Fun Activities For Your Tween: Celebrate National Read a Book Day

We’re so thrilled that National Read a Book Day falls on a Friday (September 6th)! It’s time to get into party mode and plan a Friday night to remember. Tweens are the ultimate family members to involve when it comes to spreading bookish joy. They are the perfect combination of enthusiasm, curiosity, and incredible imagination.

From book-themed parties to treasure hunts and the ultimate picky eater test, we can’t wait to share some fun ideas your tween is bound to love — bringing bookish joy one fun activity at a time! 

So grab your family, friends and neighbors and get together for a Friday night of fun celebrating the joy of books!

Book Themed Party Time

A book-themed party is a wonderful way to celebrate National Read a Book Day! The Shapeshifter book box featured Trouble in the Stars by Sarah Prineas, a heartwarming outer-space adventure about a troublesome little shape-shifter on the run from the law. It is the perfect backdrop for a book-themed party!

Galactic Adventure Decor

Space-Themed Decorations: Use starry backdrops, LED string lights, and hanging planets to create a galactic atmosphere. 

Shape-Shifter Station: Set up a station where kids can create their own "shape-shifter" masks or costumes, with materials to make alien, animal, and human disguises.

Outer Space Games

Galactic Hide and Seek: Since Trouble is always on the run, organize a hide-and-seek game where one player is the "StarLeague Cadet" and the others are "Trouble" in different forms, hiding and trying not to get caught.

Shapeshifter Guessing Game: Have kids act out different shapes and forms, while others guess what they’ve transformed into.

Themed Food & Drinks

Space Snacks: Serve foods like "Meteor Meatballs," "Galaxy Popcorn" (popcorn with edible glitter), and "Asteroid Sandwiches" (fun-shaped sandwiches).

Trouble’s Goo Slime: Create a gooey dessert or snack (like green jello or slime pudding) to represent Trouble’s blob form.

Rocket Fuel Punch: Make a colorful drink station with “Rocket Fuel” labeled drinks in various galactic colors.

Treasure Hunt Book-Inspired Party

Who doesn’t love a great treasure hunt party? Our Survival Island book box featured the fabulous The Forgotten Five: Map of Flames by Lisa McMann, the perfect story for a treasure hunt literary party!

Here are some exciting treasure hunt party ideas based on this exciting story!

Treasure Map

Map of Estero City: Provide each participant with a treasure map that leads them through different “areas” of Estero City (designated spots in the party area). Each spot should represent a different challenge or clue location.

Superpower-Themed Clues

Birdie’s Animal Challenge: Create clues that require your tweens and their friends to solve riddles or puzzles involving animals. For example, they might need to follow “animal tracks” to find the next clue or decode an animal language message.

Brix’s Athletic Quest: Include physical challenges in the treasure hunt, like a mini obstacle course or a race that leads to the next clue. The participants might have to jump, crawl, or balance to find their next clue.

Tenner’s Water Adventure: Set up a water-based challenge (a small pool, water balloons, or a water relay) where clues are hidden in or near water.

Seven’s Camouflage Hunt: Hide clues in tricky or camouflaged locations where everyone needs to use their observation skills to find them. You could use items that blend into their surroundings or are hidden in plain sight.

Cabot’s Mystery Power: Include a mystery element in the hunt where the final clue or treasure is hidden in a location that requires everyone to figure out a secret or unlock a hidden ability.

Character-Themed Stations

Birdie’s Animal Friends: Set up a station where participants need to identify animals or match animal footprints to receive their next clue.

Brix’s Healing Station: Have a station where participants must “heal” a situation, such as assembling a puzzle or completing a task that repairs something broken, to earn their next clue.

Tenner’s Night Vision: Set up a darkened room or area where participants have to find clues using flashlights or by feeling around in the dark.

Seven’s Disguise Challenge: Include a station where participants must find hidden clues in a room decorated with items that blend into their surroundings.

The Ultimate Picky Eater Test

Our Picky Eaters Unite book box featured The League of Picky Eaters by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic—a hilarious and heartwarming debut about picky eating, finding your people, and standing proud!

In Muffuletta, being good at eating is the key to success. French fries and grilled cheese? Beginner food! Haggis and truffles? Delicacies! After failing a school eating test, picky eater Minerva is placed in the lowest eating track of all: Remedial Eating to Change Habits. RETCH class is full of kids with weird personalities and even weirder food preferences. 

Your tween will love this one. Let your tween’s imagination run wild and create crazy, wonderful food delicacies for the ultimate picky eater test! Here are two ideas to get you started!

Sick Spaghetti: Cook your spaghetti according to the package instructions. Divide the cooked spaghetti into several bowls and add different food coloring to each bowl, mixing until the pasta is brightly colored. Toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. For an extra bit of “ughness,” why not add some jello and gummies—just make sure they are sour!

Crazy Kebabs: It’s time to mix flavors that just weren’t made to go together! The wilder, the better. Think hard-boiled eggs, marshmallows, strawberries, and pickles beautifully arranged on a kebab stick!

Celebrate National Read a Book Day the Book Box Way

As you know, here at Once Upon a Book Club, we are all about bringing books to life, and our immersive boxes are the ideal way to celebrate any bookish day (which in our books is every day!) Our tween boxes, renowned for their whimsical packaging, contain an exciting novel, surprise gifts, fabulous activities, and so much more. 

We can’t wait to hear how you celebrated National Read a Book Day. If you enjoyed this blog, make sure to check out our blog 5 Fun Activities To Develop Your Tween’s Reading Skills!