Getting little kids to enjoy reading is challenging these days.
Even if you don't have gaming systems and televisions all over your home, it's nearly impossible to keep little ones away from the pull of technology everywhere they go.
Although games and TV shows can be fun, there's nothing more important than keeping your child's imagination active, and reading is the perfect way to do that.
The question is, how do you convince your children that reading is more fun than the latest downloadable or watchable craze?
One clever DIY-er decided to get his kids involved by asking them to design their very own bookshelf, and the results are creative and colorful!
The idea was inspired by the classic children's show Reading Rainbow, and after taking one look at the final step of the project, you'll understand why!
What do you think of this one-of-a-kind project? Have you come up with any creative ways to get your kids to read more? Let us know in the comments!
[H/T: Instructables]
First, the DIY-er talked to his kids about ideas for the bookshelf project.
They decided they wanted a shelf in the shape of a rainbow with a nice comfy place to read.
After picking out a large piece of plywood for the rainbow's arches, he got to work!
Carefully, he took his measurements and cut the plywood in half.
Next, he mapped out the size of the arches and cut out squares for the base.
The construction of this project was actually pretty simple.
To keep the shelves in place, he drilled half-inch holes to make room for dowel rods. These dowel rods would eventually steady each shelf.
He chose to drill holes 15-inches apart to leave room for plenty of shelving.
Any chips or gaps, he filled in with a wood filler.
He decided to make the shelves out of a sturdy fabric by weaving strips of cloth in and out of the dowel rods.
First, though, he decided he wanted to add a little bit of color!
The DIY-er rolled up the fabric and dyed it with all the colors of the rainbow!
Before beginning the assembling process, he painted the inside of the arches a nice solid yellow color.
After giving the dyed cloth time to dry, he weaved it around the dowel rods.
As you can see in this photo, the project really began to take shape after running the dowel rods through both rainbow arches and resting them on the square platforms for balance.
By following the ROYGBIV pattern of the rainbow, the DIY-er and his kids worked on making the shelf nice and colorful.
After the project dried, they set out a nice fluffy cloud-shaped pillow on the tail ends of the rainbow for a comfy place to sit and read.
The DIY-er says his kids absolutely loved being a part of the creative process, and they really enjoy sitting down together to read stories.
What do you think of this colorful project to encourage kids to read more? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE with the book lovers in your life!
