Bring a sense of fun and choice to reading with the Lucky Dip Box. Children cut out and decorate paper books, then pick one each day to read. Adults can guide families to include different types of reading such as comics, audiobooks, or eBooks.
Why it works
This resource makes reading active and playful, helping children engage with books every day. Picking a book from the box introduces variety and choice, which encourages exploration. Colouring and decorating the books and box gives a sense of ownership, while adults can guide and celebrate progress, supporting confidence and reading habits.
Who is it for
- Families and carers
- Teachers
- Librarians
- Booksellers
- World Book Day partners
- Community groups
- Children’s activity providers
How to use it
- Colour in and cut out the books provided in the template.
- Decorate a box using the labels included or reuse a box from home.
- Fill the box with your cut-out books.
- Each day, children take a lucky dip and read whichever book they pick.
- Include favourite comics, audiobooks, ebooks, and other reading forms.
- Adults can support discussion about each choice and celebrate reading milestones.
Get started
Print the templates and cut out the books. Decorate a box and fill it with the books. Show children how to take a lucky dip and record or talk about what they read. Celebrate reading progress by discussing which books children enjoyed most. Encourage children to share their experiences with family, friends, or in a group setting.
Further Pawprint resources
This activity is one of several Pawprint resources that support reading for fun. Using the set together can help families, schools and groups build positive daily reading habits. The full set includes:
- Time to read!
- My reading routine
- My book map
- Guess who? (book character game)