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.

Kids want to play, but just as importantly, they need to play. It’s good for them, and helps them become well-rounded adults.

As Deborah J. Leong and Elena Bodrova wrote in a Scholastic article on the importance of child’s play: 

“There is a growing body of research that shows a link between play and the development of cognitive and social skills that are prerequisites for learning more complex concepts as children get older.”

Here are eight things parents should know about child’s play:

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.

Kids love playing outside no matter the season, and if the next few months don’t get too cold, you should encourage them get outside for some wintertime fun. You might even share some hot chocolate with them on their swing set.

If you’re looking for ways to help your children have fun this winter, the website She Knows offers some ideas for kids’ winter activities, as well as some tips for keeping kids warm and safe before they head out into the cold: