A great way to get out to the house and still have some quiet time:
Book Picnics!
My two love the read and this is when they have some great individual think time. Little man begins reading to himself and our little lady normally sings to her favorite books or starts to point out characters! Both are wonderful comprehension strategies. Letting kids revisit books helps them think about what they have read, helps to introduce strategies for retelling (a great way to read a book), and point out parts of the picture that tells the story!
If you know anything about The Two Sisters, CAFE or DAILY 5 (most educators do, for those who don't it's a great way to help children learn to use reading strategies independently and begin thinking about literature), they encourage children to read books three different ways: read the words, read the pictures, and retell the story.
We began inside, however both children were having a hard time sharing books this day. So I gave each a book blanket that they could use to spread out and have their own space to read.
That didn't last long and both were reading on the same blanket, but sharing the books.
We have a ton of different books. I try to rotate them throughout the house, stacks will end up in her room then move to his, down to the play room, and in the book box in our car - keeps them entertained while on our way. This way we have many times to revisit them, during the day or for bedtime.
We love all sorts of books! Try the BabyBug magazine (made by Cricket) for little ones. It is built with durable pages that are hard to distroy and cute poems, songs, and stories to do with your little ones. We also love sharing various languages with our kids, try grabbing a few books from other cultures. Babies love to look and read about other babies - there is quite a bit of research behind that thought, not just me chatting. Add some books to your collection that have babies as the main characters. My two are drawn to those! Don't forget some of our favorite authors and titles. Expose your kids to your childhood favorites and soon they will love them also!
As children revisit text, they are able to tell us more, connect illustrations to text, and pick out important details that make the story.
I took a step back and let them have their space. WOW, they really know how to enjoy a book. I need to learn to let them and not always get involved or "in the way". Both kids were telling me or pointing at things me in their books that was memorable or exciting.
Remember, after kids are exposed to books repeatedly only will they have the stamina to read and THINK about they are reading independently. Talk about the books with your kids so that they build their vocabulary and have the words to retell stories to you.
