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Home โ€บ Browse โ€บ Read-aloud ritual

Free / DIY ยท Ages birth to 13 yrs

Read-aloud ritual

Twenty minutes a day, every day, including for kids who can read alone.

Why it works

Shared reading is one of the best-supported habits in child development research (see The case).

How to do it

Older kids: chapter books above their reading level. Let them draw while you read.

Good for

Pairs well with

Tegu Non-Magnetic Perfect Blocks, 120 pieces

20% below the maker's regular priceBuilt to lastAges 3โ€“10 yrs
$40$50 on tegu.com, checked Oct 20, 2026

Beautiful wood blocks in a modern palette. They look nice enough to leave out in the living room, which is half the battle for getting kids to play with blocks.

Honest drawback: Non-magnetic, so towers topple more easily than with Tegu's magnetic line. Some kids find that frustrating, others find it more satisfying.

PlanToys 50 Unit Blocks

Built to lastAges 2โ€“8 yrs
$89.99 on plantoys.com, checked Oct 20, 2026

Proper unit blocks, the kind every good preschool classroom has, made from reclaimed rubberwood. PlanToys says they use formaldehyde-free glue and water-based dyes.

Honest drawback: Fifty blocks is a starter set. Classrooms use hundreds.