Your Kids Can Have Virtual Story Time With Actors and Authors. Here's How. Kids Activities Blog

Children’s books, reading, and story time are a huge part of our day. But as I’m learning with our social distancing, some variety to our days helps immensely. In other words, my kids often listen better to someone other than me.

So, thank goodness for virtual story time. Some fabulous children’s book authors and illustrators as well as actors — like Josh Gad, aka Olaf — are reading kid lit books online.

About #OperationStoryTime

While most are reading from their own books or their favorite books, some (like Mo Willems) are also doodling.

Most participating actors and children’s book authors and illustrators can be found through the hashtag #OperationStoryTime across social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Some of our Favorite Virtual Story Times

Or just click on the links below to add to your daily schedule of entertaining your kids while you’re stuck at home:

* Actor Jennifer Garner kicked off Operation Storytime when she did a virtual story time with “The Mitten.” Now she’s partnered with Amy Adams to launch #savewithstories and raise money for No Kid Hungry and Save the Children.

View this post on Instagram

“Uni the Unicorn” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, illustrated by Brigette Barrager (published by @randomhousekids) . THIRTY MILLION CHILDREN rely on school for food. Responding to the needs of kids during school closures, @savethechildren and @nokidhungry have a new fund @SAVEWITHSTORIES to support food banks, and mobile meal trucks, and community feeding programs with funds to do what they do best—and also—with educational toys, books, and worksheets to make sure brains are full, as well as bellies. . If you can manage a one time gift of $10, please text SAVE to 20222. If another amount would work better for you, please visit our website—link in bio. There is no maximum and there is no minimum—together we will rise and together we can help. . Thank you and stay safe. XX #SAVEWITHSTORIES

A post shared by #SAVEWITHSTORIES (@savewithstories) on Mar 17, 2020 at 8:44am PDT

* Doodle and write with Mo Willems, author of the popular Pigeon books. New videos available via Facebook and YouTube every day at 1pm Eastern.

* Author Mac Barnet regularly reads from his books on Instagram Live at noon pacific.

Josh Gad reading children's books — Screenshot: Twitter

* With his experience in animation and voice acting, Josh Gad creates different voices for every character during his live Twitter story times. Search #Gadbookclub on Twitter.

* Jan Brett — author of classics like “The Mitten” — reads her new book “Cozy”

* Illustrator Shawn Harris reads a variety of books, including “Everyone’s Awake” on Instagram

* Writer Oge Mora reads from her book “Saturday,” which shows what happens when a mother and daughter’s plans for the day go all wrong — particularly appropriate given we’re all stuck at home now.

* Author Ame Dyckman reads from “You Don’t Want a Unicorn” over on Youtube. Bonus, she’s also dressed up as a unicorn.

* For the middle grade readers, join Steven Weinberg as he reads parts of “AstroNuts” on Instagram.

This is just a sampling of the authors offering their voice and their time to share children’s book stories with the world.

Continue to follow the #OperationStorytime hashtag for the newest additions… and keep sharing stories with your kids. It’s one of the best educational things you can do for them.