Reading is fundamental.

It's an idea that's so important that there's a non-profit – RIF – based on those three words.

And for some kids, reading is not only fundamental, it's also fun. They're happy to spend a few hours getting lost in the worlds of Harry Potter or Harriet the Spy. Some of them read these books and go on to create stories of their own.

But for other kids, reading is a chore. But there are ways to motivate your child to read while they're still young, including making it part of their regular outdoor play time.

We turned to the British website Nurture Store, the parenting blog Childhood 101 and Growing Book by Book, an online guide for encouraging literacy, to get some ideas for outdoor games designed to get kids interested in reading and writing.

Trying to keep your kids occupied this Winter?

It's tough sometimes. Endless cold days and not enough ideas. Kids are little balls of energy, and all the backyard games that helped them decompress in the warmer months are off-limits because of cold weather.

Blogger Anna Luther was facing her first winter with staying home with a toddler, and decided to go looking for ways to avoid cabin fever.

Here are a few of her suggestions for wintertime toddler activities.