Our First Bookroo Experience

[This is not a sponsored post, but I received the product at no charge in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.]

Reading is one of my favorite activities to do with my littles and it's so important for their development. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently presented research that reading to and with your child, even in their infancy, has lasting effects on their vocabulary before they even begin Elementary school. I feel like we all probably knew this already, but there's nothing like some good research to back it up! You can check out the article here.

Reading with your kids (even as babies) helps them learn words, inflection, letters, numbers, shapes, colors and more. It's also the perfect time for snuggles (a.k.a bonding). Even at the end of a long, exhausting day, bedtime reading is my absolute favorite thing to do with my kids. I still don't understand how they can drive me crazy all day and then all I want to do is snuggle with them before bed and look at pictures of them while they're sleeping, but I guess that's a mystery of motherhood that is yet to be solved.

We were blessed with plenty of hand-me-down books and a local program that sends us a free book every month (until age 5), but no one can ever have too many books!

Enter Bookroo, a curated children's subscription service. All Bookroo books are reviewed by 12 Stanford-graduate families (including their kids!) and 2 to 3 are sent to you each month, perfectly gift-wrapped. Board books are sent for ages 0-2.5(ish) and picture books are sent for ages 2.5(ish) to 6.

I was so excited to receive our first box! We waited to open it until we had some time to look at the books and were pleasantly surprised with how well they were gift-wrapped. I'm sure Joshua thought it was his birthday all over again! He needed a little bit of help with the tape (they wrap them good), but he was ready to dive in and read them once they were unwrapped.

We read them to Emma too, but I'll share more about Joshua's experience since Emma mostly drooled on and tried to eat them. I'm sure this is why board books are sent for that age. At least she's learning! [Don't be distracted by those adorable chubby cheeks...]

We received 3 books in our Bookroo box: My First Letters Book, To The Rescue, and I Can Dance:

My First Letters Book: So far, this is Joshua's favorite of the three. We have been working on the alphabet lately, so I'm sure that's why. He can say the letters really well and today we worked on saying the letter AND the word. He struggled with some of the 3 to 4 consonant words, but he gave them a good try. I was so proud!

To The Rescue: This book is great because it has a firetruck, tow truck, ambulance and more...Joshua loves rescue vehicles! It also has animals, so we point out the animals and make the sounds they make.

I Can Dance: This book is great for both boys and girls! It covers ballet, gymnastics, disco, and more. Joshua especially loved it when I stuck my fingers in the holes and made them "dance". This is my personal favorite!

Overall, we are very pleased with all 3 books! I'm sure they will be around our house for a long, long while.

How can YOU get a Bookroo box? Head over to Bookroo to choose your subscription. You can select a 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month subscription. The 12-month subscription is the lowest cost per month, so that is the best money-saving option over time. Have you gone shopping for baby or kids books recently? They average around $10 each! There are a few in the $6 to $9 range, but not many. The cost of your Bookroo subscription will always be lower than the retail value of the books, so it really makes it worth it.

Check it out and let us know what you think about Bookroo! What do you love most about reading with your kid(s)?