to getting published and his challenges growing up with ADHD and dyslexia. All the kids in the auditorium listened intently, as the author shared strong messages about the importance of resilience and positive mindset. Odhran and Reuben brought notebooks and pens to copy along during a demonstration on how to draw popular characters from Pilkey's books.
Afterwards, the children had the opportunity to meet the author. Pilkey was taken to another room in the building and the queue to meet him spiralled several floors up the staircase. If you take your child to meet their favourite author, be prepared for a long wait. You might be in the queue for a couple of hours or more. So, bring drinks, snacks, and a book or something to keep everyone entertained.
But when we did finally get to meet the author, it didn't feel too rushed and was well worth the wait. Odhran and Reuben had a chance to show him their own comic book creations, and his words of encouragement meant a lot to them. They had a chance to get a picture to treasure.
This event tied in with the release of the graphic novel Big Jim Begins. Signed copies were available to purchase, alongside signed copies of the original Dog Man book.
Nine months later, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet another literary icon - Jeff Kinney, at Waterstones Piccadilly in London. This is a great place to visit with little bookworms, as it's Europe's largest bookshop, spanning six floors. It has a huge children's section, and the boys could spend an hour or more here, browsing and getting cosy in one of the reading nooks.
Meeting Jeff Kinney was a dream come true for superfan Odhran. Kinney is a rockstar of children's literature. So, meeting him in person was a rare opportunity. But I was aware that the author was marking a few milestones. Partypooper was the 20th book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and Wimpy Kid was celebrating 300 million global sales. So, I had a hunch Kinney might be visiting the UK on tour, and I was correct. Again, I Googled in advance and discovered this signing was taking place. Tickets cost £14.99 for each child but that also included a copy of Partypooper. I was pleased I snapped up tickets, as a couple of days later I went on Waterstones website and saw the event was sold out.
We had to queue outside the store before staff took groups upstairs for the signing. Thankfully, it wasn't raining, but we were glad to be wearing warm coats. After learning from the Dav Pilkey experience, I remembered to pack snacks and books and the Nintendo Switch to keep the boys occupied. But they ended up chatting to other Wimpy Kid fans in the queue, and staff at Waterstones were great and brought out balloons and party hats (in keeping with theme of Partypooper) and they held a game of pass the parcel to keep the kids entertained. We arrived early for the signing and were pleasantly surprised to queue for less than an hour. It was a very well organised event.
Inside, the signing area was beautifully decorated and there was a Greg Heffley costume character. The signings were kept brief but fans were allowed to get two books signed. So Odhran got Kinney's signature on the inside cover of both Partypopper and his favourite Wimpy Kid book. There was time for a quick photo, and Odhran was able to gift Kinney a picture he'd drawn of characters from his own ideas for novels.
Author signings and meet-and-greets are a great way to encourage your child to read and write more, and express their creativity. Look out for festivals that include children's authors, check out event listings for both national and local booksellers, and keep an eye out on social media. And next time the kids say they're bored, head out and browse a bookstore, or pack a picnic and go read together in the park. Reading isn't just for bedtime, it can be fashioned into a fun day out!