14 Great Ways to Surprise Your Kid With a New Book

Grabbing the Mail: Wrap up a new book, put it in an over-sized envelope, and address it to your kid. Let them collect the mail and find that something new awaiting them. With so much junk mail and flyers arriving via the postal service these days, finding a package addressed to them with a new book inside will be a great surprise! A visit from Flat Stanley might just have your kid looking for a pen pal on the other side of the world.

Airplane Ride: Why, Hello, Airplane! Whether it is their first airplane ride or their twentieth, pull out a new book once you get buckled in, and let them take off on a new book adventure while you all take off on your trip. As you soar 35,000 feet in the air, they should be soaring through a new story and fully occupied without an electronic in site. A story may keep them occupied just long enough to keep them from asking if you are there yet.

Advent Calendar: Every year in our home, I wrap up 24 books right around Thanksgiving to make a book advent calendar for the Christmas season. Starting on the first of December, the kids unwrap a book each night and we read the story together as a family. There are seasonal favorites that appear every year, as well as a few new ones mixed in for a fun surprise. On the 24th, it is always The Night Before Christmas that we unwrap and read together.

Holiday Present: We like to follow this rule in gift giving for our children when it is time for the holidays: give them something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. This mantra helps to keeps everyone in check with the reality of giving and receiving, keeps the gift list a bit shorter, and the stack of new books is something they really look forward to every year. Old School is sure to be on many wish lists this year.

Expecting a New Sibling: In our family, we have a tradition when it’s time to find out the sex of a new baby who is arriving soon. We take a sealed envelope (from the doctor) with the news to the bookstore and hand over a stack of girl-character books and a stack of boy-character books to the cashier. We ask them to open the envelope and wrap up whichever pile of books matches the baby’s sex. Your cashier will be thrilled to be in on this surprise! Let a future big brother or big sister unwrap the books for the big reveal and a new book surprise, and pick up a copy of My New Baby for the big sibling, too.

Road Trip: As long as your kids do not get carsick, why not surprise them with a book sitting on their seat as you are getting ready to head out on a road trip? You can match your book to the destination, or pick up The Everything Kids’ Geography Book for expanded exploring. Kids can map your travel progress or teach you about your final destination. Have them read to you for portions of the trip to help the miles fly by and the knowledge stack up.

Character Visit: Heading out to meet some friends at Disneyland? Thomas the Train in town? Surprise your kid with a new book about their favorite character, or cast of cartoon friends, and get them excited about their upcoming visit. Or better yet, let them read the book with a note ticked into the back of the book revealing that that they are heading to Disneyland!

Tooth Fairy Treasure: In lieu of a silver dollar, let the tooth fairy leave a new book to read. As they grow up and lose their teeth, they will look forward to collecting a new book for their library. Consider a series that you can add on to over time, such as Berenstain Bears or Magic Tree House. With twenty teeth to lose between ages five and twelve, there isareplenty of opportunity to keep kids looking forward to a visit from the tooth fairy.

Chore Chart Completion: Instead of paying your kids in dollars, consider paying them with books! If your kids complete all their tasks, thank them (profusely!) and give them something they’ll be excited to read. Consider a treasure hunt and coloring book, such as Secret Garden, to keep them busy when they are not busy helping you clean.

Sad Day at School: When the bus arrives home and drops your little one off with less than a smile and no spring in their step, consider pulling out a new book to cheer them up. It may just be exactly what they need to cuddle up and spend time with on a surprise afternoon. Or perhaps they just need a visit from the Tickle Monster—smiles and giggles guaranteed.

Gift from Mom or Dad After Traveling Away: Arriving home with airport tchotchkes is a thing of the past. Forgo the taxicab pencil sharpeners and skyline snow globes, and grab a new book for your kid. When you arrive home from a trip, you will be bringing a little part of a whole new world home to them. If you are heading home from the big apple, consider Hello, New York City! as a surprise reading treat.

When Long Lines Loom: Know you have a long wait ahead of you at the DMV with kid in tow? Expecting a long doctor’s office wait? Stash a new book in your tote and pull it out once the waiting game is no longer fun for your little one. Surprise them with a new book to take their mind into a fun, new world. Kids of all ages enjoy wondering Where’s Waldo?—and we know you’ll enjoy this pick, too.

The Day Before the First Day of School: Starting a new grade is exciting and full of adventure, especially if the first day is at a new school. Surprise your kid with a book the day before their first day of school and read it together. This is especially great for younger kids, for whom The Night Before Kindergarten might be a good read, and for any kid who might be a bit anxious about heading off to meet a new teacher and make new friends.

Switch Witch: Halloween holds a guarantee of surplus candy and post-holiday sugar comas. In our house on Halloween night, the kids pick out a dozen candies to keep and put the rest of their candy out for the Switch Witch after we read The Sugar Witch Switch. The lucky witch gets all the candy and in return leaves each child a new book. Just don’t tell my kids I am the witch!
Do you like to surprise your kids with books?