Bol has launched a new interactive video series called Bollebozen Boekenbende, aimed at increasing children’s reading pleasure in grades 1, 2, and 3. The goal of Bollebozen is to positively contribute to the language development of children by encouraging parents and teachers to watch the video series with children to spark their interest in reading. The first of three episodes is now available on YouTube for all children in the Netherlands and Belgium to watch at home or at school.
In addition to the video series, Bollebozen is donating over 320,000 children’s books this year through various foundations in the Netherlands and Belgium. This includes sending 107,000 books to primary schools affiliated with the Youth Education Fund in the Netherlands, where at least half of the children live below the poverty line. Another 8,000 books will be given away through the Reading Fund in Belgium.
The development of the Bollebozen Boekenbende involved input from elementary school teachers to ensure that the content resonates with the children and helps improve their reading skills. Interactive storytelling is at the core of the episodes, as engaging children in the reading process and involving them in the story can increase their enjoyment of reading and foster a love for books.
Each episode focuses on a different children’s book, with a colorful set design that immerses viewers in the world of the story. The first episode revolves around the book ‘Anansi de Spin en de eieren voor de koning’ by author Iven Cudogham. Through interactive storytelling, Iven guides children through his book and encourages them to help Anansi the Spider in the episode.
Last year, the collaboration between the Youth Education Fund and Bollebozen involved distributing Boekiebags to keep children’s reading levels up during the summer months. By making the Bollebozen Boekenbende videos available to all 464 affiliated schools and children across the Netherlands and Belgium, the creators hope to reach even more children and stimulate a love for reading at a young age.
The next episode of the Bollebozen Boekenbende will be released during the Children’s Book Week in October, with the third episode planned for the Christmas holiday season. Through initiatives like this, Bollebozen aims to promote reading enjoyment from a young age and help prevent language delays, ultimately setting children up for better academic performance and future career opportunities.