Stop, Drop, and Read:
Brightly Readers Share Their Special Reading Spots

For the truly bookish, reading anytime, anywhere is par for the course. But even for those of us who can read wedged sardine-like between fellow subway riders or by faint candlelight during a power outage, having a special spot in which to curl up and read makes the reading experience all the better.

We recently asked Brightly readers where they most like to read with their kids and got some pretty interesting answers. It turns out the top three reading spots are easy to predict: snuggled up in bed, curled up on the couch, and tucked into a favorite chair.

More than 60% of our readers like to cuddle up with their kiddos and a bedtime story at the end of the day. Not surprising, as almost any parent will attest to the wonderful wind down a good story provides a (hopefully) drowsy child. And we’ve recently heard a lot about the benefits of reading aloud to bigger kids, too.

About 30% of you have a dedicated space carved out as a reading nook or designated reading area. That said, the floor is by far the sweet spot — quite literally. That’s where many of you are reading with your kids. The lit major in me likes to think of this as a “stop everything and drop immediately to the floor to read” kind of thing, but the mom in me knows it’s just easiest to grab a book from the stack (or the shelf) and get down to the right eye-level for all involved.

Not everyone is reading on the floor, though; we got some great responses — and some great ideas — for fun reading spots from our readers that we wanted to share:

Take the show on the road. “On the car on long trips!” was one Brightly reader’s favorite way to read as a family. It’s a great idea — turn a boring car ride into storytime to make those miles go by faster. And for motion sensitive folks who can’t read in the car (looking at you, Amanda), audiobooks were another great reader suggestion.

The recipe for a cozy reading corner. “I made a reading nook in his bedroom with a comfy chair where he can sit on my lap or lay next to me, a soft reading light combined with a window to let in lots of natural light during the day, a bookcase full of his favorite books and new books added frequently, with a separate area for library books so we know we have to read those first, and a blanket in cold weather.” This sounds dreamy. Can someone make this for me?

Retro cozy. “My daughter likes me to sit on a beanbag and she sits in my lap with either a blanket or a stuffed animal.”

Stepping it up a notch. “My grandson has a bunk bed with side stairs and I sit on the top step and read to him.”

Even higher ground. “Up in our treehouse.” I hope they are reading Robinson Crusoe up there.

Reading fort weekend getaway. “One time we made an awesome fort out of blankets and chairs and we read in there the whole visit.” A great option for a staycation or a rainy day.

And the most favorite place of all? “Any place we can cuddle together.” Exactly. Keep calm and cuddle on, readers.

Share more of your favorite reading spots in the comments below.